The recruiting season in Sydney gets into full swing between March and April. Organisations from Singapore, such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore, will be participating in the universities’ career fairs. Several companies are from the Fortune Global 500.

The interview process usually begins with filling up an online application. If your application has been short listed, the company would arrange for a phone interview and psychometric testing. Next would be an invitation to the company for interviews. Some companies might host cocktail parties before or after the interviews. It is advisable to go easy on the alcohol.

There are usually three rounds of interviews. The key to behavioral interviews is to be honest in your answers. A simple but true answer is better than an impressive made up scenario. Visual aids will help if you are doing a presentation. It is hard for me to conquer the fear of public speaking but I try to at least manage it. My anxiety level tends to be higher during the first one or two minutes of the presentation, after which it just tapers off as I focus on delivery.

Some companies conduct everything in a day, with meals provided in between, and some could take a few weeks to finish the interview process. Being able to explain the relevance of your field(s) of study, internship / work experience and extra curricular activities, to the role you are applying for helps. Staying up-to-date with journals and attending corporate gatherings give you insights into the business. It shows that you can take charge of your career aspirations and presents you well as a job applicant.

Here is a sample of participating organisations:

ABN Amro
Accenture
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group
A.T. Kearney
Bain & Company
Booz Allen Hamilton
Boston Consulting Group
Capgemini
Citigroup Investment Banking
Colonial First State Global Asset Management
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Credit Suisse
Deloitte
Deutsche Bank
Ernst & Young
Goldman Sachs
IBM
JPMorgan
KPMG
Macquarie Bank
McKinsey & Company
Merrill Lynch
Morgan Stanley
Monetary Authority of Singapore
National Australia Bank
OCBC Bank
PricewaterhouseCoopers
UBS
Westpac Banking Corporation