Anayo Nwosu |
When I was invited to attend an
employment interview by Broad Bank of Nigeria in April 2004, I didn't know that
I was in for a shocker. I was moving from Fidelity Bank and was to be
interviewed for the position of the head of marketing or a branch manager. The
head of the interview panel was the current MD of Fidelity Bank. He was in
charge of Commercial Banking in Broad Bank then.
With a serious mien and eyes piercingly focused on me, he asked me to introduce myself in 2 minutes and I did. I least expected the follow up question.
"Young man, what
is Glycolysis in a layman's language?" he shelled out. “This is obviously
not a bank interview" I told myself. Why the Biology or Biochemistry
question ten years after graduating from the university? Perhaps, this man
wants me to fail this interview. He obviously has someone else in mind", I suspected. Mr. Okonkwo, the
chief panelist, must have looked through my CV and found out that I read
Microbiology in my first degree. I was to learn later that he is also a
graduate of biological sciences.
He should have also seen that I
have PGD and Masters degree in Management but he chose to embarrass me with
questions on topics I possibly would have forgotten. I had prepared for
questions on banking, accounting, marketing, economy and current affairs.
Far from that, the interviewer
was testing my ability to remember what I read or was taught long time ago.
Some of my friends would shout: "Holy Ghost Fire!" But 10 years
residual memory test was somewhat too tasking.
"Glycolysis is the
process by which carbohydrate is broken down in the body to release energy and
gas; it is simply the fate of glucose in the glycolytic cycle", I promptly answered.
"In what form is
the energy released?" he
followed up. “The energy is released in form of
adenosine triphosphate or ATP", I answered. He was not done. He
veered into politics.
"Why do you think
President Obasanjo appointed Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela as the finance
minister?"
“I believe the
president wanted to tap her experience in multilateral agencies, especially the
World Bank, which would be helpful in negotiating Nigeria's huge foreign debts
reprieves. I also think that she is well educated and could manage the
country's economy well", I
answered expecting another follow up question.
The next question was surprising.
"When shall you resume? Congratulations! We shall
give you the next level you had asked for," Mr. Okonkwo said,
signaling the end of the interview.
The bank interviewers' strategies
have not changed even up till today. They want to find out if you are actually
who your resumé says you are and even more.
The interview panel will ask you
any question to find out the following:
1. To what extent
you can display your academic brilliance beyond what's in your CV.
2. Your ability to
translate theoretical concepts to practical settings.
3. Your confidence
levels measurable by the way you take on questions you are asked knowing that
your body language speaks louder than your voice.
4. A demonstration
of your awareness of the socioeconomic and political happenings in the country
and beyond.
5. Your ability to
communicate very well in spoken in English without offensive grammatical
errors.
6. Whether the
candidate is teachable, determined from the way the candidate reacts to
questions he or she got wrongly or how quickly he/she could take a hint if
given.
You could be asked an
embarrassing question like "are you a virgin?" and would be observed
to ascertain how you could manage embarrassing situations. I look out for that
candidate who would fail a question but would respectfully seek for the answer
from me, the interviewer. How else can one display teachability? It is an
unforgivable sin for a prospective or experienced banker on the hot seat not to
know the meanings of GDP, GNP, MPR, Budget and FAAC.
The candidate should tell who is
the governor of CBN; Ministers for Finance, Budget & National Planning and
the Accountant General of the Federation. Someone going for a bank interview
should know the differences and interrelationships between Fiscal and Monetary
policies and the departments responsible for formulating and implementing
which.
The experienced hire should be
able to demonstrate the relationship between Balance Sheet and P&L
accounting. He/She should tell how the activities of a banker could result in
either profit or loss. New hires should dress like practicing bankers. It has a
positive psychological influence on the interviewers. Indecent dressing can
only impress randy interviewers who are in the minority. So, make your
appearance conservative.
Candidates would be deemed
circumspective if they could hide their bodily endowments in the chest, waist
and legs. Projecting or accentuating your erogenous zones or endowment could
send unintended vibes.
As years passed by, I have had to
head many bank employment interview panels and have come to know why many
candidates are not successful. I could tell a candidate that made a second
class upper division through corruption or through "chicken method"
also known as cramming. Successful candidates in the interviews I have so far
conducted must have proven to me that they understand concepts from the first
principles. You have to justify the investment in your education by showing it
as the interviewer cannot enter your mind by Bluetooth to know your worth.
A habit of listening to 9pm NTA
news or 10pm Channels TV news is very invaluable. Radio Nigeria network news at
7am is also a good teacher for job seekers on current affairs and economic
discuss. Most often than not, candidates are responsible for their own failure
to secure their dream jobs.
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