27 Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Interview Questions & Answers
Below is a list of our Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco interview questions. Click on any interview question to view our answer advice and answer examples. You may view 5 answer examples before our paywall loads. Afterwards, you'll be asked to upgrade to view the rest of our answers.
1. What skills do you use to cope with the day to day stress and pressure on the job?
How to Answer
In modern technology industries, consumer demand has led to high volume of work and high pressure situations to work on tight deadlines. To prove that you are able to handle high stress, high pressure situations on the job, your interviewer is looking to hear first hand how you handle this type of environment in your own words. As you answer the question, try to turn potential perceived stress into a positive by highlighting your personal skills that enable you to perform well in those situations. If possible, try to use specific examples in your answer.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"Where many others get overtaken by stress to the point that they can't function in this field, high pressure situations sharpen my focus and that helps me work through them with ease. Last year, I was assigned a high priority, short notice project for a high profile customer. My manager gave it to me because of my proven success in those situations. From the start, I created a timeline for completion and mapped out a plan to make it happen. While staying in communication with my leaders and the client, I was able to create a great system update in just a few short weeks."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"I am confident in high stress work situations because of my ability to adapt, communicate and be organized in my work. These skills came in very useful a few weeks ago when our support staff were experiencing an extremely high volume of help desk calls. My adaptability helped me go with the flow and handle items on at a time. My communication skills enabled me to quickly and efficiently call on needed support. My organization skills helped me be prepared for anything on that day and enabled me to work through tickets in a quick and efficient manner."
2. If you were asked to review a colleague's code that they had written, what key things would you look for?
How to Answer
For this question, your interviewer will obviously be looking to hear that you have adequate knowledge when it comes to coding processes. But most importantly, your interviewer will be looking to gauge your ability to be a team player and focus on the bigger picture when working on a project. In your answer, focus on your attention to detail and your ability to help others when needed.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"As an experienced software engineer, I fully expect my colleagues to reach out to me for my insight and I never hesitate to provide open and honest feedback. When asked to do this, my main focus is ensuring that the code is readable and functional. If there are lines of code that need to be removed, I don't hesitate to let my colleague know that while also giving them feedback on why I feel it is unnecessary."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"When I'm asked to do this in my current position, my main focus is on regulatory requirements that were put in place for the project and security issues. I work with a team of great engineers that are very efficient coders and these two areas are most often overlooked."
3. What do you feel is one of the top issues that is faced by data engineers today?
How to Answer
Being in the midst of the greatest technological revolution in the history of man, data engineers face many difficult issues in the work that they perform on a daily basis. While there are many directions that you can go with this question, be sure to focus your answer on something that you can speak passionately about. If you can research a common issue in the industry that Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco works in, you may likely score some bonus points with your interviewer.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"Over the past couple of years, I've come to realize that one of the largest issues we face as data engineers is the large amounts of data that are needed to store and then draw information from. Here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, I can only imagine how big of an issue that is in the healthcare industry. I have a lot of experience with cloud based data storage and also server based storage."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"In my recent experiences, continuous, real-time integration is an issue that we will face each and every day moving forward. The need for fast paced information is certainly to blame for this. To stay on top of the continuous integration landscape, I am happy to hear that new and improved systems are being created to stay more real-time and up to the minute. Here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and working in the financial industry, how have you seen this need for real-time data impact your products?"
4. What tools do you currently use to help you be a more efficient and effective Business Analyst?
How to Answer
While the tools that Business Analyst use can vary greatly between industries and even companies, your interviewer is looking to get the sense that you are a resourceful employee that has a good working knowledge of many different types of software programs. While being honest in your answer, try to show diversity in your answer by talking about data specific software, word processing software, presentation software and any other programs that you see fit for this role with Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"Being very computer proficient, I consider myself an expert on the Microsoft products like Excel, PowePoint, Access and Outlook to help perform my job effectively. As well, I have very good knowledge of SQL databases as well. If hired here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, are there any standard software products that I would be required to work on and learn?"
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"In recent years, my department has started using Tableau and it has been amazing with its ability to visualize data for our internal and external customers. I've had many hours of training within the program that was tuned for business analytics and I can't say enough good things about the program. On top of Tableau, I also use Microsoft Excel and Crystal Reports on a regular basis."
5. To get a sense of how you will handle internal auditing processes here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, what do you feel are important tasks to do once an audit is finished?
How to Answer
You and your interviewer both know that the work isn't completed the moment that an audit has been completed and for this question, your interviewer is looking to hear what items you feel are a top priority in ensuring that the audit has a long-lasting impact. As you answer this question, be sure to discuss any unique tasks that you feel are a priority and value that you can bring to the team at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco by talking about how they've been useful to others you've worked with in the past.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"The end goal of any audit is improvement and my role as the Auditor is to help bring as much value to the improvement as possible and this begins with my work following an audit. First and foremost, my top goal at the end of an audit is to deliver the results in a clear and quick manner and meet with all stakeholders to discuss my results. Having many years of experience as an Auditor, the one value I can add to Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco is my ability to help your leaders put action into place to improve. As you'll see from my letters of recommendation, many high level leaders I have worked with in the past have really appreciated my ability to do this."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"In my work, my most important task following an audit is to help the key stakeholders understand what needs to be improved and how to improve it. I do this through a thorough reporting process to them. Managers like visual aids and I am able to provide them. They also like to hear suggestions on how to improve and my time in the auditing field brings with me a lot of process improvement knowledge that can help your leadership staff here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco."
6. If hired here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, what do you feel would be the biggest hurdle for you to overcome from the start?
How to Answer
The key to answering this question with confidence starts with understanding that you are interviewing with Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco because your interviewer feels that you are a strong candidate for this position. What your interviewer is focusing on with this question is how they could be of most help to you if hired for the job. So, take the time prior to your interview to think about an aspect of the position that would be the most difficult for you to overcome to be up and running at full speed and then take time to explain how you would plan to overcome that hurdle if hired. This structured answer will tell your interviewer that you have put thought to your potential shortcoming with a plan of action.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, I don't have any direct working experience with the financial industry and I would see that as my largest learning opportunity if offered this position. Like I did with my current job in the healthcare industry, I would take the time to learn the basics of the industry that would help me design the most intuitive user interfaces in the products here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"Being a team player by nature, I've always considered my first challenge at any new company to be the task of getting to know my colleagues, their work preferences and their work styles. In the same breath, I want them to know who I am and how I best work as part of a team with them. To accomplish this, I would take the initiative to set one on one meetings with individuals that I didn't get to touch base with during my orientation process to get to know them better."
7. What experience do you have that will lead to you being an effective liaison between many teams here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco as a Project Analyst?
How to Answer
As a Project Analyst with Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, you will engage with and lead diverse teams of people from within the organization. To do so effectively, you will rely on your ability to be approachable, persuasive and personable. As you look to your past for experiences that will directly correlate with future success in this role, try to pull out an example of a time where you used these skills to bring together a team of people towards one common goal.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"In my current role for the past six years as an Analyst in the healthcare industry, I work with a wide variety of staff from many departments. These can include frontline nursing staff, lab staff, administration, finance and others. On a large finance project last year, my ability to speak openly and honestly while being very informative really helped my team pull accurate data from our patient billing department to be put to use with frontline staff. I feel that my current role would really help me hit the ground running in this role here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, my work experience prior to getting into project management and analysis was in sales. From what I gather about this role at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, I would have a hands on approach in coordinating multiple teams working together and the skills that I honed in the sales field will be essential for me. I have a very warm approach with any person that I work with and the ability to convince people that may be on the fence by educating them every step of the way."
8. What experience do you have in the different types of software maintenance?
How to Answer
As a reputable company, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco takes their software maintenance processes seriously and your interviewer is looking to hear that you are familiar with the four different types of software maintenance. Talk to your interviewer about any work you have done in the past with corrective, adaptive, perfective and/or preventative software maintenance. Use specific examples and make sure that your interviewer walks away from your conversation knowing that you understand the importance of proper system maintenance.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"Being familiar with all four types of software maintenance, my most used method of maintenance in my current role is corrective. Based on bug reports from end users, I work through coding and logic issues to resolve issues in a timely and effective manner. In the maintenance I perform, I never hesitate to pick up the phone and contact customers to hear first hand about what they are experiencing. By doing this, they feel like they are an important part of the process and it reflects well on me and my organization."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"In my current role, I'd definitely say that a majority of the maintenance work that I do is adaptive maintenance. Working in banking software that is used around the globe, I help perform system maintenance for changes in currency on a pretty regular basis. This work requires research and talking with end users to help adapt the programs for their use. If hired here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, I also have experience performing perfective, preventative and corrective maintenance on software as well."
9. Do you have experience writing a custom exception in Java?
How to Answer
As a Java expert, you will hopefully have the ability to inform your interviewer that you do have experience in writing custom exceptions in Java. As a reputable software company, the engineers and architects with Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco often need to demonstrate the ability to do just this. While talking about the experience that you do have, be sure to discuss your thought process in initially determining the need for writing a custom exception above and beyond the standard Java exceptions.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
Answer Example
"Yes, I certainly do have experience writing custom exceptions in Java in my time in the financial software industry. Because some of the business logic and workflow needed customization, I was tasked with extending the exception class and all subclasses in standard Java to create the custom exceptions needed."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
10. What programming languages would you consider yourself fluent in?
How to Answer
While this question gives your interviewer insight into the diversity of your programming language experience, they most importantly want to know that you are adaptable and able to learn on the fly if needed. Talk about the different languages that you consider yourself fluent in and, if possible, do as much research into Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco as you can prior to your interview and try to speak to the specific languages that they work with.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"From the start of college, where software engineering grew into a passion for me, I've become very fluent in Java, JavaScript and C++. My current role has me working primarily with C++, but I pride myself on my ability and passion to learn new programming languages and would be able to do so if hired for this role with Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"During my training to be an engineer and then in my current role since graduating, a majority of my experience falls within Python. My current role delves deeply into artificial intelligence and Python is awesome with this advanced technology. As I understand it from talking to another engineer here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, a requirement would be for me to learn Scala. Though I haven't worked directly with Scala, I believe my experience and willingness to learn would have me up and running in no time if hired for this role."
11. How do you ensure that you have a healthy work-life balance in your career?
How to Answer
In the fast paced world in software and technology development, heavy work loads and potential on-call duties have created a lot of burnout in professionals. Your interviewer is looking to hear that you are cognizant of the risks of burnout and that you do what is necessary to maintain your own personal health and well being and that of your family as well. While you can use this time to talk about personal interests or hobbies outside of work, try to focus on how these items help keep you refreshed for the work that you'll be doing for Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"As I am passionate about my career as a UX designer, I am also passionate about my family. Any moments outside of work are spent coaching my kids traveling baseball teams in the summer months and then spending as many weekends as possible on the ski slopes. These activities help keep me active, physically fit and keep my mind centered on what it truly important in my life when work weeks get stressful."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"Having watched many of my senior colleagues over time suffer from work burnout that has caused marital issues and health issues, I make it a priority to maintain a healthy balance between my work and my home life. My free time is spent in the outdoors with my wife, whether that be on the lakes and rivers fishing or biking around town. I consider myself fortunate to be considered for a position here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco because I know that you put a focus on your employees maintaining this healthy balance because the organization realizes how important this is to be productive."
12. Leading change into the future will be important for this role here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. What are the main challenges that leaders face while trying to implement change in the workplace?
How to Answer
In your effort to join Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco as a Senior Consultant, change management will be an important key to your success in this role. As you answer, be sure to make it clear to your interviewer that you understand the human element and how it plays into hesitancy to change in the workplace. Talk about how your role helps to facilitate the process of change while taking into account this human element. As well, talk about how implementing changes in the workplace often encounters many variables, like the failure of leaders within the organization.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"As a person that knows change is naturally hard for any person, implementing change in the workplace is cone best when communication is clear and strong relationships are leveraged to build trust among the entire team. Taking a communicative and personable approach often brings people on the fence to embrace the change and work with it moving forward. As well, the leaders here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco need to be trained on how to implement change within their work units. As you can see from my resume, I have a lot of great experience in training managers on being agents of change and I'd love to bring these skills to the team here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"During the times I've led projects that implemented significant changes within an organization, the biggest challenge I have seen is failure from management on implementing the change in a positive and impactful way. in my current role, I ensure that front line supervisors and department leaders are involved in the change management process from the start to help them have buy-in and a stake in the changes being implemented. This ends up having a very positive effect on frontline staff that are eventually asked to change the most."
13. What software analysis and design tools do you have familiarity working with?
How to Answer
As a software engineer for Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, your interviewer wants to hear that you have experience in utilizing tools that you make you more proficient in your work. Dig back on your past experiences and talk openly about your experiences with the different analysis and design tools that are available to help you be better in the work that you do. In the end, make sure that your interviewer understands that you are proficient in the use of these tools and open to learning and using new tools as well.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"As my career and experience in software engineering has grown over the years, I've come to really appreciate and utilize these tools that are available. A great example of this would be my recent education and use of Structured English for designing insurance claim software for a large auto insurer. The simplicity of the structured decisions in the program were a perfect example of a program that could utilize the tool and the end product ended up very functional for our customer."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"I have great working knowledge in creating and reading data flow diagrams. To help with both our own sales staff and with customers, DFD's have been super helpful and I consider myself very proficient in creating them. I've also recently been introduced to decision tables to aid in product testing. I was working on a new system that involved some very complicated business rules and the decision table helped outline everything perfectly for our testing."
14. At Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, we expect our Business Analysts to put extra emphasis into the risk management aspects of their project work. How have you performed risk mitigation and risk avoidance in your previous roles as a Business Analyst
How to Answer
The financial field is often posed with great risks and Business Analysts must always factor potential risks into the equation of any project that they work on. To get a better idea of how you will do this if hired at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, your interview is giving you a chance to talk about your knowledge of risk and how you have worked with risk mitigation and risk avoidance in your previous positions. If new to the financial services field, it is important to show that you know that common risks can be systematic, operational, legal and credit related.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, my Business Analyst experiences come from the software and manufacturing industries where common risks were associated with systematic and operational faults. Similar to the finance industry, I also have experience in helping mitigate legal risk. In my current role, I mitigate legal risk by working with a team of legal experts to know the laws and then develop a series of what-if questions to propose potential scenarios. Based on the what-if scenarios, we can implement specific requirements into the project to help minimize potential risk."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"From an early point in my career as a Business Analyst, I learned that a solid analysis process is the key to reducing any risk in a project. Two areas that apply the most are scope creep and impact analysis. To reduce scope creep and avoid any risks associate with it, I ensure that all stakeholders understand the scope of the project from the start and that I check in to validate the requirements as frequently as I can."
15. A key task in this role with Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco is assessing an organization's weighted average cost of capital. Are you familiar with WACC calculations and when have you used them in the past if you are?
How to Answer
Whether you have direct experience with WACC calculation or not, the first important thing that your interviewer will be looking for is that you understand all of the values that are used to calculate it and why it is important to calculate. Be sure to explain your understanding of the calculation. Then, if you do have experience, talk about the context of the work that you did surrounding utilizing WACC calculation and what resources you used to ensure that accurate data was used in the calculation.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"In my current role, I utilize weighted average cost of capital calculation in the financing projects my firm undertakes. Basically, the WACC helps us determine if a project is worthwhile to see a future return. My role as the risk analyst is the gather the data for the formula. I am well versed in calculating the cost of equity and cost of debt for companies and determining market values of those numbers. In the end, a great rate is determined that can be a win-win situation for my firm and the companies that we finance."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"I do have some familiarity with WACC calculation when I've worked with evaluating mergers and acquisitions for potential clients. Luckily in the that times I've worked with the calculation, my colleague had a very detailed WACC calculator built into an excel spreadsheet and our role was gathering the important data to include in the calculation. This included debt to capitalization, equity to capitalization, cost of equity and cost of debt. In my time as a Financial Risk Analyst, those figures have been my everyday life. If hired for this role with Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, my experience in this realm will help with your WACC calculations as you make important decisions moving forward."
16. If hired for this position as an Economist with Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, we would look to you for global economic insights. What one global trend to you feel will heavily impact financial markets in the next ten years?
How to Answer
While there are many directions that you can go with this question, your interviewer is truly testing your critical thinking skills in applying situations to the market. However you answer, be sure that you can speak knowledgeably as to why that global trend would have a major impact on the stock market and how you feel it would have the greatest impact. With no right or wrong answer to the question, your interviewer will be reading your confidence and your poker face in giving your answer.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"To me, the direction that sustainable energy goes in the next ten years will have the greatest impact on the global economy and markets worldwide. While archaic methods of energy like mining still occur and have an impact, the ramping up of green energy could bring forth many new players in the energy game that will be projected to grow exponentially. To me, this has been the biggest trend to keep an eye on moving forward."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"Automation, artificial intelligence and robots are a growing trend that could impact markets in both positive and negative ways into the future. I believe we are going to see the global labor market change with more and more automation taking workers jobs and the biggest shift in the markets that will have to be monitored is how businesses and industries react to and thrive in that dynamic."
17. The staff at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco are often targets of advanced phishing threats. Explain your experience in helping to prevent phishing attacks and how you can help benefit our team with that experience.
How to Answer
Cyberattackers have become very advanced in their techniques to disguise themselves as a trusting a business in attempts to steal both personal and financial information. They do this through well designed emails to staff of banking institutions to try and trick frontline staff into releasing information to them. At Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, staff need to be aware of these attacks and you will be tasked with helping to prevent phishing attacks in this role. Talk about the experience you have in helping to prevent phishing attacks and try to relate your experience to the banking world.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"In my current role, training and education of staff is the number one priority in preventing phishing attacks because attacks come to individuals and are often very well disguised. I've created several online training modules to help staff spot and report phishing attempts from hackers and the program has worked wonderfully. If hired for this role, I could hit the ground running in helping to create great training modules for the staff here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"Being very familiar with the latest techniques that phishing hackers are using, I've worked through setting up firewalls to detect phishing attempts and used antivirus software that utilizes internet security. Here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, I understand that phishing is a very common threat that hackers utilize to steal personal and financial information and firewalls can be a very effective technique to help block those attempts."
18. As a Business Analyst at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, you will be tasked with working with diverse teams of stakeholders on different projects. How do you handle stakeholders that are difficult and bullheaded?
How to Answer
Leading a project team will put you in front of many differing personalities and you need to have the ability to work with every type of personality to be successful in this role at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. While your interviewer may not be telling you that you will work with a difficult person because they know of a few, they're more looking to see how you utilize your communication and problem solving skills to make the situation better for everyone. As you answer this question, feel free to use an example from the past that highlights how you used your interpersonal skills to work effectively with a difficult person on a project team.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"Honestly, one of the things that I love the most about being a Business Analyst is the mix of people that I get to work with and if I took an honest look back over time, I'd say that every team that I was a part of had at least one difficult person to work with. In those situations, I rely on an empathetic approach that really tries to narrow down what makes that person tick on the job. With that knowledge in hand, I can then touch them in a relatable manner and even provide them with work that suits their needs the best."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"Just recently, an executive with my company was the final decision maker and stakeholder on a sales project and she had some very unrealistic expectations for the project from the start and she wasn't afraid to let me know. To best handle this situation, I listened to all of her thoughts on the project and asked a lot of follow up questions to get her sense of the project. After that, I asked for a couple of days to rework some design of the project. When we had our follow up meeting, I educated her on a few legal aspects of the project that wouldn't fit into her mold. She thanked me for the insight and we were off on the right path from there."
19. To help us understand your need for initial training and orientation in this role with Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, can you tell me what financial software you have familiarity working on?
How to Answer
Financial software, in particular software geared towards financial analysis, is widely available to the industry with many options available for use. While this won't be a make it or break it question to see if you are experienced with the program that Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco utilizes, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you have experience on some of the available systems and that you are ready and willing to take on the challenge of learning something new if hired for this role. In the end in answering this question, make sure that you reiterate that you have the ability and the desire to learn a new program if needed to be successful in this role.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"Over the past ten years, I have pretty extensive experience working on Windham Portfolio Advisor and a program called LogicGate. Windham is a program that is used by my colleagues that are building client portfolios and I work on the risk management pieces with each advisor. LogicGate is a program that I completed an RFP to bring on to my department and it has helped us immensely. I do consider myself to have a very high technical acumen surrounding new software. Right now, what programs are your Risk Analysts using?"
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"Being a computer junkie in my spare time, I have a wide array of experience with many of the different types of financial and risk analysis software. I'm a big fan of the MATLAB program because of its ability to build my own algorithms and customize the data analysis within the program. This has significantly impacted my firm in my current role. With my firm recently moving to an Oracle platform, I've become very familiar with Oracle Crystal Ball over the last two years and really like its ability to visualize forecasts."
20. List the top 3 skills that you have acquired in your last role.
How to Answer
You have likely gained many valuable skills in your career. Share with the interviewer which skills you value the most. Be sure to include skills that will potentially benefit this potential new employer.
1st Answer Example
"In the past few years I was able to upgrade my education while still working full time. The biggest skill that I gained was my ability to multi-task as I worked the dual role of employee and student. I also have strong skills in a variety of Microsoft programs such as PowerPoint and Excel."
2nd Answer Example
"There are many skills I gained in my most recent position as I had a great training program and my boss was a strong mentor. If I had to choose three top skills I would say that the biggest ones were effective multitasking, solid closing skills, and cold calling abilities."
21. At Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, we expect our Economists to give regular presentations and updates to our advisory staff. What experience do you have presenting in front of a captive audience?
How to Answer
While you likely entered the field of economics because of your analytical, mathematical and critical thinking skills, your interviewer is looking to gain insight into some of your interpersonal skills with this question. If hired for this role at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, you will be asked to present regularly to the Advisors and Portfolio Manager staff that will make some decisions based on your findings and you need to be comfortable in handling this aspect of the job. In your answer, use specific experience you do have in presenting to large groups and talk about the skills that you possess that will help you thrive in that position.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"As I look back on my career as an Economist that has stretched over a couple of different industries, I am confident in lending a majority of my success to my ability to communicate and work with others. In my current role in the insurance industry, I am a regular guest at many corporate functions and agent staff meetings where I present on economic trends. During these presentations, I am charged with creating interactive presentations to help engage our audience and provoke questions from them. I am absolutely comfortable in being a subject matter expert in front of these groups and would look forward to being thrown into this role here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"In my current role, I work hand in hand with staff to walk them through my reports that I create to explain my findings and what it means in their daily work. In this role, I see myself as an adviser that is there to help educate and help our staff and organization prosper and I love that aspect of my role. If brought aboard the team here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, I would see myself as that same educator that would present my findings to your team in a fun and useful manner."
22. What do you feel is one unique skill or trait that you could bring to the auditing team here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco?
How to Answer
This question is your opportunity to set yourself apart from your competitions as it gives you an open door to match a skill or trait that you have with the exact details for this position. Prior to the interview, be sure to read and research as much as possible on the job and Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco to find something unique about yourself that can help benefit the team. Whether you talk about a job skill or a personality trait that you possess that you feel sets you apart, be sure that you are able to talk about this confidently to your interviewer.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"Being comfortable in my skills and experiences as well qualified internal auditor, I am confident that my attention to detail is one trait that will set me apart from anyone else you are talking to about this position. I am a very organized person that keeps an orderly desk, email inbox and to do list. As well, I know that this position will require me to work with data that goes above and beyond the everyday life of your average auditor and my attention to the minute details will make me an asset to Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"If I was fortunate enough to join the team here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, my ability to work independently and make decisions on my own from the start would be a huge asset. You'll find that I don't let outside influence or others influence decisions that I'll make as your auditor and I won't let my own personal judgments influence any of my decisions. As well, I am comfortable working with all levels of an organization, from the C-Suite to the day to day operations staff."
23. At Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, cybersecurity is priority number one in this role. What DLP tools are you familiar with that will help prevent any types of data breaches?
How to Answer
In looking to join Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco as a cybersecurity expert, your interviewer will expect that you have a good handle on accidental breaches, intentional breaches and system hacks and the different data leakage prevention tools and software that exist. Answer this question openly and honestly while stressing to your interviewer that you have an open mind when it comes to adapting to and learning new technologies that are focused on the banking and financial industries.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"Over the last 10 years in my career in cybersecurity, I've worked with Symantec, Digital Guardian and Teramind DLP software. While every system had its pro's and con's, I've become the expert on our team to lead RFP processes when looking at new systems because of my ability to determine how a new system will impact our business. If hired here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, you can rest assured that I have the technical savvy and knowledge to learn any system used here."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"In my current work, I am most familiar with Code42 and its innate insider risk detection and response abilities. In my current field, insider threat has been a problem from the past and I was put in the lead to implement Code42 into use at my organization. I was able to learn the system quickly, implement it and train my team on its use in a matter of a couple of months. I am also familiar with programs like Endpoint Protector and McAfee Total Protection."
24. If hired for this position here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, would you be comfortable handling overall project manager responsibilities for new software development?
How to Answer
As a skilled software engineer, you have all of the necessary tools in your bag to be a successful engineer at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. This question is allowing your interviewer to get a better sense of your project management skills and people skills if you were to join the team at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. In your answer, talk about your ability to estimate the time and cost of a project, the staffing needed and the overall scope of planning for a particular project. If you have direct experience in being the lead on a large development project, be sure to discuss that experience with your interviewer.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"Looking to join the team here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco directly out of college, I feel very confident in my abilities to manage the entire scope of a new development project. I have leadership experience as my campus' president of the software engineering club. In that role, I developed skills that would help me utilize staff and resources in the best way possible. During my internship, I was exposed to the planning stages of new projects and I have a very good feel of estimating the budget and length of time needed to have a fully functional system."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"I would absolutely be comfortable if tasked with project manager duties here at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. In my last two roles, I have led successful projects that started with great planning and budgeting process and went through to completion with great people and processes in place under my leadership. While it's not a regular duty for me in my current role, I always welcome leadership duties."
25. What do you consider to be a good litmus test for when you would automate a test process for a new system versus testing manually?
How to Answer
As your role with Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco will look to help further their automate testing processes for new systems, you will need to have a good sense for when automation makes sense and when it does not. Reiterate your sense for this to your interviewer by sticking to the high level response that repetitive tasks, as are common with large software companies, are prime candidates for automation whereas one time test cases are not.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"Having been in automation in both manufacturing for many years and now software for the last three years, a common misconception among people is that automation can help improve any situation and that couldn't be further from the truth. The amount of time, effort and resources that goes into an automation process makes it ideal for repetitive tasks and tests that have multiple data sets. If a testing process calls for unique and one time process, it would make the most sense to run that process manually."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"I"n my current position, most of the automation testing that I design is in program sanity testing. These automated tests work great because they run on similar systems following changes in code to ensure that no bugs remain in the system. If our group of engineers are working on unique, one off type projects, my automation processes are not utilized."
26. How long will it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our team at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco?
How to Answer
If you were to be the successful candidate with Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, when do you expect to make a viable contribution to the organization? Talk to the interviewer about your plan to make a fast impact.
1st Answer Example
"I am interested in making an impact on your organization right away and have already crafted a plan to make that happen. I am a very strong business development professional and I plan to take the territory and expand it to include additional rural areas. This should amount to a strong increase in revenue within the first 9 months of my on boarding."
2nd Answer Example
"My plan, if hired by Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, is to make an impact as soon as possible. I have researched this position and am very eager so I have created a 90 day impact plan that I would like to share with you."
27. As you reflect back on your career to this point in your search for a new position, what would you say is your ideal work environment or culture?
How to Answer
While using this question as a key indicator on how you'll fit with the team and the organization at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, it will be very important for you to research as much as you can on the work environment at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco so you can match your priorities to that environment. If you have the opportunity to speak with an employee at Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco prior to your interview, that can shed valuable information. In the end, the culture and value of an organization are often a key indicator of long-term success in a job, so make sure that you reflect your values into what the company values.
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
1st Answer Example
"As I begin this job search now 15 years out of college, I'm looking for an employer that promotes and encourages innovation, new ideas and collaboration among all members of the team. From what I know about Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco from speaking with others, you sound like a perfect match for what I am looking for in a career."
Written by Ryan Brunner on January 7th, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"With all of the companies that I have both worked for and consulted with in the past, I realize that a company culture is basically the personality of the company and I am looking for a new organization that really meshes well with my personality. I am a casual person that believes in hard work, teamwork and having fun on the job. As I embarked on a job search, I was so happy to see that Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco was hiring because I believe our styles will fit perfectly together."