27 RBC Capital Markets Interview Questions & Answers
1. In working with financial data here at RBC Capital Markets, 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 RBC Capital Markets."
2nd Answer Example
"Here at RBC Capital Markets, 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."
2. Give an example of a time that you had to resolve a difficult situation with a client or customer. What were the keys to coming to a successful solution?
How to Answer
In a front facing role with RBC Capital Markets where you will be interacting with clients on a daily basis, your interviewer wants to be ensured that you have the skills to resolve client issues with ease and they'll look to do so with this question. In your answer, let your interviewer know that you can take ownership of any situation by talking about a specific time where you did what was necessary to alleviate a difficult situation with a client. Talk about the resources that you used and your interpersonal skills that helped turn a potentially bad situation into a successful one.
1st Answer Example
"Having worked in customer service for one of the areas largest auto dealership for the last six years, handling difficult customers was a situation I had to learn to handle pretty quickly. Just a few weeks ago, I was covering our front desk on a Saturday afternoon when our sales staff was still open for business. I recognized the person approaching the door as a customer that had recently purchased a new vehicle. He stormed through the door, placed his keys on the counter in front of me and said that he demanded a refund on his new purchase because the check engine light had already come on inside of the car. Knowing off the top of my head that his new vehicle was under a full warranty, I calmly let him know that his car was under warranty and that I'd have a member of our sales staff come out and take a quick look. I also let him know that our service department was not working that afternoon and, if needed, we could schedule him for a diagnostic test at his earliest convenience. After our salesman went out to take a quick look and not seeing anything obvious, we ended up giving him a loaner vehicle so his new car could be taken care of on Monday morning. He ended up leaving pretty happy that day and I know that my patience in hearing him out really helped."
2nd Answer Example
"A couple of years ago, I was asked to work with a very high profile client for his financial advising services when he came to our firm because my CEO trusted I could handle what he felt would be a difficult task. From my first meeting with the client, he demanded that we provide more returns than the previous firm that he worked with and he was rather rude with our front desk staff. I took the approach of taking the time to listen to his needs and speak to him more about what my firm could provide. I laid out my experience and track record for him to help him build his trust in me. I knew that with him, I would need to take time to walk through my decision making processes for his investments and he really appreciated that. As of today, we are still working strong together and his wealth is growing."
3. In this role with RBC Capital Markets, 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 RBC Capital Markets. 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 RBC Capital Markets, 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."
4. As a Business Analyst at RBC Capital Markets, 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 RBC Capital Markets. 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."
5. In this role with RBC Capital Markets, we will rely on your organized and methodical approach to provide financial analysis reporting. What does your current reporting process consist of?
How to Answer
Providing the clients of RBC Capital Markets with detailed reports will be a key part of this position and your interviewer will be looking to gauge your ability to be organized and detailed while also utilizing your critical thinking skills to provide the best reports possible. In your answer, keep a focus on the techniques and tools that you use to do your job in ensuring that clients are receiving the most accurate and detailed reports possible. As well, let your interviewer know that you are willing to learn new ways and new technologies to help onboard yourself to their team quicker.
1st Answer Example
"In my current role, I utilize the Tableau program to provide live, up to date information to my clients. After using a simply built Excel program for many years, Tableau provides beautiful and easy to understand reporting that my clients can take and run with to make important decision. The connections and automations within the program have save me time and effort, allowing me to take on a much more robust client base. If hired for this role here at RBC Capital Markets, I also have familiarity with SAS and Spotfire and consider myself a very quick learner if I need to learn a new program."
2nd Answer Example
"When I need to provide reporting to clients or my firm, I ensure that the reporting includes all key risks and valuation. Today, we as Financial Analysts have so many great tools available to us and my current preference is a statistical program like Crystal Ball. When paired with the advance Excel sheets that I have created, and have been commended, my clients are always happy with the insight that I am able to provide."
6. 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 RBC Capital Markets.
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 RBC Capital Markets would really help advance your data analysis practices within my first six months on the job."
User-Submitted Answer
"I've never been an investment banking analyst, but from my experience as an equity analyst in the Toronto Student Investment Council, I think that the greatest challenge analysts face is finding the relevant information to craft a defensible set of assumptions or to find a good set of comparable companies to value a company, especially under time constraints. This requires great time management skills and resourcefulness on behalf of the analyst. One great way to tackle this challenge is to seek help from senior bankers who have many years of experience in the industry and can tell you where to look, where you should spend your time, and when it's best to use a quick and dirty method."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Great! You have provided the interviewer with an intelligent and meaningful response. This sounds like a problem that many data analysts face, and your recommendation that they seek help from senior bankers is a good one! To strengthen your reply, consider eliminating your starting sentence about having never been an investment banking analyst and instead begin by mentioning your equity analyst experience.
7. What statistical models are you familiar with and which do you feel would best apply to the financial field here at RBC Capital Markets?
How to Answer
Financial Engineers and Quantitative Analysts are relied upon in the financial industry to utilize complex algorithms and math to predict the trading market's immediate future. For this question, your interviewer will be looking to get the sense that you have the skills to apply statistical model in finance by having you talk about the models that are familiar with and have worked with in the past. While being honest about your experiences, be sure to point out that you are aware that some apply more to finance and the market to set yourself apart during this question.
1st Answer Example
"As a data nerd, I love the realm of statistics and I am very familiar with all of the unique statistical models and how to best apply them to different situations. I've applied linear regression when predicting the outcome based on two historically known data points. I've also applied multivariate models when looking at the distribution of multiple data points. Having dabbled a bit in the market myself and now looking to bring my quantitative analysis skills to the financial field, I am very familiar with the Gaussian model for predicting market changes and would love to bring the knowledge that I have of this model to your team here at RBC Capital Markets."
2nd Answer Example
"As you can see from my prior experience in data engineering and financial analysis, I have extensive experience in time series modelling that utilized both univariate and multivariate models. Multivariate time series modelling has proven to be very effective when looking at and predicting the S&P 500 performance and I think my skills in this arena would greatly benefit your team."
8. If you noticed that a company's balance sheet was showing increased amounts of accounts receivables, what future impacts to that company would you consider to be feasible?
How to Answer
At the root of this question, your interview will be looking to hear that you understand how the different lines on a company's balance sheet are related to each other. In your answer, be sure to point out your understanding of this as your job as an analyst with RBC Capital Markets will rely on your ability to do so.
1st Answer Example
"An organization's lines on a balance sheet all have impact on other lines. In the case that I was made aware of an increase in accounts receivable for an organization, I would note that cash flow could be directly impacted and give a higher chance that the organization didn't have enough money to operate. As well, the reduced value of assets is a real possibility for that organization."
2nd Answer Example
"In reality, an increase in amounts receivable can have both a positive and negative impact. In the short term, accounts receivable show up as current-period revenue and have a positive effect on income statements. But over the long-term, a large increase in amounts receivable has a negative impact on cash-flow for the company."
User-Submitted Answer
"Assuming that there is no offset in current liabilities, increased accounts receivables would result in lower free cash flows and a lower valuation. Depending on how much cash is being tied up in accounts receivables, the company may also have trouble making interest payments as they become due."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Hmm. Are you mixing up accounts receivables with accounts payable here? If a company's balance sheet was showing an increase in accounts receivable, it would indicate more cash flow, not less. Be sure to brush up on the meanings of technical terms so you don't get tripped up during the interview.
9. How do you believe your coworkers would describe you?
How to Answer
The interviewer would like to know how you are seen by your colleagues. Select approximately three words that truly define who you are. Be sure to choose words that radiate positive thoughts!
1st Answer Example
"I believe that my coworkers, if asked, would describe me as a reliable person who is always ready to submit the best work possible. My work ethic has never been questioned, and I am very proud with the work that I have submitted in my career, so far."
2nd Answer Example
"Here are some other great keywords you could use:
- Encouraging
- Caring
- Knowledgeable
- Reliable
- Focused
- Honest
- Assertive
- Tenacious
- Motivated
- Ambitions
- Conscientious"
10. In your experience as a Financial Analyst, what do you feel is the best metric to gauge a company's future stock performance?
How to Answer
As a Financial Analyst with RBC Capital Markets, you will be relied upon by clients to provide the best risk and reward opportunities for them to have the most successful investments While there are many great metrics to use and no right answer for this question, your interviewer will be looking to hear that you are confident in why the metric is important by talking about the details of it. The confidence that you project to your interviewer will carry over to your work with clients and your interviewer will be keying in on this aspect of you answer.
1st Answer Example
"While there are many excellent metrics to consider for the future of a stock performance, the one that I weigh the most heavily is the price earnings to growth ratio. I prefer the PEG ratio because of its consideration of expected growth rate where simple P/E calculation doesn't consider that. This calculation is specifically great when looking at a wide array of companies within an industry to level their playing field."
2nd Answer Example
"Being familiar with metrics like free cash flow, payout ratio, debt-to-equity and price-to-sales, all can be very useful depending on the situation. In a recent economic downturn like we've had recently, I've relied heavily on the debt-to-equity measurement to measure future performance. As we've seen with many large retailers recently, a simple look into their debt would've shown the potential for disaster in their stock."
11. We are looking for the most motivated individuals to join the team here at RBC Capital Markets. 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 RBC Capital Markets. Prior to your interviewer, try to research the job and RBC Capital Markets to the point where you can match your career goals with they RBC Capital Markets 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 RBC Capital Markets 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 RBC Capital Markets. 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 RBC Capital Markets 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 RBC Capital Markets would go from there."
12. At RBC Capital Markets, our clients are the lifeblood of our business and we do everything in our power to make them happy. What does the term customer service mean to you in your work?
How to Answer
No matter what position you are interviewing for at RBC Capital Markets, your interviewer is looking to hear what customer service means to you in your work and how you apply that philosophy in your everyday work life. In essence, they want to hear your story as to why solid customer service is important to you. Prior to your interviewer, be sure to really think about this question to apply what is important to you in how you go about your work. Whether you talk about problem solving or making people happy, this should be reflected in the work that you do.
1st Answer Example
"A pursuit of a career in the financial field really suited my two passions in life of mathematics and problem solving. In this role, helping clients solve problems in an efficient manner and with a smile on my face would be the drive to succeed that I need. At the end of the day, if I see that my work helped a client grow their wealth and achieve their financial goals, I know that it was a job well done."
2nd Answer Example
"As a people person by nature, I have an innate ability to do what is needed to give customers the best experience possible when I'm working with them. This means that I reflectively listen to their needs and concerns and do what is necessary to help them based on what I heard. In my interactions with customers, I am positive, pleasant and nurturing by nature and I've found that customers are very receptive to my style off communication with them. If hired for this role at RBC Capital Markets, you'll quickly find that dedicated customer service is one of top qualities that I will bring to you team."
13. Can you think of a situation where raising debt over equity would be beneficial?
How to Answer
Debt and equity have a very closely bonded relationship with each other in relation to a company's finances. In most situations, raising debt can create too high of an amount of pressure to meet payments versus raising equity. But, there are a few key situations where there is a distinct advantage in raising debt over equity and your interviewer will be looking to hear that you understand at least one of those advantages to be tax shielding, reducing cost of capital and not diluting the stake for investors.
1st Answer Example
"In the situations where I've advised an organization to increase debt, they've received a distinct advantage in a lower cost form of financing versus equity financing. In the end, this reduced the organization's WACC and came out to be a win for them."
2nd Answer Example
"Last year, I advised a manufacturer to take the debt over equity route when adding a new line of products that was guaranteed to be very profitable. This fact allowed the company to simply and quickly repay the loan plus interest while being able to reap the rewards of the extra profits. In that same case using equity, final profit would've been less."
User-Submitted Answer
"Raising debt over equity would be beneficial when a company does not want to dilute its EPS and debt is cheap relative to equity. For example, assume a company has a beta of 2.0, the risk-free rate is 2.0 %, and the expected market return is 6.5%. Then the cost of equity is 2.0% + 2.0*(6.5%-2.0%) = 11%. If the weighted average current yield on all outstanding debt instruments is 4.5%, then it may be beneficial to finance with debt rather than equity."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Awesome! Your answer is straightforward and clear. It's great that you've included an example with numbers, as this shows that you thoroughly understand this concept. Nice job!
14. If hired for this role at RBC Capital Markets, 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 RBC Capital Markets, 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 RBC Capital Markets, 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."
15. How can RBC Capital Markets motivate you on the job?
How to Answer
Every employer should know how each of their employees is best motivated. Talk to the interviewer about the variety of ways in which you are best motivated on the job.
1st Answer Example
"I am best motivated through words of praise and recognition for a job well done. I do like to know that my efforts are noticed. In my current position, we have a leaderboard, and I do like that concept because it creates a healthy bit of personal competition for me as well."
2nd Answer Example
"I am a natural salesperson, so the best way to motivate me is through performance incentives. In my current position, I have been in the president's club for the past three consecutive years. I am highly motivated by the vacation that I am awarded annually."
User-Submitted Answer
"I played high-level sports my whole life up to the professional level. I must also frequently juggle large workloads where the work is nontrivial and with deadlines looming. I am motivated when I need to perform under pressure and when good performance is rewarded and/or the environment is competitive. So, RBC capital markets can motivate me on the job by facilitating such an environment."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Nice! Consider switching the structure of your answer to emphasize first what motivates you and then going into your sports and deadline examples. Also, are you motivated by other incentives as well like bonuses, verbal or written praise, etc.? See below for another way you could answer this question:
"I'm the kind of person who works best under pressure. I thrive in high-pressure situations with tight deadlines. As a result, I'd say that I'm motivated by the need to perform under pressure and in a highly competitive environment. I discovered this playing high-level sports, even on a professional level. I'm also motivated when good performance is rewarded, whether it be through team recognition or with financial incentives. I'm confident that I will find this type of environment at RBC and know that it will motivate me to perform at my best."
16. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?
How to Answer
Some great qualities of a manager 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/recognition 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 started!
Answer Example
"I feel that a successful manager should be patient, strive to be a mentor, and be willing to receive constructive feedback from their team. As a manager, I want to have a team that trusts me and comes to me for professional development and coaching."
17. What is the most attractive thing in your eyes about this role with RBC Capital Markets?
How to Answer
For this question, your interviewer is looking to gain insight into what you know and like about RBC Capital Markets 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 RBC Capital Markets 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 RBC Capital Markets 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 RBC Capital Markets, this is definitely a place that I'd love to be a part of as you continue to grow and prosper into the future."
User-Submitted Answer
"I find the process of working on multi-million or multi-billion-dollar deals exhilarating. Also, capital markets are what allow our society to function. Capital markets provide businesses with the capital they need to grow, ultimately employing more people and raising the quality of life. That is something I want to be a part of."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Awesome. It's great that you're eager to be a part of a company and a role that works to close huge deals within capital markets. Consider going into more detail about why these aspects excite you so much. You might also take this opportunity to remind the interviewer of some of your strengths, skills, and qualities and how they will allow you to succeed within the role. Emphasize that part of the reason you're so interested in this position is that you're confident that you're the perfect fit for it.
18. How long will it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our team at RBC Capital Markets?
How to Answer
If you were to be the successful candidate with RBC Capital Markets, 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 RBC Capital Markets, 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."
User-Submitted Answer
"I am confident that I can start making an impact almost immediately. At the Australian Bureau of Statistics, we were struggling with the survey response rate. We suspected that some of these firms may have gone bankrupt during the pandemic. Within the first week, I had a tool that web scraped insolvency filing information from the internet and checked whether our non-responders filed anything recently."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Great job! The interviewer will be happy to hear that you can hit the ground running. Supporting this assertion with an example shows that you are truly capable of this. Excellent.
19. 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 RBC Capital Markets.
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 RBC Capital Markets, are there any standard software products that I would be required to work on and learn?"
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."
User-Submitted Answer
"I try to program and automate tasks when possible. Coding is an extremely powerful tool. By doing certain tasks programmatically, you can make those tasks very efficient and scalable. For example, you could write a script that performs comparable company analysis in a matter of minutes simply by inputting a ticker symbol and maybe the tickers of some comparable companies, although that might not even be necessary. This could be done in a matter of minutes, whereas doing a comparable companies analysis from scratch may take hours or even days using a spreadsheet program."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Nice! This is a great example. Are you speaking from experience? Have you personally used coding to automate tasks before? If so, be sure to emphasize that you've done this before and aren't speaking theoretically. Otherwise, great answer!
20. What statistical analysis tools do you have experience working with?
How to Answer
As a successful and resourceful Data Analyst, your interviewer at RBC Capital Markets 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."
21. How many boxes of macaroni n' cheese were eaten in the United States last year?
How to Answer
er Questions like this during your interview are meant to test your ability to deduce an answer from a very limited set of information and assumptions. You and your interviewer both know that it would be impossible for you to know or even calculate the correct answer, so your interviewer is solely looking for the factors that you use in extrapolating the answer that you give. In your answer, be as detailed as possible in why you are making the assumptions that you are when coming to a final answer.
1st Answer Example
"In knowing that the population in the United States is around 325 million people, my biggest factors in determining my answer will be that children between the ages of two and ten consume 75% of the mac n' cheese each year and that the other 25% is consumed by ages ten and above. The other factor is that the kids eat one box per week and the ages over ten eat two per month. So, I'll determine that there are 80 millions children between two and ten and figure that they'll eat 4.2 billion boxes. Then I'll determine that there ere 240 million people over ten that eat two per month to get 5.7 billion boxes of mac n' cheese. When added together, I'd say the final answer is right around 10 billion boxes of man n' cheese are eaten in the US each year."
2nd Answer Example
"My estimate of this number would factor in the total US population over three years old, the people that eat macaroni n' cheese to be around 280 million people. Then, I'd factor that in the summer, each person eats one box per week and in other seasons they eat one per month. During the summer, the population would consume 3.4 billion boxes and during the other three seasons, they would consume 2.5 billion between all people. This would add up to right around 6 billion boxes eaten in the United States last year."
User-Submitted Answer
"Assume that the average person in the US eats two boxes of mac and cheese per week. There are 52 weeks in a year, so the average person will consume approximately 104 boxes of mac n' cheese per year. There are about 330 million people in the United States so about 104 x 330, 000, 000 = 34, 200, 000, 000 boxes of mac n' cheese were consumed in the United States."
Written by an Anonymous User
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Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Wow! Your answer shows that you're able to rationally and logically think through an unexpected question. It also shows that you're a quick thinker. Your answer makes a lot of sense, and any interviewer would be impressed.
22. 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."
User-Submitted Answer
"At FreshBooks, I worked on a bankruptcy prediction model with a colleague. I read academic literature and used what I read and what I learned from school to make suggestions for how we could improve the predictive performance of the model. This was a difficult task, but my colleague and I frequently called each other to brainstorm and bounce ideas off of each other. In the end, the model performance was excellent, and the project was successful."
Written by an Anonymous User
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Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Why was this project difficult? What about it was challenging? Make sure to explain this so the interviewer understands that this was truly a hard situation. Otherwise, your response is very strong. You come across as prepared, educated, collaborative, and hard-working. Great job!
23. Have you ever run into a situation where a company had a positive cash flow but was still in critical financial trouble?
How to Answer
At the heart of this question, your interviewer is looking to dive in and take a look at your critical thinking skills. While positive cash flow is usually a very good sign of a company's overall ability to settle its debts and handle future financial challenges, there are some situations where all isn't as it seems when looking at a company with a positive cash flow. Whether you have run into this situation or not, it is important for you to point out that you are aware of situations where a positive cash flow can be misleading.
1st Answer Example
"If hired for this position, you can rest assured that I know all considerations necessary when looking at cash flow for an organization when determining their overall financial health. A cash flow statement can often show positive cash flow when they take on new cash from loans or long-term debt. While these items do show up as positive on the cash flow, they don't accurately reflect the profitability of the organization."
2nd Answer Example
"I have come across this situation with a company that was selling off a large chunk of inventory. At the same time, the company was delaying their payables. This showed a very skewed positive cash flow but the real story behind the curtains showed a company that was in serious trouble of keeping its doors open."
User-Submitted Answer
"Certainly. Off the top of my head, I can't provide specific names. However, while working on the financial distress prediction model at FreshBooks, I analyzed many companies that were classified as false positives because they had good or even great ratios, but they broke an obligation in a debt covenant, and the debt payments were accelerated. In most, if not all, of these cases, the company had positive cash flows but ultimately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy because they couldn't meet the sudden obligation. I learned that it's important to dig deep into a 10-K and read about the various debt instruments and their terms that a company is using. I suggested to my colleague at the time that we need to parse the 10-Ks to find situations where debt obligations will be accelerated if the company does not meet terms such as surpassing a predetermined threshold for revenue or current ratio."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Excellent response! Your answer is clear and direct. The interviewer will undoubtedly be impressed by your knowledge and experience when it comes to companies that have a positive cash flow yet still run into financial trouble. Great job!
24. At RBC Capital Markets, 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. RBC Capital Markets 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 RBC Capital Markets?
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 RBC Capital Markets, know that I remain open to learning new techniques in machine learning to help your organization grow and prosper into the future."
25. Give me an example of a time that you had to solve a problem without having all of the necessary information at hand to do so. How did you handle that situation?
How to Answer
For this question, your interviewer is looking to test your ability to be analytical and resourceful in a specific situation where you had to dig further to solve a problem. Prior to your interview, try to think of a time in the past where you encountered this specific situation and talk through it by laying out the problem and walking through the step-by-step approach you took to solve the problem. Try to be as detailed you can as you explain how you thought the problem out and worked hard to use the resources you could to help solve the problem. Your interviewer will be relying on these fine details to truly see how you will perform on the job with RBC Capital Markets.
1st Answer Example
"Back when I first joined my current organization, I was taking a role that had been vacant for many months and I had to start with a backlog of work along with the regular daily activities. This customer service role included logging daily visitors and calls and the interim rep only kept brief notes. After taking the time to walk through training and getting running on my own, I realized that the current workload wouldn't allow me to catch up on the backlog of work that had been missed. While I had ideas of how to play catch up on the work, I approached my supervisor with a few ideas and we settled on having me log hours from home on our system as overtime to get caught up. I worked with our IT staff on getting set up on our network from home and was more that willing to help out with some extra hours."
2nd Answer Example
"Working for a large financial institution, our advisory staff help cover for each other when we are on vacation, sick or simply out of office for the day. We typically team up in group of three to help provide coverage for each other. A couple of months ago, I fielded a call from a colleague's client while she was away on vacation and completely out of phone coverage. The client had several questions about their personal finances that I couldn't help resolve off the top of my head. I let them know that their advisor was away on vacation but I would take the next hour to research their questions and get back to them shortly. This was a very acceptable path of action to the client and I took the time to get their questions answered quickly."
User-Submitted Answer
"At the Bureau of Labor Statistics, I built an application to replace a report generated by Microsoft SQL Reporting Services (SSRS). The report I was attempting to replicate is called the Top Movers Report. It is a cross-section of monthly changes in sales and inventory for business units in the United States. It was unclear to me which SQL table the data is coming from since I could not find any documentation, and the naming convention was confused across tables. Initially, I consulted colleagues to see if anyone can help me determine which table I needed to retrieve data from, but no one could tell me. So, I took my best guess based on the type of data the tables contained. During the development process, I verified that my report was consistent with the SSRS one, which it was."
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Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Nice! This is a great example to cite. It shows that you're open to asking questions when needed yet still confident enough in your abilities to estimate/guess when all the information isn't obtainable. Despite not acquiring the information you'd hoped for from others, you still independently and proactively moved forward and ultimately achieved success. Great job!
26. This position at RBC Capital Markets 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 RBC Capital Markets. What sets me apart from my competition is my drive to succeed in this industry and I'd love to bring that drive to RBC Capital Markets 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 RBC Capital Markets, 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."
User-Submitted Answer
"I bring a unique skill set to the table. I've played various demanding sports at the highest levels, which has taught me to be comfortable and cooperative in a team environment. I am also getting a degree in economics and finance with a minor in mathematics. Alongside my studies, I've learned to code. Altogether, this creates a unique and extremely powerful skill set that can be deployed on a large range of applications."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
This is the type of question that offers the opportunity to sell yourself. You've done a great job of doing this by highlighting your skills and degrees/education. Emphasize as much as possible that the top quality that sets you apart is your unique skill set, which allows you to offer the company a perfect combination of what they need for this role.
27. At RBC Capital Markets, our Financial Analysts have to often work under a tight deadline. Talk about a time you had to work under a tight deadline in the past. How did you handle that situation and what made it a success?
How to Answer
The financial field can sometimes be chaotic and stressful for analysts working on high pressure deadlines and the work life at RBC Capital Markets is no different. To test how you will perform in these situation if hired for this role, your interviewer will be looking to hear about a time where you did just that. No matter what the situation is that you discuss, be sure to show how you remained calm, focused and on-task to get the job done. Try and stress how you are resourceful and willing to utilize a team effort if necessary.
1st Answer Example
"In my current role, I'm tasked with preparing some reports for our leadership team's bi-weekly meeting. Upon first taking that responsibility, I made sure that I kept myself organized during each work day and saving and prepping relevant information needed for their report. A couple of months ago, I was informed first thing in the morning that the meeting was being moved a week up to later that day due to some conflicts and vacation time for some of the team. Right away, I moved some things on my calendar to make this a top priority. From there, my regular organization of the materials needed made it easy for me to complete my job."
2nd Answer Example
"During my last semester of my MBA program last spring, I was nearing completion of my capstone project. The project was a case study of mergers within the manufacturing industry and was a great overall project to learn from. During the semester, my full-time job I was working to put myself through school was becoming much more demanding and parts of my project got postponed to a point where I was fearing not being able to complete it to the best of my abilities with the final due date approaching. Right away, I rearranged my work schedule to work half time and began plugging away at the final pieces of the project. To complete it, I had to sacrifice some outside weekend events with friends. While sad to do that at first, I learned some great lessons on time management, project management and sacrifice."
User-Submitted Answer
"No one situation stands out because working under tight deadlines is the norm for me. During the semester, I constantly have assignments due, exams that I need to study for, or deliverables I need to submit at work. If I don't have any official deadlines that require me to submit something, I read the relevant chapter of every textbook before each lecture, which keeps me busy. On top of that, I've had numerous pitches with the Guelph Student Investment Council, and I've had to balance those with everything else. Furthermore, I stay very active. I walk around 10,000 steps per day and lift weights anywhere from 3-5 times per week. I also get drinks with friends and socialize frequently. I have always maintained a regimented and disciplined lifestyle. I keep the same routine every day, which allows me to focus on what I need to get done. I keep a journal and a whiteboard where I plan the tasks I will accomplish that week. I also enter key deadlines into my calendar. All of this has made me very successful, and I will bring the same principles with me to this company. To this day, I've never missed a deadline. I've always handed in assignments on time or with time to spare, and there hasn't been one midterm or exam for which I haven't been adequately prepared. Although I have managed well on my own thus far, I also have a team that I can go to for help if need be."
Written by an Anonymous User
Our Professional Interview Coach
Marcie Wilmot Reviewed the Above Answer
Wow! You come across as extremely self-disciplined, driven, and smart. It's great that you've never missed a deadline before and that you're accustomed to working under tight ones. Just be careful not to inundate the interviewer with too many details. In other words, make sure to directly answer the question. Consider moving the comments about using your calendar, whiteboard, and journal to manage deadlines earlier in the response. This is what the interviewer will want to hear about, along with how you manage the stress (which is when you might go into working out and socializing as ways to alleviate this). Great job!