Folks, I am hoping somebody on this forum went through this and could help. I was asked to come onsite for a second round interview to do a writing test involving a real world case. I was told that, as my writing was below their expectations on the first round, they are giving me a second chance with a more realistic case. First round had a generic writing test along with interviews. I am assuming that they will give me a case on a company along with some relevant news and ask me to write a report. I realize that I could do better in my writing with proper preparation. Any ideas on how to prepare for it ? Anybody with similar experience? Thank You
What type of job were you applying for? And what was the writing sample requested during round 1?
This is for a Equity Research Associate role. Round 1 writing was a surprise topic about why I wanted to be in ER. I was given a computer and 15 min time onsite to finish it.
If you don’t enjoy writing, then I would highly discourage a career in ER
drs, It is not like I don’t like writing. I love ER and it looks like my writing skills are not at the required level. I would like to improve on it so that I can be effective in ER. Any suggestions?
I don’t think you can really improve you writing so quickly. Maybe read the Elements of Style. But I think the best thing to do is just read tons and tons are reports similar to what the test will be like.
I agree with pinkman. Same deal with the SAT–you can’t wake up one day when you’re 17 and say, “Ok, I need to prep for the SAT verbal section when I take my test in a month.” Fact is, prep for SAT verbal started when you were 5-years-old reading a book rather than watching TV. There’s no way you’re going to be able to improve your writing skills significantly in a few days or even a few weeks. As a person who probably writes 1,000-3,000 words per day on average, my best advice to you is to start writing like you speak. Some of the worst writing I’ve ever read has come from native English speakers. Clearly, those people don’t speak the way they write. You can improve writing quickly if you start to write exactly the way you speak, adding in commas to places in your speech where there’s a slight pause. If you’re a native English speaker, there’s no excuse for being a poor writer–literally take from your mouth and put it onto paper.
Thanks for all the help guys.
Guys, Sorry for going off on a tangent here but I really need your help in landing some interviews. I see a lot of guys getting interviews in Equity Research getting interviews but I am not having much luck. Can i request one of you guys to take a look at my resume and offer some suggestions. I would really appreciate any help/suggestions that i can get to help me get some interviews. Thanks.
The best way to learn how to write well quickly is to remeber the two golden rules: 1) Sentences that convey a single idea. 2) Say it with as few words as possible. Another tip: use active language and avoid excessive use of the to be verbs e.g. “is, was” (this helps with #2)
- Come up with a list of main ideas you’d like to communicate (know what you want to say) and supporting material (what’s your evidence) 2) Organize your essay in a logical and concise way that’s easy to follow (make it easy for others to follow)