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So as a student, you may be wondering how important are European languages? and also Is is a big weakness to only speak English or non-European languages?. As an international student, what can I do to to do well in interviews? From what we've experienced, here are our observations:

Speaking 1 or more other European language does indeed give you an edge over other applicants

Many students believe that having a degree that is not related to finance will hurt their chances of getting an interview with London investment banks. However, the truth is that many investment bankers never studied accounting or finance when they were undergraduate students.

Nevertheless, there are a few traps that you will need to avoid, and some good tips to best position yourself. Here is what you should bear in mind when applying and interviewing:

#1 If you are a science student, play on the analytical angle

If you choose to lead a life as an investment banker, a very important fact to be aware of is that Investment Banking is a cyclical business and you may end up loosing your job at some point in your career. So how do you handle your new job search if you get fired from your investment banking job? Below are a couple of useful tips on how to handle the situation:

Rule 1: Do not find excuses, and never lie

This is an extract of Merrill Lynch's best practices and behaviour that it used to give to its Investment Banking Associates and Analysts. This is a great summary of how you should behave as a junior banker to clim the ranks quickly.

1) Have a great attitude

This means that you should not complain, even if the job is very intense and very demanding. This also means that you should have a positive attitude in difficult situation and have a "let's solve this problem" attitude. It also involves being proactive and being friendly with all of your colleagues, below and above in the hierarchy.

2) Work hard

Securing a good investment banking internship is not an easy task. However, an even more difficult task is to either convert this internship into a full time offer, or, if you decide that the job is not for you, to effectively use your time to better position yourself for your dream job or next internship.

Here is an extract of a great article that I found on efinancialcareers - for once it felt quite spot on, and I've added a little bit based on my own experience. It relates to the 4 kind of personalities you tend to find in private equity funds (in Europe, mainly, but applies to most countries!).

1. The Ivy Leaguer

Initially flattered by your call (US-educated people appreciate entrepreneurialism more than Europeans), he will quietly stopwatch your elevator pitch to exactly 120 seconds. Don’t waste his time. Be ready to give him a stock pick or outline your favourite unloved sub-sector for buyouts.

Close out with some kind of reference to sport. You’ll discover at interview that he’s athletic, tall, and tanned. Clearly if you are too, it will help.

2. The Autistic Geek

Can you give a us brief intro about your background and how you came to Macquarie?

I studied a degree at Cass Business School which touched upon most areas within finance but had a strong focus on equities, fixed income and derivatives. I completed two internships during my degree, both with BNP Paribas. The first was an 11-month long term internship with the Nordic Debt Capital Markets team and I followed up with a summer internship on the Nordic Derivatives Marketing desk. I truly enjoyed the experience in BNP Paribas but wanted to move into corporate finance and decided to interview with Macquarie on the back of a tip from an ex-BNPP colleague employed within Macquarie Capital Advisers. I joined Macquarie's Infrastructure & Utilities team as a graduate a year later.

Due to frequent requests, I've asked a couple of students from MBA schools to compile quick "profiles" of their MBA schools. More profiles will come over the next few weeks. Email us if you want a special school to be covered and we'll generate a specific profile for you!

School Background:

The Wharton School is the Business School of the University of Pennsylvania, and is located in Philadelphia, USA, about 2 hours from New York. It was established in 1881, and was the world's first business school ever established.

If your ambition is to work for a private equity fund, not only must your resume go past the headhunters, which are notoriously picky about who they send for PE interviews, but it needs to get you a foot in the door of PE funds. Tailoiring your CV is a critical part of the application process, because it will be used in the numerous steps that will follow if you are invited for a first round interview. In the UK, Private Equity funds will typically look for the following qualities in your CV :

>> Business Judgement
>> Strategic perspective and understanding
>> Interest for investing
>> Raw intelligence
>> Analytical skills
>> Knowledge of finance, accounting and modelling
>> Strong communication and social skills
>> Existence of network or potential network, and "pedigree"

As a student or junior banker, you will typically find yourself interviewing with multiple investment bank, sometimes in different regions, divisions or even industries. If you're lucky and good enough, you may end up with multiple offers.