How to pass an IB competency interview

Technical questions get the attention, but most first-round banking interviews are won or lost on competency. Banks are hiring people they'll sit next to at 2am — likeability and clarity matter more than you think.

The three questions behind every question

Almost every competency interview is testing for three things:

1. Why banking? Have a genuine, specific reason that isn't "prestige" or "money". Tie it to something you've actually done — a stock pitch, a society treasurer role, a deal you followed.

2. Why this bank? Generic answers are fatal. Reference a specific deal, a team, or a conversation you had at an event. Specificity signals genuine interest.

3. Can we work with you? This is what the behavioural questions are really for.

Structure your stories with STAR

For "tell me about a time…" questions, use Situation, Task, Action, Result. Keep Situation and Task short; spend your time on Action (what *you* specifically did) and Result (ideally quantified).

Prepare 5–6 flexible stories covering: leadership, teamwork, a failure, working under pressure, and a time you persuaded someone. Most questions are variations on these.

Common mistakes

• Reciting a memorised monologue. Interviewers can hear it instantly.
• Saying "we" when they asked what *you* did.
• No questions at the end. Always have two thoughtful ones ready.

The bar isn't to be word-perfect. It's to be someone the team would actually want around.