The application gauntlet, stage by stage
Almost every finance application follows the same five stages. Knowing what's coming — and what each step is really testing — is exactly the edge a paid coach sells. Here it is for free.
Online application & CV
The form, your CV, and often a cover letter or short written answers. This is a filter for fit and attention to detail — typos and generic answers sink more applications here than weak grades do.
Edge: FairShot polishes your CV and drafts firm-specific cover letters so every application reads like it was written for that firm alone.
Online assessments
Numerical, logical and verbal tests, situational-judgement questions, and increasingly game-based assessments. They measure aptitude and how you'd behave on the job — practice removes almost all the surprise.
Edge: these are practisable. A few timed run-throughs of each format is the difference between panic and a pass.
Video / recorded interview
A one-way recorded interview (often called a HireVue): you answer set questions to a camera with no human on the other end. Tests communication, motivation and your “why this firm” story.
Edge: record yourself once and watch it back — pacing and eye-line improve fastest with one honest review.
Assessment centre
A half or full day — group exercises, a case study or presentation, and one or more interviews. Firms watch how you think, collaborate and stay composed under mild pressure, not whether you “win” the group task.
Edge: contribute and include others. Steamrolling the group is the most common, most fatal mistake.
Offer & conversion
The offer — and for interns, the chance to convert a summer into a graduate role. Track everything (deadlines to accept, competing offers, contacts) so the final stretch is calm rather than chaotic.
Edge: FairShot keeps every offer, deadline and note in one board, so nothing slips at the moment it matters most.
Every online test, demystified
Online assessments knock out huge numbers of applicants — almost entirely because people walk in cold. None of them are IQ tests you can't prepare for. Here's what each one measures and how to get comfortable fast.
Numerical reasoning
Reading tables and charts, percentages, ratios and quick arithmetic — under time pressure. The maths is GCSE-level; the challenge is speed and accuracy. Practise with a timer until the format feels automatic.
Logical & verbal
Spotting patterns in sequences, and judging whether statements are true, false or “cannot say” from a passage. The trick to verbal: answer only from the text given, never from outside knowledge.
Situational judgement
“What would you do if…” workplace scenarios testing your judgement and values. Answer as the professional you want to become — prioritise integrity, teamwork and the client, not just speed.
Game-based assessments
Short interactive “games” (you may hear the name Pymetrics) that measure traits like risk appetite, attention and learning. You can't really cram them — but doing one practice run removes all the surprise.
Recorded video (HireVue)
You record answers to set questions with no interviewer present. Look at the camera, structure each answer, and keep to time. Record one practice run on your phone and watch it back — it's the fastest fix.
Case & Excel tests
Some buy-side and consulting processes add a case study or a timed Excel/modelling test. Learn the shortcuts, structure your thinking out loud, and show your working — process is scored, not just the answer.
The questions you'll actually be asked
Interviews feel unpredictable, but the questions cluster into a handful of types. Prepare a strong answer for each and you've prepared for almost any interview. Tap each to see how to approach it.
“Walk me through your CV / tell me about yourself.”
Your 60–90 second story, not a list. Give a clear narrative: where you started, the key choices that built genuine interest in this field, and why this role is the natural next step. End pointed at the job in front of you. Rehearse it until it sounds natural, not memorised.
“Why this firm, and why this division?”
The most failed question — because most answers are generic. Be specific: a deal the firm advised on, its culture or values, something a current employee told you, plus an honest reason the day-to-day of that division suits you. Specificity is the entire game.
“Tell me about a time you…” (competency questions)
Leadership, teamwork, failure, conflict, working under pressure. Use the STAR shape — Situation, Task, Action, Result — and keep the spotlight on what you did. Prepare 4–5 flexible stories from work, study, sport or societies; most questions are a remix of those.
“What's going on in the markets right now?” (commercial awareness)
Have one story you can discuss with a view — what happened, why it matters, and what might come next. You don't need ten; you need one you genuinely understand. Reading a single quality finance source daily for a month is more than enough preparation.
Technical questions (for IB / finance roles)
Expect the fundamentals: how the three financial statements link, basic valuation (DCF and multiples), and what makes a “good” investment. You're not expected to be an expert — you're expected to have done the reading and to reason clearly. Learn the core concepts cold.
Brainteasers & “Do you have any questions for us?”
For brainteasers, think out loud — the method matters more than a perfect number. And always have two thoughtful questions ready for the end: it's scored, and a flat “no questions” reads as a lack of interest. Ask about their experience or the team, not anything you could have Googled.
What recruiters are really looking for
You don't need a finance background to stand out — you need to show the handful of things every firm is quietly scoring you on. Here's what actually moves the needle.
Commercial awareness
Can you talk about a recent deal, market move or company and say why it matters? Read one finance story a day for a month and you'll out-prepare most applicants — no MD parent required.
A genuine “why”
“Why this firm, why this division, why now?” Specific, honest answers beat polished clichés every time. The story of your path is an asset, not something to hide.
Evidence, not adjectives
Anyone can say “team player”. Recruiters want the moment that proves it. Use the STAR shape — Situation, Task, Action, Result — and let real examples do the talking.
Ruthless attention to detail
Right firm name, no typos, numbers that add up. In an industry built on precision, a sloppy application is read as a sloppy future colleague. This one is entirely in your control.
Coachability & drive
Firms train graduates from scratch — they hire for attitude. Curiosity, ownership and the willingness to be wrong and improve count for more than already knowing the answer.
Knowing the role
A trader and a banker want very different things. Tailor your pitch to the actual day-to-day of the seat you're applying for — our careers breakdown above shows you exactly what that is.
A CV that survives the six-second scan
Recruiters spend seconds on each CV. The good news: a strong finance CV follows a formula, and once you know it, you'll never guess again. Here's what to do — and the mistakes that quietly bin applications.
Do
- Keep it to one page, clean and consistently formatted.
- Lead each bullet with a strong verb and a quantified result (“grew turnout 40%”).
- Show impact, not duties — what changed because you were there.
- Include societies, sport, part-time work and projects — they show drive.
- Tailor the top third to the role; proofread twice, then ask a friend.
Don't
- Spill onto two pages or shrink the font to cram it in.
- List responsibilities with no outcome (“responsible for…”).
- Use one generic CV for every firm — recruiters can tell instantly.
- Add photos, graphics or fancy templates — they hurt more than help.
- Let a single typo or the wrong firm name slip through. Fatal.
Networking, for people who hate networking
Networking sounds like something reserved for the well-connected. It isn't — it's just respectful curiosity, done deliberately. A few genuine conversations can tell you more (and help you more) than a hundred cold applications.
Find the right people
Look for recent graduates in roles you want — especially alumni from your university or anyone with a background like yours. People one or two years ahead are the most approachable and the most useful.
Reach out, briefly and specifically
A short, polite message: who you are, that you admire their path, and one specific thing you'd love to ask. Make it easy to say yes — request 15 minutes, not “some advice”. Most people genuinely like helping someone earlier on the road.
Run a great conversation
Come with three real questions, listen more than you talk, and never lead with “can you refer me?”. Ask about their experience, what surprised them, and what they'd do differently. Respect the time you asked for.
Follow up & keep the thread
Send a short thank-you, act on any advice, and update them when you do. That follow-through is what turns a one-off chat into someone who remembers you — and, often, mentions your name when it matters.
From zero to ready in six weeks
Feeling behind? You're not. Here's a realistic, low-cost plan that takes someone with no finance background to genuinely competitive — a few focused hours a week is all it asks.
Understand the landscape
Read the careers and firm-type sections above. Decide which 2–3 divisions genuinely interest you and which programme fits your year. Clarity now saves wasted applications later.
Nail your CV
Build a clean one-page CV using the do's and don'ts above (FairShot can polish it for you). This single document powers every application — get it right once.
Crack the online tests
Do timed practice for numerical, verbal and logical tests, plus one game-based run. A handful of sessions turns panic into routine.
Build commercial awareness
Start reading one quality finance story a day and keep notes on a couple you could discuss with a view. By interview season you'll sound genuinely informed.
Prepare your stories
Write 4–5 STAR examples and draft answers to “why this firm” and “tell me about yourself”. Record a mock HireVue on your phone and watch it back.
Apply — early and organised
Build your FairShot board, generate tailored cover letters, and start submitting the day each role opens. Then keep the pipeline moving. You're ready.
Your background shouldn't decide your career.
Join the students levelling the playing field — turning a chaotic, opaque application season into a calm, deadline-proof pipeline. Free.