27 Moodys Interview Questions & Answers
1. Among the common issues that are faced by Data Analysts in their work, which one or two problems do you feel really challenge analysts in the financial industry?
How to Answer
While the challenges faced by general data analysts makes for a pretty long generalized list, this question is allowing your interviewer the chance to see your critical thinking skills by having you talk about which challenges you feel will be critical in the financial field. While there isn't necessarily a right or wrong answer in this question, make sure that you are able to speak intelligently about your answer and provide ways with how you can meet the challenges in your work with Moodys.
1st Answer Example
"From my two years of experience as a Data Analyst in the financial industry, of course the common issues of overlapping data and duplicate entries did come up. But I've found the biggest issue to be the collection and implementation of real-time data to be the biggest hurdle. With markets continually changing on a daily basis, I've had to be diligent about updating reports for my advisors that I work closely with because what may be valid and real one day may be out of date the next."
2nd Answer Example
"Having some very close contacts that are already working in the financial field in data analysis, I understand that manual data tracking can be a pain point due solely to the time needed to complete. Being highly educated in automated processes and utilizing machine learning in other industries, I think the knowledge I could bring to the team here at Moodys would really help advance your data analysis practices within my first six months on the job."
2. What is the most attractive thing in your eyes about this role with Moodys?
How to Answer
For this question, your interviewer is looking to gain insight into what you know and like about Moodys and how they will be able to help you meet your career goals. In your answer, try and stay focused on the alignment of your values with the organization's values and demonstrate that you've done your research on Moodys and the job you are interviewing for. To try and maintain positivity in your answer, try not to talk bad about a previous employer as that can make you sound like a difficult employee and raise a red flag for your interviewer.
1st Answer Example
"Over the past couple of years, I've had an eye on pursuing a career with Moodys because of your reputation as a forward moving financial institution and your commitment to the communities that you do business in. As a person that believes in togetherness and helping others out where possible, these are values that I hold very high and would bring to the team here."
2nd Answer Example
"As I enter the midway point of my career, my job search has been focused on finding an employer that I can spend the rest of my career with and someday retire from. Looking at the history, culture and growth of Moodys, this is definitely a place that I'd love to be a part of as you continue to grow and prosper into the future."
3. If hired for this position as an Economist with Moodys, 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.
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."
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."
4. This position at Moodys has generated a lot of interest from applicants. What do you feel is the one quality that sets you apart from others we are speaking with about this position?
How to Answer
This question is the perfect opportunity for you to highlight the one key quality that makes you the best person for this position, so be sure to really think about what this one quality is ahead of your interview. While there are many ways that you can take you answer to impress your interviewer and seal the deal for you in getting the job, be sure to avoid making assumptions about the other candidates in your answer. As well, be sure to avoid anything in your answer that points to this job being convenient for you personally or the fact that you'll be getting compensated for this work. Those are quick ways for you to go to the bottom of the candidate ranking list.
1st Answer Example
"As I've talked about during this interview process and from what you can see on my resume, I have all of the technical skills needed to grow your financial advising practice here at Moodys. What sets me apart from my competition is my drive to succeed in this industry and I'd love to bring that drive to Moodys to help working with your highest profile clients possible. Growing up and continuing to this point in my life, I've always been a very competitive person. I've played many team and individual sports my whole life and my drive to win in those has definitely carried over to and been a huge benefit in my work as a Financial Advisor. I'd love to bring this competitive spirit to your team."
2nd Answer Example
"From what I understand about this role in Client Services with Moodys, my day to day work will include a lot of client interaction and I really feel like the job description was written with my skills and abilities in mind. But the thing that will really set me apart for being the perfect fit for this role is my experience on the sales side of things where I spent five years of my working career in the retail sales industry. In sales, I have developed key skills like product knowledge and selling skills that would be very beneficial to this role."
5. If hired to this role here at Moodys, what do you see as one initial hurdle you will have to overcome in your first weeks on the job?
How to Answer
At the heart of this question, your interviewer is asking you to take an honest look inside of yourself to discuss what you feel is the biggest learning curve you will have if offered this position. This will give your interviewer a sense of how to handle your onboarding process if hired for the position and give them a sense that you have the ability to see what your biggest need would be. Similar to the what is your greatest weakness question, the key to answering this question is humbly pointing out a flaw that you may see and making a plan for how you will overcome that flaw.
1st Answer Example
"Having put a lot of thought into this even before submitting my resume for this position, I realize that my greatest hurdle would be making the leap as an Auditor into the financial focused industry. My five years of experience out of college have been focused on management and technical consulting services, but I feel that I've built a very good knowledge base and experience for this role here at Moodys. If given the opportunity to join your team, my initial focus would be to get enthralled in auditing in the financial industry and I'd do this by being attached at the hip to my colleagues and taking the time to talk one on one with a lot of other staff to help better understand what they'll expect of me in this role."
2nd Answer Example
"Understanding that my role here at Moodys would have me working with the entire advisory staff, the first hurdle would be getting to know everyone on that team and showcasing the skills that I could bring to their work. If hired for the job, I would hope to be invited to team meetings where I could introduce myself and my role with the team and I'd invite an open conversation with the entire team."
6. Talk to me about a challenging situation you had to handle on the job that involved another colleague. How did you handle that situation?
How to Answer
At the heart of this question, your interviewer is looking to hear how you use solid interpersonal and relationship building skills to diffuse a difficult situation with a coworker when on the job. No matter what situation that you talk about, make sure to focus your answer on a positive mindset and the steps that you walked through to turn a potentially hazardous situation into a good one. As well, talk about lessons learned from that situation that you keep with you to this day on the job.
1st Answer Example
"A couple of years ago, we had hired a new Junior Advisor on to our team and I was tasked with being his mentor. Having mentored several other thriving Junior Advisors prior to him starting, I was excited for the opportunity. Within the first week of him being on the job, I overheard a colleague of mine talking very openly about his disdain for the hire of this new Advisor and witnessing him personally criticizing him in a face-to-face encounter. Immediately, I spoke to my colleague in a private office about my concern over his actions and words towards the new Advisor. Having been a part of the interview process and his early mentorship, I knew that he had the skills to succeed and I reiterated that to my colleague. After agreeing to back off on any private criticizing of the new Advisor and a promise to help mentor him, I learned that direct conversations are the best way to handle workplace conflicts."
2nd Answer Example
"f"A couple of years ago, I approached a colleague that had missed a deadline or a big audit we were conducting and she completely blew up at my during our conversation. At first, I was very taken aback by her response because I had never witnessed that from her in many years of working together. While remaining calm, I allowed her the opportunity to vent to me and it turns out that she was going through a lot of things in her personal life that were impacting her work. While keeping our project deadlines in mind, I also took a personal approach in letting her know that she could bring these issues to me as both a colleague and a friend and we could work through them together in the future. This approach is vital to any conflicts that can arise with colleagues and one I don't hesitate to take when needed."
7. We pride ourselves on our interdepartmental teamwork here at Moodys. If hired for this role, what kind of team player could we expect you to be?
How to Answer
In the financial world, teamwork at an organization is the key to success and life at Moodys is no different. As you talk about your abilities and experiences in being a great team player, try to highlight certain themes like building trust, gaining respect and being a subject matter expert as part of a larger team. Don't hesitate to show flexibility in your ability to both lead others and be lead by others and use examples of times that you've done both. To seal your answer for this question, talk about your desire to work as part of a team and do your research on this position to find out what types of colleagues you will be working with.
1st Answer Example
"My colleagues that I work closely with would tell you that I'm knowledgeable in my area of expertise to contribute to the much larger team and do so without hesitation. As well, I'm able to communicate effectively, take direction and run with when needed and always willing to help out other areas if I have free time. I understand that I would be working very closely with the Advising staff here at Moodys and know that they would have high expectations out of my work."
2nd Answer Example
"I prefer to work in an environment that promotes teamwork and collegiality. If I were fortunate enough to join the team here, I want you to know that I love being in a leadership type role on a team where I can delegate work and help train others to better the organization. As well, I also thrive in a role where I am the minion and taking direction from others. I'd say that my key skills in working as a team are my ability to friendly, honest and trustworthy with my team."
8. 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."
9. We are looking for the most motivated individuals to join the team here at Moodys. Where would you like your career to take you in the next five to ten years?
How to Answer
This common interview question put you in a tough spot where you should talk about your ultimate career goals while also balancing the needs of the position that you are interviewing for and the needs of Moodys. Prior to your interviewer, try to research the job and Moodys to the point where you can match your career goals with they Moodys offers. While your interviewer is looking for a long-term fit for the position they are interviewing you for, it is okay to set your sights higher as long as your goals meet that of the organization's goals. If at all possible during your answer, point out that long-term success with Moodys is vitally important to you.
1st Answer Example
"Now that I am to the midway point of my career, I am looking for my next move to be my final move in finding my work home until I retire. As a successful Financial Advisor today, I want to focus on continuing to grow my skills in advising clients on retirement and private wealth management and it sounds like I'll have that opportunity here at Moodys. As I continue to grow in my skills and prove my worth to you, a long-term career goal is to be in management where I could oversee the work of Junior Advisors and mentor them towards success."
2nd Answer Example
"A career in risk analysis has been a dream for some time and this opportunity with Moodys is really my dream job. If hired here, my goal for the next five to ten years would be to continue to hone my skills and help the work of the department to a point where it is growing and becoming more effective. Down the road, I'm really in a position to be an open book when it comes to where my career with Moodys would go from there."
10. Moodys seeks out natural and confident leaders. What leadership qualities do you possess?
How to Answer
The interviewer would like to know that you can take on a leadership role even if it is not a formal leadership title that you possess. Everyone has leadership capabilities, whether they come in the form of training a new employee or merely leading by example.
1st Answer Example
"I feel that I am good at motivating a team. Last year, I motivated my sales team every day, through small incentives and awards, and we ended up being the top sales team in the company for the year!"
2nd Answer Example
"Some great qualities of a leader are:
- Being someone who people naturally want to follow
- Exceptional interpersonal skills
- Strong relationship building skills
- Taking ownership for the team's errors and mistakes
- Excelling at motivating others
- Providing kudos to your team
- Knowing how to select and hire the right people to join the team
- Having a vision for the future
These are just a few to get you started! With which qualities do you most identify?"
11. At Moodys, 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 Moodys, 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.
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 Moodys."
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 Moodys, I would see myself as that same educator that would present my findings to your team in a fun and useful manner."
12. The day-to-day life at Moodys can be hectic and stressful at times. If hired for this role, how would you keep yourself motivated when working with stressed colleagues and pushy clients?
How to Answer
The daily life at Moodys is naturally very fast paced and because of that, both the colleagues and the clients that you may be working with have potential to be stressed, needy and downright mean at times. For this question, your interviewer is looking to get a sense that you would be able to work in this type of environment. In your answer, talk about the fact that you are cognizant of what this job entails as far as personal interactions go and talk about times where you have worked successfully through situations like this in the past. As well, don't hesitate to talk about your own personality traits that help you thrive in these types of situations.
1st Answer Example
"Being a person that thrives in a fast paced work environment, I have the ability to handle stressed colleagues with a grain of salt. As you can see from my resume, I've spent the last five years in the manufacturing industry where my department worked under tight deadlines all of the time. If I noticed that a colleague was under stress, I offered my help if I was able to and down the road that was usually reciprocated back to me. This unselfish attitude and realizing that someone else's stress wasn't directed at me was the key to maintaining personal health and balance on the job."
2nd Answer Example
"In my current role in client services with a large hospitality group, some days can go off the rails and it feels like I'm working with enraged customers all day long. I have the attitude that their anger isn't directed towards me, but I'm the face of the company that they are currently working with and I need to do my job in helping solve their issue. While I do have great resources at my hand to help solve customer issues, I think that taking the time to get to know all of our management team and how they solve problems is key as well so I know who to put customers in touch with if needed."
13. In this role with Moodys, we will rely on your analytical reporting skills on a regular basis. Why do you feel analytical reporting is important in the financial field?
How to Answer
Because the financial field is heavily reliant on numbers and data, analytical reporting can be a great tool to help key stakeholders make key decisions that have a positive impact on the business. In your answer to this question, point out the fact that you know the impact that data can have in the financial field and also talk about the types of analytical reporting you have done in the past that can be useful to the team at Moodys. Also, feel free to ask any follow up questions on the expectation for this position.
Answer Example
"As a Business Analyst, I've always viewed data as a tool to help make the right business decisions and my analytical reporting requires thoroughness in my data reporting. Here at Moodys, you can easily make decisions based off of hunches or gut feelings. But I have a feeling that the more data gathered to help make the decision, the better the decision ends up being in the end."
14. What statistical analysis tools do you have experience working with?
How to Answer
As a successful and resourceful Data Analyst, your interviewer at Moodys is expecting you to be knowledgeable and well-versed in the many tools available to you. In your answer, be sure to show diversity within particular programs like SAS and SPSS while also explaining that you are very proficient in Microsoft Excel. On top of the programs, talk about any experience you have with programming and database language like SQL and Python.
1st Answer Example
"In my current role, most of my analysis is handled in SAS and I've really grown to appreciate the program's ability to to manage large data sets and create predictive modeling in the financial field. From a past job, I have experience on SPSS and also with the SQL programming language to build robust databases. Of course, I have received expert level training in Microsoft Excel and consider myself a master of the program."
2nd Answer Example
"Having been in the field for over 15 years, looking back at the technological advancements in the tools that we use is very amazing. I consider myself very fluent in both the Sisense and KISSmetrics programs. I also have a good amount of experience in Crystal Reports."
15. In working with financial data here at Moodys, what are the steps you would take in the data validation process as part of your work?
How to Answer
Your job as a detailed and proficient Data Analyst requires you to take proper steps in the data validation process to ensure that data used is accurate and clean. Bad data in the financial industry can have a costly impact and your job will be to ensure that doesn't happen. For your answer to this question, discuss the importance and your method for both data screening and data verification as part of the validation process. Also, be sure to talk about any programs that you utilize during the validation process.
1st Answer Example
"With any large analysis project and performing data validation, my first step is to create a detailed plan for the data needed. This plan will define the required data to be validated and set the way for the remaining steps. The next steps are to validate the information in the database and then the formatting of the data. Finally, prior to validating the data, sampling needs to be done to ensure that a small sample meets the requirements of the project. Being very proficient with many validation programs, I consider myself very proficient in both QuerySurge and Datameer but remain open to learning any new programs here at Moodys."
2nd Answer Example
"Here at Moodys, your Financial Advisors rely on the most accurate and up to date data to present to clients and I would take great pride in my job as a Data Analyst to provide the best data possible. To validate data, the two important steps I would take are data screening and data verification. I am very confident in my ability to work with algorithms that screens large sets of data for their accuracy. On top of that, I have worked with a few of the different data verification programs like Experian and Sage Intacct."
User-Submitted Answer
"Data plays a very important role in any decision making whether it's financial data or health care data. If data itself is bad then it would have very negative impacts on data-driven decisions. Let's say in big data analysis project, first of all, I would make a detailed plan of what kind of data, we will be dealing with and will further implement different kinds of data validation and verification process. In my current role, we remediate sensitive data such as SSN, CC, EIN, BAN, Passport number, we do in-depth validation (lunh's algo)."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Great! You clearly explain why it's so important to validate the data (so the decisions that come from it are accurate). Can you offer more details about the exact steps you would take during the data validation and verification process? The more specifics you can give here, the better!
16. Do you have any experience in financial modeling? What skills in financial modeling could you bring to the clients here at Moodys?
How to Answer
In the corporate finance world at Moodys, clients may look to you to be the expert to help them build forecasting models for the future. For this question, your interview is looking to hear that you have experience in financial modeling. Talk about your experience, what industry it was in and what tools you needed to help build as detailed of a model as possible. To seal the deal for this question, make sure to explain that your experience could be used across many businesses and industries with the clients you would be working with.
1st Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, my corporate finance experience has mostly fallen in the manufacturing industry and financial modeling for forecasting purposes has been a skill that I've been developing over the past ten years. To start, I consider myself a master in Microsoft Excel to build great financial modeling tools that utilize all necessary data from an organization's financial statements. Though my experience is in manufacturing, my skills in financial modeling are ready to be applied to healthcare, banking or any other industry with your clients."
2nd Answer Example
"I have experience creating financial forecasting models in a few different areas of business. I consider my most unique talent to be my experience in M&A modeling for organizations that are looking to grow their business. In my current role, I've worked with leaders of organizations to strategically plan new acquisitions and modeling M&A for them was an integral part of the process. On top of M&A, I have experience in the standard three statement model and discounted cash flow analysis."
17. What software programs do you use in your current work and how adaptable would you say that you are in learning and using new programs?
How to Answer
Overall, your interviewer is simply looking to hear that you have a good grasp on programs to use to make you more efficient in your work and to do this, talk open and honestly about the programs that you currently use and talk about in what context that you use them. If at all possible with this role, try to research what additional programs you may have to learn if given this opportunity to join Moodys and reassure your interviewer that your computer skills are fluent enough to pickup quickly if needed.
1st Answer Example
"In my current role, I currently use a program called Zendesk that is an interactive customer support tool. When we started to use this tool a little over a year ago, I was very quick to learn and utilize all of the great functions of the program and have since become a trainer for new staff that join our team. As well, I'm very fluent in the entire Microsoft suite of products and would consider myself an expert on the Outlook, Excel and Word programs."
2nd Answer Example
"I consider myself very agile when it comes to using and appreciating the vast amount of software that is available to Financial Advisors today. In my current role, I solely use RightCapital as a financial advising tool with my clients. I really love its ability to help in the budgeting and comprehensive planning processes with my clients. I'm also very familiar with the MoneyGuidePro tool and have used it successfully in the past. If hired for this role, you can consider me an open book when it comes to learning and effectively utilizing any programs needed."
18. If hired for this role as an Economist with Moodys, we'll want you to have the tools in hand that you need to succeed. What computer programs do you find necessary and useful in your work?
How to Answer
As an Economist, you have a wealth of tools available to help you be efficient and successful in your work. For this question, your interviewer is looking to get an idea of what programs you have familiarity with and how you utilize those programs in your work. As you answer, be sure to cover general programs, statistical programs and data gathering programs that you are familiar with and don't hesitate to let your interviewer know that you are open to and eager to learn any new programs necessary for this role with Moodys.
1st Answer Example
"Over the last five years, I've become very proficient in the use of STATA or data gathering, reporting and its overall ability to be compatible with other programs like Python. I also have experience with programs like SAS and SPSS for working with very large data sets. If hired for this role, I would be very flexible in my ability to learn the programs that would be required of me to use as I consider myself very proficient in learning new programs quickly."
2nd Answer Example
"I have a vast amount of experience with econometric programs like Octave and Matlab and I really love their ability to model and create visualization tools that I use with my colleagues that I advise. I have also dabbled in advanced algebraic programs like Maple and Maxima and have found them useful at times. In the financial services field, I could see these programs being very useful!"
19. One huge philosophy that we believe in at Moodys is professional development. How have you worked to develop yourself professionally throughout your career?
How to Answer
In an ever-changing field like financial services, Moodys knows that professional growth and development is vital to them staying at the forefront of their industry. For this question, your interviewer is looking to ensure that your values surrounding professional development match the values of the company. Use this question as an opportunity for you to highlight the many ways that you grow and develop yourself to be the best that you can be in your career. Highlight any continuing education you have completed, any societies or groups that you belong to and any publications that you read on a regular basis that will prove to your interviewer that you aren't comfortable being stagnant in your career.
1st Answer Example
"I am a firm believer in being a life long learner in my work as a Data Analyst. As technology and times have changed over the course of time, I see it as very important to be learning and changing along with the times. Just over the past two years, the Data Fest and Data Summit national conferences and participation in these events on a yearly basis is super important to me to help me grow and develop."
2nd Answer Example
"In the financial field, I have to stay at the top of my game to compete with other advisors and keep clients happy and flourishing. To do this, I subscribe to and read many of the great publications that are out there. Some of my favorites include the Wall Street Journal, Money magazine and Forbes. I also subscribe to many others. As well, I am a member of NAIFA and I have attended the organization's Congressional Conference on a few occasions."
20. Here at Moodys, we are expecting someone with strong leadership skills to take this role. How would you describe your management style?
How to Answer
Prior to your interview, try to take a long, hard look inside your skills and styles as a leader of others and prepare to present the best management style possible to your interviewer that fits the role that you are interviewing for with Moodys. Your answer should also involve solid research into the culture of Moodys and the details of the role you are interviewing for. Some important things to touch on are your ability to promote a team atmosphere and your ability to delegate responsibilities when necessary.
1st Answer Example
"My overall management style is the belief in building a positive team atmosphere. I'm a firm believer that each person and role brings a specific skill set to the ocverall goals and purpose of a team and I promote a team based atmosphere by larifying everyone's role on the team, keeping every person's objectives clear, rewarding great performers on the team and holding people accountable for their actions. If hired for this role at Moodys, you can be assured that my promotion of a team based atmosphere would help achieve even higher goals than you have set right now."
2nd Answer Example
"I think that it is crucial for a leader of others to be flexible in their style rather than relying on just one of the canned management styles. I'd like to highlight my abilities to lead as being a manager that works to grow and develop my staff to help them achieve their career goals and a leader who is able to provide direction and authority when the time for it arises. By knowing my team well and promoting our goals, I have the ability to assign work to the right people and follow through with my team on meeting all objective necessary."
21. If hired for this role at Moodys, I want to be sure that I'm hiring a motivated individual. What motivates you in your daily work and your career?
How to Answer
In the financial services field, you should have strong personal motivation to succeed in your work and your interviewer is asking this question to see what it is that make you tick while on the job. While being open and honest in how you stay motivated on the job, make sure that your answer doesn't include collecting a paycheck every week or two. While money is certainly a motivator in this field, make sure that you use it in an appropriate context if you decide to talk about the financial piece of this business as being a motivator. In the end, your interviewer is looking to get a sense of how he or she will be able to keep you hungry for more if you are hired for this role.
1st Answer Example
"I find myself the most motivated on the job when I am being challenged and when I can continue learning new things. From what I've learned in talking to others that currently work here at Moodys, the fast paced environment and continuous changes in the industry would keep me very motivated in my work and you'd never have to question if I were truly enjoying and being motivated in my work."
2nd Answer Example
"At a young age, my father taught me to do what I love and love what I do and I know that as I approach the middle years of my career that I made the right career choice. The personal finance field has really blended my love of helping others succeed and my passion for statistics and computers. In this role with Moodys, I'll be working with your clients everyday on helping them achieve financial success and that alone is all of the reason I need to get out of bed every morning."
22. At Moodys, we are building a massive machine learning program and your role as a Data Scientist will be an integral part of that project. What experiences will you bring to that side of this job?
How to Answer
In the financial services field, machine learning is being used to automate processes, provide information security, create algorithms for trading and to assist in credit scoring. Moodys is looking to stay at the forefront of their field and this role as a Data Scientist will play a huge part in making this a reality. Talk about any experience that you have in working with data to create a robust machine learning tool. What was your role in the project and what can you bring to the team at Moodys?
1st Answer Example
"Over the course of the last two years, I've been working on a machine learning tool that monitors online pricing from thousands of different retailers. The tool analyzes thousands of data sources simultaneously and pulls the information into a real time database. My job was in the build of the program and the database while working with other colleagues that built out the sourcing for the websites we would pull data from. I think this experience would fit nicely with your team looking to extract real time market data and trading data on a minute to minute basis."
2nd Answer Example
"May experience in AI and machine learning as a Data Scientist has been in paperwork automation and cybersecurity. I recently helped my organization tweak our system to isolate cyber threats and the new tweaks are working perfectly. As well, I've helped my organization save thousands of labor hours by creating a program to review contract information from vendors. If hired for this role here at Moodys, know that I remain open to learning new techniques in machine learning to help your organization grow and prosper into the future."
23. If you joined the team here at Moodys, how would you build relationships with those that you would be working closely with?
How to Answer
For this question, your interviewer will be looking to get the sense that you would be proactive about getting to know your colleagues and fitting into the culture of the organization. Use a personal approach to talk about ways that you have done this in the past and how you would do it if hired for this position. Talk about the importance of relationship building in your line of work and how it helps the overall good of the organization if you take the initiative to do this.
1st Answer Example
"From my first day on the job, I would take the time to break the ice with my colleagues by introducing myself and setting up an individual meeting with each person. In the past, I've done these meetings over lunch or in an office where I've had questions prepared for me to get to know the person both personally and professionally. I want to ask my colleagues what they expect from me and what I can expect from them. I've found that these conversations really help to open up doors for working with each other moving forward."
2nd Answer Example
"Being the new person on the job can be a very high anxiety time for some people, but I love the opportunity to break the ice with my coworkers by making that first contact. I think it's important to get to know each other on a personal level because we spend so much of our lives together in the workplace and I am a caring person that wants to know how last night's soccer game went for the kids. Beyond that first ice breaking conversation, my work relationships are then bonded through my work ethic and helping others on my team to show that I am a true team player."
24. As a Business Analyst at Moodys, 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 Moodys. 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.
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."
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."
User-Submitted Answer
"One of the things that I love most about being a data engineer is that I get to work with other roles such as data analysts, engineers. While we were doing a roadshow of the current tool with a different team, there were few executives and engineers who had higher expectations of what this tool can handle. We had a follow-up meeting with them and we listened to all of their thoughts and asked a few questions. We asked for some time to get back to them to have their requirements included in the next phase of development and implement those changes that suit their requirement."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Excellent response! The example you provide shows that you handle difficult stakeholders by listening to them, asking questions, and then trying to make them happy by providing whatever they need. The interviewer will undoubtedly be happy to hear about your approach here. Great job!
25. Think back over your career up to today and tell me about the most difficult day on the job you encountered. What made the day difficult and how did you handle that situation?
How to Answer
We've all had our share of difficult days on the job and how we handle those days in particular can really make or break where our careers go in that position or with that company. Think of a particular day ahead of your interview that really outlines your ability to handle adversity and proves that you were able to handle it with grace rather than turning your uniform in and heading home for the day. Another important piece of your answer should be discussing what lessons you learned from that particular day moving forward that you still carry with you to this day.
1st Answer Example
"It's funny that you ask this question because I can honestly say that my worst day on the job happened just a few short weeks ago. Upon arriving to work in the morning, I quickly learned that our entire network was down and we wouldn't be able to work within our CRM or other programs that day. Many of my coworkers were visibly upset and questioning how we would be able to do our jobs that day. Rather than joining the crowd and freaking out about the situation, I huddled our group together to talk about solutions to the workday after we found out that the network likely wouldn't be fully up and running until late afternoon. While some colleagues carelessly went home for the day, I helped brainstorm how we could keep our phone lines open and my boss was very grateful for my efforts that day. Looking back, what made this the most difficult for me was seeing how others responded so negatively over an issue that we had no control over."
2nd Answer Example
"Early in my career, I had a day where my entire office came down with the flu and I was left alone with the receptionist for the day. Being trained and working Financial Advisor, my colleagues also handled market analysis, retirement plans and insurance plans. At first, the receptionist and I went about our business. After being flooded with calls and in-person visits into our office, we connected again to talk about a plan moving forward. We discussed what types of calls she could handle and which ones I would handle and she triaged from there. I made contacted with my personal clients I had scheduled that day to reschedule and we worked well from there. If I couldn't answer a question for a client of one my colleagues, I ensured they knew that my colleague would follow up as soon as possible. Looking back, I learned that on days where you have to break routine like we did then that it was important to make a plan as early in the day as possible."
User-Submitted Answer
"Haha, it's kinda funny that something similar happened approx. 5months ago. So in manual remediation, we move data from the staging location to the original location but one of our team members forgot to replace the dataset ID, so all the data got copied to the wrong location. Luckily we have a policy of taking back-up of original data before any work. So I worked with Platform Data Engineer to correct the data. As we know mistakes can happen, since then we implemented the peer review."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
This is a strong answer because you clearly explain why the day was difficult and how you helped to fix the problem that occurred. You also talk about how long-term changes (peer review) were implemented so this won't happen again in the future, which is great. Perhaps consider giving more details about why this error was such a bad thing so the interviewer fully understands the seriousness of the situation. Nice job!
26. If you could alter your career path, in any way, what would you change?
How to Answer
This question will help the interviewer to understand if you have a long and continued passion for your career. Talk to the interviewer about an alternate career path that you might choose but be sure to keep it related to the position for which you are interviewing.
1st Answer Example
"If I could change anything about my career path, I would have stayed in post-secondary studies for longer to upgrade in my field. I feel that this would have given me the advancement I seek now, many years earlier."
2nd Answer Example
"I believe in looking forward, and not back. Every decision that I have made has brought me here so I would not change a thing."
User-Submitted Answer
"I believe in looking forward, and not back. Every decision that I have made has brought me here so I would not change a thing."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
It's great that you keep your eyes facing forward on the future, but keep in mind that this question is assessing your ability to be self-aware. While you can definitely emphasize that you like to focus on the future instead of the past, you may want to mention one or two things that you've since reflected on that perhaps you would have done differently if given the chance. This will show the interviewer that you are reflective, self-aware, and able to learn from your mistakes.
27. Accuracy is important to us at Moodys. Do you always double check or proofread your work?
How to Answer
Double checking and proofreading are essential parts of a job well done. Assure the interviewer that you are diligent when it comes to submitting good, clean, work.
1st Answer Example
"Spelling and grammatical errors are a pet peeve of mine. I will triple check my work if there is time! I feel that it is imperative to submit error-free work."
2nd Answer Example
"I do my best to put great work out, at all times. I believe in double checking my work although I must admit that I have fallen victim to the odd mistake like the best of us!"
User-Submitted Answer
"Absolutely, I believe accuracy plays an important role in decision making and it saves lots of time of re-work. I try to triple-check my work, as it needs to be clean, neat, and optimized. I regularly do peer code reviews before pushing any changes to production.
For example, the current tool is being used by so many end-users(data analysts and developers), we came to know that doing peer review before doing prod release, reduces chances of re-work by 50%."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Your example and the stat you cite are very effective. Great job! Also, it's great that you check your work because you recognize the importance of it being correct. But make sure to balance checking with not spending too much time on this part of the process (in other words, will triple-checking your work take up too much time versus running only one or two checks instead?) It's also great that you mention peer code reviews. Excellent answer!