Credit Analysis

These questions in credit analyst interview questions would be usually to know your personality traits, work style, ethics and the way you would handle stress. There is no right or wrong unlike technical questions but to know you better as an individual and whether or not you would fit in the work culture and requirements of the company. When you are answering these questions be honest and support them with examples and cases from your life.

★ Have you applied any new technology or information in your previous job? If yes, what was it and how did it help your company?

★ An experience where you faced a difficult situation or a complaint which you resolved?

★ Tell me an effective method you have used to determine likely profitability of loans?

★ Tell me about a situation at your previous office where you identified a complex problem and identified the solution. How did it help your employer?

★ Have you helped coach or mentor someone in your previous job? What did you do and what improvements you saw in that person in terms of know-how and skills?

★ What are your strength and weaknesses? Share your experiences regarding the same?

★ Walk me through your resume?

★ Tell me about yourself?

★ Where do you see yourself five years down the line?

★ Why did you leave your previous job?

★ How would you deal with criticism?

★ What things are included in a cash flow statement?

★ What is working capital?

★ If I buy machinery for my business what would be the effect on the financial statements?

★ How is the income statement linked to the balance sheet?

★ What is the reason for increase in accounts receivable, a cash decline on the cash flow statement?

★ Tell me two most recent business news?

★ What is the process for considering credit to a customer?

★ Tell me a few characteristics which are important for a credit analyst?

★ Do you have proficiency in related financial software's and technology?

★ Which are the skill sets you possess that makes you suited for the position?

After analyzing the data the credit analyst recommends the client a suitable course of action about the payment plans or about any procedural or policy changes that are required.

★ What is the concept of Free Cash Flow?

★ What is terminal value?

★ What according to you would be a safe Debt/Equity ratio?

★ Tell me the various parameters to decide if you can lend $20 million to a company?

★ Tell me an effective method you would have used to generate financial ratios and gauge customers' financial status?

★ What does a Credit Rating agency do?

★ What are the current Treasury Rate, LIBOR and CRR?

★ What methods do you use to compare the liquidity, profitability, and credit histories of corporations?

Apart from the analysis, they are supposed to prepare financial and statistical models in order to forecast credit risks in various situations. Different parameters such as the legislation changes, market actions are also taken into account.

In order to be a successful credit analyst, it is important that you are proficient in financial analysis, as well. Your interviewer may ask you if you understand things such as cash-flow and other financial statements, income growth, market shares and much more. You may also be asked if you can correctly calculate debt to income ratios in order to discover a client's dispensable income. All of this information is necessary for developing a client's credit portfolio. You can answer with "I am very familiar with using various tools and methods to perform financial analyses. I am capable of determining a client's credit situation quickly and accurately.

Credit analysts are made responsible for collecting all the relevant data in relation to their finances including their spending patterns, earnings etc. The next step involves analyzing the data from financial statements, management accounts to find out the risk of making financial loans.

★ Data gathering and analysis

★ Give recommendations

★ Developing models

Credit analysts are typically highly analytical and detail-driven individuals. Because of this, many of the credit analyst interview questions and answers that are most common revolve around your methods for getting the job done and the way you handle clients and customers.

There could be a few industry specific questions as you are being recruited for that particular industry. You should be aware about the various industry verticals and the stakeholders. Credit analysts need to keep up with any new improvements regarding the industry they are analyzing. It shows that you are keen about this industry and its working.

You have previous work experience you would be typically be applying for senior credit analyst position. You could surely expect questions on your previous job profile, the projects and assignments that you worked upon, key learning's and the reason of you leaving that job. This shouldn't be a difficult to answer as you would have a detail idea about it. But yes make sure you have practiced the answers well before so that you could structure them well.

As a credit analyst, you are expected to have expertise in evaluating the creditworthiness of each individual or business. In this role, you will determine the likelihood of a borrower being able to meet his or her financial obligations and pay back a loan. You do this by reviewing the borrower's financial history and determining if the circumstances will be favorable to repayment.

Since you're being asked to share your experience, just tell the story and be honest. However, don't include any information that might put your image on the line. Remember that you are still trying to impress the interviewer. So, it's best to be cautious and never let your guard down.

★ Be honest

★ Be specific

★ Don't be anxious

★ Make the negative sound positive

Sharing a general story without any details may give the impression that you're hiding something. Try to be a little more specific and comprehensive, but again, don't include so much information that you end up regretting it.