Barclays interview questions

The initial contact was through a recruiter, and I was asked briefly about my specific product experience. The referral was based on my skill set, specifically about the greeks and derivative models. The interview was scheduled for the next day, which I was told was because the positions were likely to be in the budget for a limited period of time. I was brought in to talk with 2 VPs, the hiring manager, and another manager in the same group. I was originally supposed to talk to the director, but there was a scheduling conflict for that interview. The interview was largely skills based, with a focus on exotics, and what the risks involved were. The interview was mainly geared to get to a point where I was no longer familiar with the option types, then I was asked about the risk factors. Specific questions included listing the inputs into valuation of an option, what the largest risks were, what the volatility surface looked like, and what the specific risks for volatility and correlation were for a product like a rainbow, a cliquet, a butterfly, etc. They were looking for a candidate with more experience (I have 2 years, they were looking for 4-5), and went with an internal candidate.

Thorough phone interviews with thorough one on one interviews of folks from varying departments relevant to your position. It is a consensus based culture, so expect to meet lots of cross-functional groups if it is relevant to your position. Cultural fit is key. Communication and relationships are key to the business, so how you build social and professional relationships are key to your success. Understanding the people and getting to know the people are key to understanding the business. Skill fit is definitely important and the minimum threshold for consideration, but stellar skills and performance will be outweighed by integrity, ethics, and people-skills. If you are looking for a traditional banking culture that's highly competitive and cut-throat, BGI probably is not the best cultural fit for you.