Congratulations! On clearing the written test conducted by the bank. The next and the most challenging round is the bank job interview round which is not just tricky but is also a deciding round. Where you need to sit face to face with the interviewer or may be a group of people would be scrutinized together by a panel of interviewers. This is the round where the recruiter would scrutinize your communication skills, stress management ability and leadership quality. The only way to crack the bank job interview like a professional is to go well prepared in advance. Here we have listed down couple of common bank interview questions along with their answers, to help you answer the questions more confidently.

Question 1: Tell me about yourself?

Answer 1: Almost 90% of the job interviews are started with this typical question. This is the reason why this question is known as icebreaking question. So you have greater chances of making that first impression by simply going well prepared with a perfect answer to this question. You can simply answer the question by talking about your qualification, work experience, projects and accomplishments. They don’t need your life history here a simple 2 to 3 lines impressive yet professional answer is good enough.

Question 2: Why do you want to join banking sector?

Answer 2: This question is generally put up by the interviewer because he wants to understand how much you really understand about the banking industry and how aware you are about the latest happenings in the sector. To be on the safer side you can answer the question by saying that the banking industry offers great growth opportunities, along with job security, especially if it is a public sector bank. Banking job also offers respect and status in society because a person gets a chance of interacting with lots of customers and build relations. Plus, you can go on to include that you like working in a challenging environment where you can continuously enhance your skill set to achieve your career goals and banking industry definitely provides that.

Question 3: Why should we hire you?

Answer 3: Now this is the question where all your prior preparation will come in handy. This is the best time to talk about your strengths and weakness and boast about your accomplishments. Do not hesitate to blow your own trumpet, because if you will not, the interviewer will never be able to know your worth. Compare your work experience and accomplishments with the job profile and if possible include the company vision statement along with your career goals. This would certainly leave the interviewer impressed as he will realize that you have done your homework and you are also keen about the job role.

Question 4: What are your strengths and weakness?

Answer 4: This is yet another tricky question, which should be answered with caution. A slip of tongue or a vague answer could cost you a job. So prepare yourself well for this tricky question. The strength which you mention would be directly related to the current job profile and should add value to your candidature. While mentioning the weakness, do not be dishonest, but also do not go overboard. Weakness should be mentioned in way that it turns out to be strength. For e.g. You can say that I am obsessed to perfection and sometimes I even end up spending too much time on something just to make it error free and absolutely accurate. I am working to do the task in hand properly and on time.

Question 5: Where do you see yourself 5 years down the line?

Answer 5:  This is very common bank job interview question. The interviewer ask this question, to understand how enthusiastic you are about your career path and career goals and what you desire to achieve. The best way to answer the question is to talk about long term commitments with the bank and how you want your career to grow in next 5 years. Assure them that you will do your job to the best of your ability and will work hard to keep enhancing your skill set and keep growing with the company.

Some Quick Job Interview Tips to Keep in Mind:

• Be natural and calm.
• Speak slowly but clearly
• Do prior research about the bank and their achievements. This would come in handy while answering the questions or putting up questions.
• Make sure you read the job description 2 to 3 times and understand it thoroughly.
• Always carry 2 copies or your resume. Along with all the necessary documents properly filed up in a folder.
• Dress in formals. No casual jeans and Tees.
• Ask your friend or family member to take a mock interview, so that you feel more confident and know how exactly you will be answering the questions.
• Do not forget to prepare 2 to 3 questions, which you might want to ask, when the interviewer gives you an opportunity to ask questions.