27 Virtu Financial Interview Questions & Answers
Below is a list of our Virtu Financial interview questions. Click on any interview question to view our answer advice and answer examples. You may view 5 answer examples before our paywall loads. Afterwards, you'll be asked to upgrade to view the rest of our answers.
1. What statistical analysis tools do you have experience working with?
How to Answer
As a successful and resourceful Data Analyst, your interviewer at Virtu Financial 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.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
2. If hired for this role at Virtu Financial, 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.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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 Virtu Financial, 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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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 Virtu Financial, 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."
3. 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 Virtu Financial 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.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
4. If hired for this position at Virtu Financial, what factors would you consider part as part of an organization's long-term liability?
How to Answer
To begin for this question, make sure that you can define a long-term liability as obligations that are due beyond one year and into the future. Then, consider major factors like bonds, mortgages, leases and other items that factor in to an organization's long-term liability. Last, try to explain why the measurement of long-term liabilities are important is an important factor in considering the overall financial health of an organiation.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
Answer Example
"While long-term liabilities aren't an immediate issue on a companies working capital, the can become an issue if long-term liabilities pile up too high for some organizations. While often overlooked, items like mortgages, fleet vehicle loans and annuities can add up over time and are always items that I consider when looking at the overall health of an organization."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
5. If you were asked to review a colleague's code that they had written, what key things would you look for?
How to Answer
For this question, your interviewer will obviously be looking to hear that you have adequate knowledge when it comes to coding processes. But most importantly, your interviewer will be looking to gauge your ability to be a team player and focus on the bigger picture when working on a project. In your answer, focus on your attention to detail and your ability to help others when needed.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
1st Answer Example
"As an experienced software engineer, I fully expect my colleagues to reach out to me for my insight and I never hesitate to provide open and honest feedback. When asked to do this, my main focus is ensuring that the code is readable and functional. If there are lines of code that need to be removed, I don't hesitate to let my colleague know that while also giving them feedback on why I feel it is unnecessary."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
2nd Answer Example
"When I'm asked to do this in my current position, my main focus is on regulatory requirements that were put in place for the project and security issues. I work with a team of great engineers that are very efficient coders and these two areas are most often overlooked."
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 Virtu Financial.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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 Virtu Financial would really help advance your data analysis practices within my first six months on the job."
7. What tools of the trade do you find most useful in your work as a Trader?
How to Answer
As part of your interview for the Trader position with Virtu Financial, your interviewer will be looking to get a sense that you are very resourceful in your approach to studying the market and other assets so their clients can benefit the most from your approach to trading. As you answer this question, try to be as diverse as possible as you talk about your approach to gaining insightful information that will best suit your clients. Make sure that your interviewer walks away knowing that you know and enjoy the Wall Street Journal just as much as you enjoy different websites and software available to you in your work.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
Answer Example
"I pride myself in saying that my career is my passion and this started at a young age back in a high school economics class. Since that year, I've subscribed to an read publications like the Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine and Barron's. All of these publications still help me to this day to stay on top of my game in the trading business. I also don't hesitate to utilize some of the more reputable online and software programs. Elite Trader and Daily Stocks are great sites that I check daily for new industry news. As well, I'm very proficient in my use of Matlab to analyze market data for use in buying and selling stocks."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
8. 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.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
9. What do you feel are the primary features and benefits of the Java programming language?
How to Answer
As a company that utilizes Java, Virtu Financial and your interviewer want to make sure that you have an understanding of the Java programming language and they do so by asking this question. Obviously a language packed with unique features, talk about the features that you can speak the most knowledgeably about and tie your direct experience to.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
Answer Example
"When I started working with Java three years ago, the first huge benefit was the fact that the Java syntax was based on C++. At that time, I had a great working knowledge of C++ and my transition to Java was absolutely seamless. The other amazing feature that I've come to appreciate with Java is how robust the memory management is in exception handling and automatic garbage collection."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
10. There will be great days at Virtu Financial and some days that are tougher to get through. When you suffer a setback, how does that emotionally affect you and your work?
How to Answer
Everyone handles the stress and disappointment of setbacks differently. Discuss with the interviewer how you typically cope with delays in the workplace.
1st Answer Example
"Experiencing a setback is always disappointing, and can be a bit disheartening, but I understand that it happens from time to time. If I experience a major setback, I will take a few moments to debrief with my manager and discuss what I could have done differently. Then, I move on!"
2nd Answer Example
"Setbacks are tough, but I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. I am a creative person and will always find a way to recover from a setback."
11. I'm giving you one minute to give me your best pitch on a stock that you would buy or sell right now. Go!
How to Answer
As a Trader with Virtu Financial, you will be expected to have a concise sales pitch that takes the important aspects of a complete stock story and summarizes it into a very convincing case for your clients. In essence, you are a salesperson and your answer should be as convincing as possible. Following your pitch to your interviewer, be prepared to answer quick witted follow up questions that they'll likely throw your way that will show your ability to think on your feet and further sell your case as you would likely have to for the clients at Virtu Financial.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
1st Answer Example
"Right now is the time to buying in big technology and there is no better buy than Alphabet. You are obviously familiar with Google and some of its subsidiary companies. What you may not be familiar with is that Alphabet is the conglomerate that came about as a part of Google's restructuring. With Google and other tech subsidiaries under Alphabet's umbrella growing rapidly, the purchase of Alphabet's stock is really a no-brainer right now."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
2nd Answer Example
"Seeing that you are heavily invested in Netflix right now, and rightfully a great choice in recent years, my advice would be to get out while the stock is likely at its peak right now. As consumers continue to cut their cords from cable giants across the world, the streaming television service market is growing exponentially and the market will soon be flooded with more companies like Hulu. This will significantly cut into the profits of a giant like Netflix."
12. What is the most attractive thing in your eyes about this role with Virtu Financial?
How to Answer
For this question, your interviewer is looking to gain insight into what you know and like about Virtu Financial 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 Virtu Financial 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.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
1st Answer Example
"Over the past couple of years, I've had an eye on pursuing a career with Virtu Financial 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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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 Virtu Financial, this is definitely a place that I'd love to be a part of as you continue to grow and prosper into the future."
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.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
14. What software analysis and design tools do you have familiarity working with?
How to Answer
As a software engineer for Virtu Financial, your interviewer wants to hear that you have experience in utilizing tools that you make you more proficient in your work. Dig back on your past experiences and talk openly about your experiences with the different analysis and design tools that are available to help you be better in the work that you do. In the end, make sure that your interviewer understands that you are proficient in the use of these tools and open to learning and using new tools as well.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
1st Answer Example
"As my career and experience in software engineering has grown over the years, I've come to really appreciate and utilize these tools that are available. A great example of this would be my recent education and use of Structured English for designing insurance claim software for a large auto insurer. The simplicity of the structured decisions in the program were a perfect example of a program that could utilize the tool and the end product ended up very functional for our customer."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
2nd Answer Example
"I have great working knowledge in creating and reading data flow diagrams. To help with both our own sales staff and with customers, DFD's have been super helpful and I consider myself very proficient in creating them. I've also recently been introduced to decision tables to aid in product testing. I was working on a new system that involved some very complicated business rules and the decision table helped outline everything perfectly for our testing."
15. This position at Virtu Financial 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.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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 Virtu Financial. What sets me apart from my competition is my drive to succeed in this industry and I'd love to bring that drive to Virtu Financial 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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
2nd Answer Example
"From what I understand about this role in Client Services with Virtu Financial, 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."
16. In working with financial data here at Virtu Financial, 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.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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 Virtu Financial."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
2nd Answer Example
"Here at Virtu Financial, 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."
17. What SDLC models are you familiar in working with?
How to Answer
As a software engineer, you are very familiar with the software development life cycle. For this question, your interviewer is looking to hear what models you have worked on in the past. While there isn't necessarily a right or wrong answer to this question, try to show your flexibility to working with different SDLC models by bringing up your past experiences. Then, show you have knowledge of different models like the waterfall model or agile model. It is also a good idea to use this question as an opportunity for you to learn more about Virtu Financial by asking your interviewer which model they work off of.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
1st Answer Example
"During my training in software engineering and in my early career, the waterfall model was the standard. In this model, each phase of the development process happens in a set order and projects using this model are easily managed. But over time, as the development projects that I have led have become more complicated and intricate, I have implemented the spiral model. This model has allowed the ability of end users to give feedback early on and often during development and helps to build a more customized product to our customers."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
2nd Answer Example
"In my current position with XYZ Company, my department utilizes the agile model in development life cycle. Since our products are so tailored to the needs of our customers, we get a working product very early on in the process and then I work hand in hand with customers to fine tune the software moving forward. It is a very effective model that has built a great reputation for our software among customers. I also have familiarity working with the iterative model and it has similar advantages to the agile model. If I were hired here at Virtu Financial, can you expand on what models you use here in your software development life cycle?"
18. At Virtu Financial, 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 Virtu Financial 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.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
19. We are looking for the most motivated individuals to join the team here at Virtu Financial. 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 Virtu Financial. Prior to your interviewer, try to research the job and Virtu Financial to the point where you can match your career goals with they Virtu Financial 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 Virtu Financial is vitally important to you.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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 Virtu Financial. 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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
2nd Answer Example
"A career in risk analysis has been a dream for some time and this opportunity with Virtu Financial 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 Virtu Financial would go from there."
20. 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 Virtu Financial, 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.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
21. 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 Virtu Financial will rely on your ability to do so.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
22. As a Trader with Virtu Financial, you will be trusted to take a very diverse approach with our clients. How would you explain the limitations of using solely a P/E Ratio approach to purchasing stock to a client?
How to Answer
Oftentimes, clients at Virtu Financial will come to the table with the expectation that a single market metric will be the determining factor in their investment decisions. Your job as the Trader may be to educate them on the potential dangers of that approach and this question will be used to test your ability to do that. When answering and giving the specific limitation of the P/E Ratio approach, be sure to talk about the importance of weighing several factors in any investment decision.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
1st Answer Example
"One aspect that I really love about working as a Trader is client interaction and using my knowledge and skills to help educate them in building towards a solid financial future. When I've had clients that tried to educated themselves that bring up P/E Ratios, I will commend that ratio for being an accurate predictor when used in the right context, but I'll also point out that the ratio is only effective when looking at companies within the same industry. That can be useful when I know that an upsurge in a sector like energy will occur, but its not useful when looking at companies within the market as a whole. This is my opportunity to bring new insight into the equation when helping clients."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
2nd Answer Example
"While the P/E ration of a company can be effective at times, I would explain to a client that the ratios use of hard data from the past is not always to most accurate predictor of where things will go in the future for them. As well, if the ratio is using projected earnings like in a forward P/E, there is not a guarantee that the estimates used will be accurate."
23. At Virtu Financial, 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 Virtu Financial, 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.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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 Virtu Financial, you'll quickly find that dedicated customer service is one of top qualities that I will bring to you team."
24. 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."
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 Virtu Financial.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
26. 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.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
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."
27. Data Scientist is a fairly new role here at Virtu Financial. Why do you feel that you can make the jump into the financial industry as a data scientist?
How to Answer
As finance becomes more heavily reliant on data, the need for well educated Data Scientists is becoming a need at Virtu Financial. And while your background may not be filled with experience in the financial field, it will be your job to convince your interviewer that you have the skills necessary to be strong Data Scientist while also having some great knowledge of the financial industry. Be open and honest of where your strong point fall and where you feel you have the most to learn while being open to making that progress in the field with Virtu Financial.
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
1st Answer Example
"As you can see from my resume, I have a very strong educational and work background in data science. My work experience in the tech industry has helped me grow in many areas that can be beneficial to the team here at Virtu Financial. I think that my experience in mining and cleaning raw data, paired with my experience in machine learning, could significantly benefit your clients that are seeking new and improved market data."
Written by Ryan Brunner on April 21st, 2020
2nd Answer Example
"My passion and skills for mathematics and computer science drove me to a career in data science and analysis. Up to today, these skills have driven me to create a brilliant start up company that I sold almost ten years ago and then to a career with a large online retailer. Knowing that the financial industry is growing in data analytics, now is the time to strike when the iron is hot. As I've set out on a career search in the field, I have been greatly impressed by what I have learned about Virtu Financial and would look forward to help growing the data side of your business."