HSBC Electronic Data Processing Senior Analyst Interview Questions and Answers

Round: Test
Experience: It was DB. They first took PPT in main Audi. Audi was completely filled with students and I was sitting on the last seats still thinking about my GS test. When they told in PPT that they had taken only 8 students last year, it made me realize that out of about 600 students currently present in Audi (I thought 600 was good estimate for students present in Audi),my chances are 0.01 % approx.. It made me shivered and I stopped thinking about anything even the job and became casual. This casualness worked. So, I suggest you to be normal and don’t panic. Because, nervous is going to make your situation only worse. DB took two tests. First test was normal aptitude testing mainly your speed in which I had solved 22 questions out of 25 when people on an average had solved only 14-15 questions and even lesser. Second test was quant based test which had 6 questions-two from probability, two from linear algebra, one from class 12 ( I don't why they gave this question ) and one from algo. Thanks to MIT OCW and Pratik poddar, I did very well in it and solved all of them. Only question which I did wrongly was of class 12 because of overconfidence. After that test, I regained my confidence and did well in all other written tests. Most of these tests were simple aptitude tests but with lesser time. So, you need to have good speed to solve these questions. Finally on announcement of short listing results, I was shortlisted into both of my dream companies even after screwing In GS test. Moreover, I was one of the two guys in whole IITK , who was shortlisted for DB quant profile. It made my day. I talked to our seniors working at both these companies and started preparing for interview.

Round: HR Interview
Experience: First one was on the phone by a DB guy on HR interviews. He asked me why not higher studies, why DB, if asked by both GS and DB, which one would you prefer and some others. Believe me if you are having a high CPI, you have to prepare for the question “why not higher research” definitely.

Second was on the skype. He asked me puzzles related to algorithms, probabilities for one and half hour. Again,
thanks to Pratik poddar, Baswana sir and some hints from the interviewer, I did well in it. Whenever you have any problem, do ask for hints to interviewer.
On the D-day, I had been shortlisted into 4 companies in which two were DB and GS– my dream. First one was with DB and I had same interviewer from the skype. As, I had already met him, I became casual with him. He took my interviews for almost two and a half hour. Fortunately, it was my day. I solved all the problems with some hints from him. Then, came HR interview at DB. He asked about my family, parents, relatives, my childhood, my dream and some basic finance questions.Thanks to SPO volunteer Saurav at DB (something happened which you need not know), I was called. I went there leaving my 3rd round of GS. Again, DB guys asked me few questions on exchange rate which I answered perfectly. Finally, they offered me the job. To be frank, I wanted DB job more than GS, but seniors suggested me to go to 3rd round of GS too. When I went there for my 3rd round, I don't know why but they asked me to leave. Anyway I was happy as I had gotten job in one of my dream companies .

General Tips: Overall I can say that you must hope for the best and prepare for the worst. So make sure that you are prepared on all counts. You never know what might go wrong (I have taken it from Abhinav Jain) and do try to make every single event of placement favorable to you. Who knows which event is going to make your day. In case, you have any query related to DB or quant profile, you can ask Saurav Yashaswee, Y8 batch of Maths Dept.. He helped me a lot during preparation and undoubtedly, is one of the best persons to ask questions on quant profile and DB, who is going to be present in the campus during your placement session. In any case, you can contact me on facebook.
Skill Tips: Before starting, I want to clarify that this feedback is only an indicator of things which I believe about
placements and have tried to do during placement session. It has helped me but you should choose it only if you feel that it is going to help you too. You can include stuff like how did you narrow down to your career plans, the sectors which you were targeting and the rationale behind choosing them, difference between your expectations from the placement process and what you encountered finally, what you did to prepare, what you missed out on, what you think should be done, about the tests and GDs that the companies took, your thoughts before the final placements, about CAT, GRE, GMAT etc. and other fun stuff.
1. Making Resume:
Your resume is, if not the most then, definitely one of the most important things to decide your future career. It doesn't only help companies to shortlist you but also help you to decide your future path, inpreparation of HR interviews and knowing you better. If you have made your resume correctly, then itclears most of the doubts related to your carrier like whether you are made for job or research, if job thenfinance, consulting or core and if research, then which field. So, do devote a lot of time in making your resume. Proper way to make a good master resume is sit down alone for few hours, try to recall all the big,good or small (believe me even a small achievement can help you to get a good job or university as it hashappened in my case in getting into Deutsche Bank) achievements of yourself and make a list of all thosethings in good words. Show this resume to your friends, seniors and incorporate their feedbacks. Give thisiteration for at least 3-4 times. If your master resume is made perfectly, then making the resume for company specific is very easy. Oneimportant thing which you should note is if you feel that you resume is overqualified for a company; try tocut a few points from your resume. I have seen that few of my friends have put the same resumes for companies of the first day to last day and even when they were selected for the first day company, theyweren't even shortlisted for the 3rd or 4th day companies as companies felt that they were overqualified.
Please try to avoid this mistake.

2. Attending PPTs:
Attending PPTs and workshops of companies help you make a decision about selecting the companies inwhich you want to go. Do attend PPTs of companies about which you have no idea or the companies you are aiming. As, in my case, attending PPTs helped me to reject few companies which I was aiming. Try to be attentive during PPTs and do take notes of some special characteristics of a particular company (likestructure, compensation, work, seniors present in that company) as it will help you in some HR questionslike why this company, why not others, where do you see yourself in this company after five years and itwill also reflect your interest in the company to interviewer.

3. Selecting sectors or companies:
Your resume, work of a company and your interests help you decide the companies which you dream of and the companies which you feel that you are sure to get into. Try to make two list-first -of your dreamcompanies and second-of companies which you think you have a chance given your profile, your CPI, yourextra-currics, internships etc.. People generally try to prepare for their dream companies and not for otherlist of themselves. So, what happens is that if you are not getting into your dream company (Your dreamcompany in most of the cases is going to be dream of about 80% of batch of IITK), you have also reducedthe chance of getting into a company of your second list as you haven't prepared for that. Also, prepare for the worst. If you aren't getting into any company of both the list (which generally won’t happen ), thenwhat next (CAT, MS/PhD, IES, IAS or opening your band etc.).In my case, it was clear to me that my dream job was getting into DB quant or GS. On rejection, try for IBM,Adobe, Qualcomm, Intel ( as a wireless and signal processing engineer, you don't have much choice even in core), Erricson. On rejection even in these companies, try for MS or PhD in any university.

4. Talking to your seniors:
It is one of the sections in which IIT Kanpur lacks from other IITs. Try to contact seniors of the companies of your lists. Show them your resume, ask them how to prepare for the company, ask whether you are suitable for the job. They have experience of the company as you and also as an insider in the company and in some cases, they may recommend you for the job.

5. Written test:
Believe me even if you don't have good extra currics or a good CPI, even if you have done well in writtentests of companies, you will be in the race of your dream company. This is one of the areas in which IITKanpur always lacks. I have seen few of my batch mates having higher CPI, good internships, good extra currics but couldn't make into even shortlist because of written tests. Do prepare for it seriously. Even if you aren’t preparing for the CAT exams, try to practice time or CL’s study materials, most importantly of Probability, Permutations and DI section. Some companies put direct questions from previous CAT exams. Remember one thing that most of the times, it isn’t test of knowledge but of speed. Speed will come only on practice, not by only knowing things. Also, some consulting companies ask questions related to English Grammar, Vocabulary, so take a look at this section too from CAT study materials, if you feel that your English is weak.

6. Quant and Core Preparation:
If you are looking for quant companies, then you also need to revise your basic maths (like linear algebra,probability, some common distributions like uniform, normal, binomial), basic data structures and algorithms from DS and some puzzles from different websites and books (like of Pratik poddar, 40 puzzlesin probability, CMU toad). If you aren’t finding good study materials for maths or algorithms, use MIT OCW(it has helped me a lot). Make sure that you understand the basic concepts behind these things because they may ask any type of questions related to these topics and you will be answer only if you know theconcepts. For core companies, you need to revise some of basic core courses. For EE guys, if you are looking for VLSI, brush up EE 370 (most imp.) and EE 210. If you are looking for signal processing/communication profile, brush up basic DSP and communication concepts. Some questions were also asked from Kalman filter and wavelet transforms which I had no clue. So,be prepared for surprises. Also brush up C coding and basic data structures as it is generally asked in most of the EE core companies. Do note that you need to prepare seriously for your core companies too as after the interviews of first and second day’s companies and their rejection, you don’t have both time and mind to prepare for them. Finally note that these tests are not tough. These are the students who make it tough. So, never panic in the tests and try to give your 100%.

7. HR interview:
After being shortlisted into a company, Do not take HR questions lightly. You should prepare for somequestions like tell me about yourself, why this, three strengths and weaknesses. Practice these questionswith your wing mates and try to make proper eye contact while answering these questions.
College Name: IIT KANPUR

Round: Interview
Experience: DB was my dream job, with great seniors at that firm, its corporate culture, vast global exposure, and most importantly finance. I went to interview with three DB people, and when I came out of the room, I knew I had nailed it! There is no other way to put it. They grilled me on my career choices and knowledge of finance and economics and I seriously blew them away with my responses. I felt they had to make me an offer.
And, then I sat for the next round of interview. My second interview at DB went well. After the interview ended, within a minute, they made me an offer which I gladly accepted.
Tips: (a) HR questions: This is the most important part for any interview. In companies like DB, your communication skills coupled with your preparation of such questions account for more than 70% of a candidate’s selection. Answering questions about your career goals, interests, and your career thus far should become second nature by the end of November. You must also know the firms and job profiles inside out. I worked on this specific area, and by the end of the placement session, I had gained a reputation among my wingies for my expertise at answering HR questions.

(b) Puzzles: Since this is a non-core sector, puzzles are the only way to objectively test the ability of candidates with diverse backgrounds. Look up braingle.com and techinterview.org. These two should suffice. Also, whenever you come across a puzzle that you’ve already encountered, pretend as if you’re going through it for the first time. Don’t rush through. This is your opportunity to impress them. Do not squander it away!

(c) Finance and economic affairs: If you have a comprehensive knowledge of the financial markets, national economy, and international affairs, in addition to the above two, it is highly improbable that you won’t be selected. For brushing up these, read the Economist (print or online), and read through the opinion pages of Economic Times or the Business Standard for 2-3 months leading to the Placement season. You CANNOT afford to walk into the interview ignorant of terms like European debt crisis, global financial crisis, fiscal cliff, QE, and basic finance like options, hedging etc. Wikipedia, Investopedia and J.C.Hull (first few chapters) are great sources to pick up these.

General Tips: 1. If you are a B.Tech. student, do not be under the wrong impression that you can target all sectors- core as well as non-core. It is really difficult to prepare comprehensively for all companies, especially if you are in the B.Tech. program owing to time constraints.

2. The Dual degree students have an edge over you for precisely two reasons. Firstly, they get more time to prepare for the placements, and have learnt vicariously from their B.Tech. batch mates experiences. Secondly, they tend to have higher retention rates (good for the companies).

3. Work on your English communication skills which are crucial for performing well in interviews and GDs.

Let neither of these become an obstacle by leaving no stone unturned in the course of your preparations.
Skills: Knowledge of the financial markets, National economy and international affairs, Basic finance related terms, Problem solving ability
College Name: IIT KANPUR

Round: HR Interview
Experience: 1st interview..2 interviewers in the panel..again was asked why not further studies, why not core job and why finance..be prepared for these questions, if you yourself are convinced about these, then only you will be able to get them in your ideas, but don’t lie!! Then I was asked about my optimization project and one puzzle (I already knew some modification of that puzzle) and was asked to write an algorithm to solve a puzzle. I was asked questions on algorithms.

Round: HR Interview
Experience: There were 4 people in the panel, including VP. 1st question – again why not further studies!! Uff...I nearly laughed there that I am not tired of answering that question and completely convinced them about my plans and why I think about my career in that way...they asked why you don’t know much about finance, some basic questions on derivatives, stocks, bonds (please read about them from investopedia). It lasted for about 20 minutes and went well. Finally got a call from DB.

General Tips: Starting from identifying our interests, attending PPTs, making resume to the final interview..each step has its own significance and can’t be taken as trivial. So, let’s start..

The first thing I did was to identify some of the companies; I would like to get into and started collecting points for resume relevant to those firms or sectors. This is very important as requirements for finance may differ from that of consulting or Core and so on. So, as per the profile offered by these firms, things should be highlighted in the resume. Resume making should start ASAP so that there is much time to get it reviewed by seniors in those firms or by friends as this is a long iterative process. In my case, every other person pointed out some or the other statements which can be made better. Also resume making should start from scratch and not by “save as” the resume you have got from your friend or senior with your name. There are lots of resumes shared which can be looked upon for getting the idea of how to use strong verbs, what to emphasize in 1 or 2 page resume, formatting, etc but at the end, the resume should be yours completely.
College Name: IIT KANPUR

Round: Interview
Experience: 1. My first interview was scheduled at 4 in the morning. Two interviews with Goldman Sachs(GS), and I did well in both.
2. The GS people asked me to chill out and told me they’ll call me back later. I saw in their list that I had done quite well in the pre-placement test.
3. Apparently, it is one of the most important factors.
4. But, Deutsche Bank(DB) was my dream company, with great seniors at that firm, its corporate culture, vast global exposure, and most importantly finance and I chucked the idea of joining GS as it was offering a back-end quant profile where my work would have been similar to the one at Morgan Stanley(where I interned), which I didn’t particularly enjoy.
5. So, I later interviewed at DB and completely nailed it.

General Tips: 1. For the quant profiles, they require you to be great at complex Olympiad type problems which are difficult to pick up or master at this stage.
2. You go into the tests or interviews with your innate abilities to tackle these.
3. These firms will also ask you some probability puzzles, and some popular programming questions. For probability, read “Fifty challenging problems in probability”, by Frederick Mosteller.
4. To tackle the programming bit (non CSE students who have been out of touch with programming), refer to few of the following websites: mytechinterviews.com, leetcode.com, xorswap.com, careercup.com.
Skills: Probability, Basic programming skills
College Name: IIT KANPUR

Round: Resume Shortlist
Experience: Resume shortlist- peaks in the resume: An all-round and dynamic personality, ability to multi-task and handle pressure, proactive nature and initiatives taken in PORs, achievements in the field of sports, literature and arts contribute in resume short listing.

They look for people who’ve used their time in institute wisely and are passionate about things they do. A crisp and well written resume forms a good first impression. Invest enough time to prepare the resume and get it reviewed by seniors.

Round: HR Interview
Experience: First round was HR. Second had some puzzles, discussion on current affairs. Basic understanding of current affairs is tested. Rather than just being aware about the global and national issues, it’s important to know a few issues/events in detail and take a stand on them. You can let the interviewer know which events you are aware about and direct the course of the interview.

Case study:

1) Identifying the reasons for loss incurred by a motel (relevant data was provided)
2) Evaluating different aspects of setting up a business
3) Guesstimate: Estimate the number of windows in a skyscraper
4) Estimate the scope of 4G in India. Is introducing 4G a good idea?reas
5) A foreign elevator company operating in India is incurring losses. What are the likely issues and how can they be fixed

General Tips: The standard HR questions can be found online. Also be prepared to answer questions like 'why do you want to join our company?', 'why do you prefer a career in investment banking over consulting' or vice versa. Know you resume inside out as some HR questions will be directly based on you resume. Highlight you role, achievement and learning outcome while answering such questions.

Whatever you do in life, do it with passion. It’s this passion that’ll take you far in life. These four/ five years in IIT are the most crucial years to mould the personality of an individual. Seize every opportunity you and make the most of it. Manage time well and prioritize various activities. Try to get industrial exposure through internships. Good communication skills and a confident personality are very important.
Skill Tips: Started reading economic times from the beginning of 7th sem. One month was sufficient to prepare. However, one can start preparing puzzles and reading up Economic Times a little earlier.
College Name: IIT MADRAS

Round: HR Interview
Experience: There were two people in my panel, one guy seemed senior, and the other, maybe an Analyst with a year or two of experience. He started with “Why are you quitting Math for Finance?” and I explained that I knew that Finance today was largely mathematical and quantitative, and that I hope to leverage my Math-Stat skills in the industry. After that, he asked me some questions on one of my projects in Mathematical Finance. He followed that up with some very easy questions, including pricing forwards etc, and then some general questions on Mathematical Finance, including Martingales, Stochastic Calculus, etc. This part was quite mathematical and non-trivial, and since I had prepared very well I answered all the questions, and he was impressed. Then there were some general questions - “why DB” and whether I had given GRE and what my score was. I knew I’m not good at lying, specially under-pressure, so I told them my true score (however, this meant that I had to spend a few minutes convincing them that I am not applying this year.) After that, I was asked whether I had any questions, and I asked some about the various roles in DB etc.

Round: HR Interview
Experience: In this interview there were four members on the panel, including one from HR. They said they were tired and that I had to drive the interview, which I was happy to do. I started introducing myself and then they wanted to know a bit about my projects etc, and then asked me some easy questions. One of them asked me some questions on derivatives (I had done a course on them) but they were rather easy as well. Then they asked me whether I had any questions on DB or if I knew enough about them. I said confidently that I had done my research on them and that I knew DB well. (I said this because I expected questions on DB from them, which I was confident I could answer.) However, they were happy with that and ended the interview there. This was one of the shorter interviews, and after the interview I was wondering if I should have asked a few questions instead of what I said, but thankfully it turned out well. I think it is best to be aggressive in any I-Banking interview.

College Name: IIT KANPUR

Round: Test
Experience: There were 4 sections to the test:

1st section, verbal - 15 questions : CAT type 1 mark questions.
2nd section, probability: 3 marks questions based on probability and stats.
3rd section, finance: Finance with one/two marks question (10 -15 questions based on bonds, maintenance margin, etc not something which normal student would know unless one has some background.)
4th section, quant: quantitative ability with CAT type questions.
Tips: Do prepare for CAT and read Newspaper.

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: It was a 10-12 min interview and the questions were generally based on internship project. There were no puzzles but some of my other batch mates were asked puzzles.
Tips: A good knowledge of Probability-Stats will be helpful. Have at least one attractive project, know all about it and try to drive your interview.

Round: HR Interview
Tips: Make sure you attend the PPT. Note some statistics and some attractive points which are mentioned during the PPT.

General Tips: Talk to seniors who are working there, make sure you know the work properly.
College Name: IIT KANPUR