BREAKING INTO THE
MENTALITY OF RECRUITERS
Guest Speaker: Shawn Xu, CFA, Sr. Director at RBC
September 2016
2016 Alpha Solution
GUEST SPEAKER PROFILE
Shawn Xu, CFA
• McGill University Finance Major Graduate (’09)
• Launched career with Capital One as part of its
On-Campus Business Analyst Hiring Program
• Currently employed with RBC as Sr. Director of
Portfolio Management and Credit Strategy
• LinkedIn: Shawn Xu
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OBJECTIVES
1
Share my experiences and perspectives as a banking
professional, a recruiter, and as someone who was
in your shoes not too long ago…
2
Meet you – as students, as potential employees,
and as future leaders in your respective pursuits.
3
Raise awareness and support for Alpha Solution, a
provider of Academic Consulting and Professional
Development. For Students, by Students.
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IMPORTANCE OF JUMP OFF
Lifetime Earning Potential (Illustrative)
$1,200,000
• Your first 1-3 years not only determine the intercept, but also the slope
• Pursuing the best possible start to your career is not about making an
extra $15,000; it is about unlocking a completely different trajectory
• How can you achieve the highest jump-off point? What are recruiters for
those top positions looking for?
SALARY
$1,000,000
Lifetime Earnings
>> Avg
> Avg
= Avg
$16MM
$7.8MM
$3.6MM
$800,000
$600,000
Year 1 Earnings
>> Avg
> Avg
= Avg
$400,000
$70,000
$55,000
$40,000
$200,000
$0
20
25
30
35
40
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AGE 60
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OUT-RUNNING THE GRIZZLY
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PERSONAL PYRAMID
YOUR PERSONAL BRAND
Your Resume and Interview should reflect your personal brand
SKILLS &
EXPERIENCE
INTELLECTUAL
CURIOSITY
ATTITUDE &
MATURITY
• Soft Skills
• Your Competitive
Advantage – Data
Driven Strategy
• Academic Achievement
• Breadth of Knowledge
• Technical Skills
• Self Learner
• Integrity
• Commitment
• Self - Motivated
• Confident & Self - Aware
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DATA DRIVEN STRATEGY
Data Driven Strategy
Outcome optimization through deployment of a quantitative
based framework rooted in the Scientific Method –
Hypothesis Formulation, Test, Learn, Validate, Iterate.
TIM HORTONS
LOBLAWS
Roll Up The Rim Campaign
Seasonal Merchandise
What is the right amount of
prizes to give away? What
should be the winning odds?
When is the most optimal time to
stock seasonal merchandise?
(i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas)
BELL MOBILITY
RBC ROYAL BANK
Data Overage
Royal Credit Line
Should Bell notify customers they
are about to go over their data
limit? When should they notify?
What is the right credit limit to
provide to clients applying for a
Royal Credit Line?
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CHEAT SHEET
• ATTITUDE & MATURITY
•
INTEGRITY
•
•
•
COMMITMENT (WHY THIS INDUSTRY? WHY THIS COMPANY?)
•
•
•
•
Co-op or internship experience; designation in progress & relevant course studies
Networking & industry knowledge (players, competitors, products, services, key recent developments, etc.)
Expression of loyalty and gratitude
SELF MOTIVATED (HARD WORKING)
•
•
•
No black marks in your academics
Don’t lie on your resume, don’t try and cheat the interviews, don’t “bribe” the interviewer
Good grades (GPA) and extracurriculars – athletic endeavors, entrepreneurial start-up’s, volunteer work, student organizations
Commitment to excellence – everything you do is the best it can possibly be (Resume, LinkedIn Profile, etc.)
CONFIDENT & SELF AWARE
•
•
Be confident that you can outrun your peers
Know your strengths and weaknesses and be honest about them
• INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY
•
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
•
BREADTH OF KNOWLEDGE
•
•
•
•
GPA, Honors and Awards, Competitions
Science and Technology – Tesla, SpaceX, Google Deep Mind, etc.; Major trends that can define the start of a new era
Geopolitics – understanding of its potential impacts on the industry you’re applying to
SELF LEARNER
•
•
Investments & personal finance, coding, Big Data, machine learning, hackathons
Patents, inventions, trademarks, etc.
• SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
•
TECHNICAL SKILLS
•
•
SOFT SKILLS
•
•
Various Computer Languages, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, business & analytical writing
Communication, Presentation, Influence & Persuasion
DATA DRIVEN STRATEGY – WHAT IS YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE?
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. How can we overcome prejudices against visible minorities in
the labor market
2. How to deliver a solid job interview
3. What’s your suggestion for increasing the chances of landing a
summer internship
……
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