Describe your ideal job.
How you describe your ideal job will inform the interviewer on how aligned your goals are with the opportunities Siemens Finance Excellence Program provides. Likewise, they are looking to foster innovation by grooming whomever they choose for a future position within one of Siemens' companies. They aren't motivated to provide a free educational opportunity for someone. They describe it as a partnership. How you answer might shed light on how equitable the partnership would be.
Plan two versions of your answer. Make one more generic to exhibit your flexibility, such as, "My goal is to work at the intersection of strategy, technology, and finance." Craft another version of your answer that is more specific, within a realistic range of the possibilities which Siemens offers, depending on where you want to set your emphasis. The candidate they elect will handpick their assignment from what is available, experience different functions, industries, regions, and markets. They'll have access to a broad network, the ability to select a team, or the flexibility to select which geography to explore.
There is a wealth of material on the program available online. This opportunity is very competitive, so the more research you perform on the front end, the better your chances are of getting in. Whether you are granted the opportunity or not, putting the focus on how you'd answer these questions will only provide you with clearer direction in where you'll potentially take your career. Answering these questions for yourself, and not just for the interviewer, will go a long way in achieving your goals.
"Everybody wants to change the world for the better. But I feel like the kind of change we'd want to see in the world cannot be attained by one person alone. So my ideal job would be working for a company, like Siemens that already has a strong track record of making positive change for humanity."
Unlock all 40 Siemens Finance Excellence Program questions
Prepare for competency-based questions specific to Siemens' finance rotations and culture.
Get Started