Nomura Interview Experience

Nomura and Indian Oil Corporation are two completely different companies with completely different profiles and still Trisha Roy, a chemical engineering graduate from BIT Mesra managed to land job offers from both of them. Nomura hires recent graduates from some of the top colleges like St. Stephen’s, BITS Mesra, IITs, NITs etc. Nomura has a strong presence in India and offers a wide range of financial products and services. Nomura normally looks for analyst profiles in investment banking but from engineering colleges it’s usually for a technical profile either to create software to help other analyst make smarter trading decisions or testing profiles to improve upon already existing software. In an interview with TopTalent, Trisha sheds some light on the Nomura Recruitment Process and what you should do to avail such an opportunity (apart from using TopTalent :D).

1. TopTalent.in : What was the reaction when you first got selected and how did your parents react? 

Trisha : Well, considering that I already had a job, I was happy and satisfied, but not ecstatic altogether. My parents however, were very glad. My basic emotion at the moment was contentment.

2. TopTalent.in :  Can you describe the hiring process in brief?

Trisha : The hiring process consisted of a written aptitude test, followed by three interviews, two technical and one HR. The written test consisted of a quantitative section, a verbal ability section, and a section on Logical Reasoning. The first technical interview comprised of puzzles, basic questions on finance, some problems on programming and some questions about internships. The HR round was fairly simple and predictable. The second technical interview primarily revolved around a slightly complex programming problem.

3. TopTalent.in : Which was the toughest question and how did you answer it?

Trisha : I was asked to write a code/algorithm for a chess game in the last interview, and not being a Computer Science or Information Technology student, I was initially a little reluctant in going ahead with the problem. However, I started simplifying the problem to a code for a single King and a single Pawn, concentrating on protecting the king from all directions. The interviewer too helped me along the way by giving certain hints and directions, and eventually, over the pleasant interaction which lasted about twenty minutes, we had before us a well written algorithm for the question.

4. TopTalent.in : What according to you was the company looking for in candidates?

Trisha : I think the primary thing they were looking for was smartness and strong analytical skills. They wanted people who, when faced with tricky and perplexing situations, can do better than giving up right away. They wanted street smart and confident people, who had the inherent ability to quickly and efficiently develop decent programming logic.

5. TopTalent.in : What tips you can give which might help other freshers applying similar jobs?

Trisha : I will suggest that future aspirants practice solving some mathematical puzzles before appearing for the interview. They should appear very confident and composed throughout the entire process.

6. TopTalent.in : What was that one thing which you think might have helped you over others?

Trisha : I believe my confidence might have worked in my favor the most. Moreover, I am usually very good with p7.uzzles and analytical questions, which I think was apparent, and might have played a vital role in my selection.

7. TopTalent.in : Working at Nomura is going to be very challenging. What are your expectations?

Trisha : As far as I am concerned, I would get bored without challenges. Hence, I look forward to a very competitive yet healthy work culture at Nomura, that enables me to acquire sufficient domain knowledge in the field of analytics, business and finance.

8. TopTalent.in : Given that you have two offers now (Nomura and Indian Oil) which company are you planning to join and why?

Trisha :  Though I am still consulting some seniors on the matter and have not made my final choice yet, still I think I will probably join Nomura. That is so because considering my future aim of doing an MBA in finance, I believe my work-experience in Nomura will give me an edge over IOCL during the time of admissions.