Complete interview guide Flashcards
Why do you want to work for ING?
- I’m drawn to ING because it’s a dutch bank operating in over 100 countries with 60,000+ employees.
- I am particularly drawn to the bank’s strong commitment to sustainability, which creates lasting value for customers and the environment.
- This approach aligns perfectly with my personal values, making it an ideal place to contribute my skills. I thought I might be a valuable asset to the bank since I am bilingual.
What is the trade lifecycle (globally)
- Pre-trade clearance
- Trade Execution
- Post-trade reconciliation
Pre-trade Clearance
Planning and decision making
- Research and analysis, macro dynamics, compliance and risk checks and its compliance with regulations
- Putting in the trade order
- Order routing
Trade Execution
- Order matching
- Trade confirmation
- Execution notification
Post trade
- clearing -. Who own what?
- Settlement - the money actually wired?
- Reconciliation - The internal system reflects what actually happened
- Ongoing reporting and compliance
What are the different valuation methods when valuing a business?
- Income Approach
- Market Approach
- Asset-Based Approach
Income Approach
- Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis
- Capitalization of Earnings
Market Approach
- Comparable Company Analysis (Comps)
- Precedent Transactions
Asset-Based Approach
- Net Asset Value (NAV) / Book Value
- Liquidation Value
Walk me through your resume / tell me a bit more about yourself
- Born and raised in the netherlands
- studies same time line as jobs
Can you kind of walk me through one of your experiences in more detail?
Specifically, I want to hear a little bit more about your job responsibilities. For that experience.
And then what do you think you really kind of contributed or how do you think you really added value to the team.
- At Kroesepaternotte, where I worked as a Valuation Analyst, it was a relatively small firm, and some of the internal processes were still quite manual and outdated.
- While my core responsibilities involved reviewing leases, running valuation models, and preparing valuation reports for institutional clients and banks like ING,
- I also noticed early on that a lot of time was being lost to repetitive tasks.
To help streamline things, I created Excel shortcuts and semi-automated templates that sped up our modeling process. I also took the initiative to standardize how we described and formatted transaction comparables, which helped bring more consistency and professionalism to our reports.
- These improvements didn’t just save time — they made it easier for the senior team to review and for clients to understand our work. I think that blend of technical skills and process thinking was really where I added value.
Can you kind of talk a little bit more about what exactly the main covenants were here? And then how did you go about analyzing and negotiating them
Sure — in most of the transactions I supported, the main covenants were financial ones tied to loan performance. These included things like the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, debt service coverage ratio (DSCR), and in some cases, interest coverage or minimum occupancy levels. My role was to review the loan documents and model how those covenants would behave under different performance scenarios.
For example, I would often build sensitivity tables in Excel to see how changes in rental income, cap rates, or vacancy could impact the borrower’s ability to stay in compliance. This analysis helped our team flag potential risks to the lender or investor, and in some cases, inform discussions around possible covenant adjustments.
While I wasn’t directly negotiating the covenants myself, my analysis fed into those conversations — especially when clients or our senior team needed to assess whether a covenant was too tight, or whether a waiver might be needed.
And can you kind of maybe talk a little bit more about how you kind of valued the property, or just maybe kind of walk me through, like, what sort of main things you kind of covered, you know, in the investment memo, or in the investment discussion. How did you value the property? What were some of the key merits and the key risks
Explain
What would you say was the toughest part of doing this project for you? And how did you like overcome the challenge
Great question. I’d say the toughest part of that project was finding reliable market comparables for investment transactions — especially during the early COVID period. In certain cities, there was very little transactional activity, so it was hard to justify assumptions on yields or pricing without recent data.
Rather than rely solely on outdated sales comps or wait for something to hit the public records, I took a more proactive approach. I started calling contacts at other brokerage houses like Cushman & Wakefield and CBRE to ask if they had any off-market or recently closed deals they could share — even if it was just indicative pricing or guidance on investor sentiment. That extra step helped us build a more realistic picture of where yields were trending and gave more credibility to our valuation work.
By doing that, I was able to strengthen our assumptions, and the final report was well-received by the client — they even commented on how helpful it was that we supported the valuation with real-time market color.
And then what specifically kind of draws you to this particular role here with ing
- Based on my experience as a valuation analyst, I’ve developed strong analytical skills and a high attention to detail. I’ve reviewed thousands of legal and loan documents, including credit agreements. Which gives me transferable skills for this role
- I’m also a strong communicator — I was president of my fraternity, leading meetings and coordinating with members, and in my Valuation analyst role, I regularly worked with institutional investors as the main point of contact
And can you talk a little bit more about what the daily responsibilities look like, you know, for this specific role? Like, what will you be doing? What do you think are the key skill sets that you need? And how do you think you’re well-positioned
In this role, I’d be responsible for managing syndicated loan transactions, that includes monitoring loan compliance, reviewing funding notices, tracking borrower reporting. Day to day, that means coordinating with internal teams and external lenders, monitoring covenants, and keeping systems and documentation accurate and up to date.
I think the key skills are attention to detail, strong communication, and the ability to stay organized under pressure — all things I’ve developed as a valuation analyst, where I reviewed complex legal documents, worked with institutional investors, and often acted as the main point of contact on deals. I’m confident I can bring that same precision and reliability to the middle office here.
Strengths
During my final year, I was completing a full-time Master’s in Finance with a specialization in real estate at the University of Amsterdam, while also working full-time as a valuations analyst.
Task:
I had to balance the demands of rigorous academic coursework—like financial modeling and advanced real estate valuation—with tight client deadlines and high expectations at work. Both roles required deep focus, accuracy, and time-sensitive deliverables.
Action:
To manage this, I created a strict schedule, blocking out early mornings and evenings for study, and dedicating work hours exclusively to client tasks. I prioritized based on urgency and complexity, and I communicated clearly with both my professors and team at work to manage expectations and avoid conflicts. There were moments where I had to submit a valuation report in the same week I had final exams, so I’d wake up at 5 a.m. to study and work late to deliver on time.
Result:
Despite the pressure, I graduated on time with strong grades and met every deadline at work—often even ahead of schedule. The experience really sharpened my ability to perform under pressure, manage time efficiently, and maintain high-quality output across multiple demanding responsibilities.
And then what do you think is kind of like your biggest kind of weakness? And then how have you been improving upon that weakness.
Story about delegating work
And then can you kind of also walk me through a specific kind of problem that you solved and want to kind of use this as a way, you know, to understand a little bit better, kind of like your ability to apply logic and your ability to your ability to kind of use critical thinking to problem solve?
As a valuation analyst at Kroesepaternotte, I was asked to produce a rent‑revision analysis for a mixed‑use street in Amsterdam. When I began, I discovered there were no published comparables for that specific block—recent transactions simply hadn’t been recorded.
Task:
I needed robust market data to justify our proposed rent increases, but without nearby comps, the client would have no confidence in the recommendations.
Action:
I first mapped every building on the street using municipal property records and tax registries to identify the owner or managing agent of each address. Then I cold‑called and emailed these contacts—sometimes having to navigate gatekeepers—to request their current rent rolls and lease terms. As data came in, I normalized the figures (adjusting for size, condition, and lease length) and built a mini‑database of true on‑street comparables. Finally, I integrated this into our rent‑revision model, running sensitivity checks to ensure the numbers held up under different vacancy and market‑growth scenarios.
Result:
With real‑time, peer‑verified data, my report convinced the client to implement rents that were on average 18% higher than their existing rates. They approved the revision strategy immediately, leading to an anticipated €120K uplift in annual income—and I proved that a creative, methodical approach can solve even “data‑dark” valuation challenges
Can you kind of walk me through a time when you did work on a team, and you had a conflict with someone that you had to that you had to resolve. And what was your kind of approach to resolving that conflict.
Discussion about Suistainability on price
And can you also talk walk me through a time where you had to kind of manage expectations and specifically manage up.
I was responsible for the process of valuing a portfolio of 50 properties. I’ve acted as the main point of contact between multiple stakeholders, including institutional investors, legal teams, and clients during complex valuation assignments. I ensured clear communication by setting expectations early, creating centralized documentation, and providing regular progress updates. My approach is proactive — I anticipate issues, follow up diligently, and make sure everyone is aligned on key milestones and deliverables. This helps prevent miscommunication and builds trust across all parties
A specific business
CBRE - ESG
so can you kind of walk me through what was the biggest mistake that you’ve ever made on the job. And then how did you kind of rectify it
One of the biggest mistakes I made was early on when valuing a suburban shopping mall. I built my DCF and capitalization analyses assuming all revenue came from the retail units, but I completely overlooked the parking lot—which in that market generated significant fee income and added tangible value to the asset.
When we did the follow‑up valuation a year later, I noticed our net operating income growth looked muted compared to market expectations. Digging in, I realized I’d never input the parking revenue. I immediately pulled the parking contracts, updated my rent roll and expense schedule, and reran the model. The corrected valuation was roughly 12% higher, reflecting that ancillary income stream.
To make sure it never happened again, I introduced an “ancillary revenue” checklist into our standard valuation process—covering things like parking, signage leases, and service charges—and asked a colleague to peer‑review that section before final sign‑off. That change has since caught similar oversights and strengthened the reliability of all our reports
What about the kind of the biggest risk that you’ve taken and walk me through? Kind of like how you were thinking through the upside down side of taking the risk. And what did you end up doing? And and sort of what ended up happenin
One of the biggest risks I took was during the Bitcoin crash in 2021. I had a significant portion of my crypto portfolio tied up in Bitcoin, and when prices started to plummet from the highs of $60K, I faced a tough decision. The upside of holding was the potential for recovery if Bitcoin rebounded, but the downside was the growing uncertainty about further regulatory pressure and a prolonged market downturn.
After analyzing the market and considering my personal risk tolerance, I decided to sell everything when Bitcoin was around $45K to cut my losses. I knew the market could go lower, and I didn’t want to get caught in a further drop, which, in hindsight, was a critical decision as the price eventually dropped below $30K.
While it was a 20% loss on my investment, I viewed it as a calculated risk to protect my remaining capital and avoid a bigger potential loss. The decision allowed me to regroup and reallocate into more stable assets, and later on, I did re-enter the market when conditions seemed more favorable. The experience taught me a lot about timing, risk management, and the importance of staying disciplined in volatile markets.
Why you shouldn’t you hire me?
Well I feel as though I have shared a lot about my skills and capabilities, my qualifications for this position. I think the reason you shouldn’t hire me is if you see me as not being a good culture fit. It is really important to me to get along with my colleagues and bosses, and them getting along with me. So you shouldn’t hire me if you don’t think we’re gonna work (out) or my values isn’t align with the values and the culture of the company. But if you find that there is someone who is only more valuable with their contributions but isn’t a good fit when it comes to values, then you may want to consider hiring me instead.
So tell me about a time when you had to manage multiple tasks with tight deadlines and walk me through your strategy for prioritizing
- When I’m facing multiple deadlines, I prioritize by urgency and importance.
I start by breaking down each task and setting internal deadlines to stay ahead. As a valuation analyst, I often had to manage several valuations at once, so I got used to juggling priorities - I also make a point to communicate early if timelines need to shift, so there are no surprises.
-Staying organized and proactive is key especially when I always had tight deadlines.
-For example, as a valuation analyst, I once had to complete three full valuations in the same week—two retail portfolios for institutional clients and one smaller mixed-use asset. One of the portfolios had a hard external deadline for financing purposes, while the others were more flexible. I started by mapping out the full scope of each report, flagged the urgent one as top priority, and built a daily schedule that allowed time for client communication, modeling, and writing.
To stay efficient, I reused parts of my previous templates, streamlined my Excel processes with shortcuts I had built earlier, and worked longer hours that week to stay on track.
Can you describe a situation in which you spotted an error or discrepancy? How did you go about doing that? And what did you end up doing to fix it
Sure. Early in my time as a valuation analyst, I was updating a retail‐center model for its annual review when I noticed the implied rent per square foot seemed far lower than market benchmarks—a red flag. Tracing the issue, I discovered that the model was using a gross building area figure from an old plan instead of the correct net leasable area. To fix it, I pulled the official measurements from the municipal cadastre, updated the model’s inputs, and reran the DCF and capitalization analyses. I then issued a corrected report and added a QA step requiring all area inputs to be cross‑checked against official records and peer‑reviewed. This not only restored the valuation’s accuracy but also prevented similar discrepancies in future project
Can you kind of walk me through a time when you had to lead a team or lead an initiative.
I would train new interns by explaining the basics and giving them easy properties to evaluate, just living spaces instead of retail properties. I would go through the whole valuation process from A-Z
Tell me about a time when you identified a process inefficiency. And how did you improve it? And what were the results that you achieved. This is actually quite relevant to what you’ll be asked to do as part of the role.
Sure. At my previous firm, a lot of the valuation work was done manually—especially when it came to formatting reports and inputting data for rent rolls and comparables. It was time-consuming and left a lot of room for error.
I noticed this was slowing down our turnaround time and causing inconsistencies between analysts, so I took the initiative to automate parts of the process. I created standardized Excel templates with built-in formulas and dropdowns for rent rolls, valuation summaries, and market comparables. I also built a few macros that helped auto-format our reports based on the client’s needs.
As a result, we reduced the average time spent per report by at least 20%, and it also made it easier for newer team members to get up to speed. It improved consistency across reports and allowed us to handle a higher volume of work without compromising quality. It was a simple change, but it made a huge impact on efficiency and client satisfaction
so can you kind of like maybe walk me through a situation in which you had to handle some sort of like regulatory process
Rent control system
Can you also kind of walk me through? A situation in which you had to kind of like change the way that you communicated in order to persuade someone of something, or in order to kind of convince someone to kind of see something from your end
Absolutely. I once had a client who felt that the appraised value we provided for their retail asset was too low. They were emotionally and financially invested in the property and believed it was worth significantly more based on their own expectations.
Instead of just pushing back with numbers, I adjusted my communication approach. I scheduled a call and walked them through the valuation step by step, breaking down how we arrived at each figure—rent comparables, vacancy assumptions, cap rates, and lease rollover risks. I also shared market data on similar properties, highlighting how current market sentiment and tenant quality factored into our analysis.
By focusing on transparency and showing that the valuation was grounded in objective data—not opinion—they eventually understood the rationale behind the value. While they still hoped for a higher number, they accepted the report and even requested our help preparing the asset for future rent revisions to improve value. Changing the tone from defensive to educational made all the difference.
Walk me through what was like the biggest obstacle. What was the biggest personal obstacle you’ve ever encountered. And how did you overcome hardship? Do something about writing my masters thesis during a full time job and losing my best friend during writing my thesis
One of the biggest personal obstacles I’ve faced was losing my best friend unexpectedly. It hit me really hard emotionally and affected every aspect of my life—including work and school. I was in the middle of completing my master’s degree while also working full time as a valuation analyst, so the pressure was already high.
At first, it was really difficult to stay focused. But over time, I realized I needed to find a balance between processing the grief and maintaining structure in my daily routine. I leaned on close friends, spoke to a counselor, and set small, manageable goals each day just to keep moving forward. I also channeled a lot of my energy into work and study—it gave me purpose and stability.
That period taught me how to stay grounded during emotional challenges and how to persevere even when life feels overwhelming. It made me more empathetic, more resilient, and better at managing pressure both personally and professionally
And then how would your kind of peers describe you? And once again don’t just say like one word, but like, try to give examples
I think my peers would describe me as someone who’s reliable, calm under pressure, and always willing to step up. For example, when I was working as a valuation analyst, we had a period where deadlines were piling up and the team was overwhelmed. I was the one who stayed late to help others finish their reports, double-check numbers, and make sure the quality didn’t slip—without being asked.
And lastly, I think they’d say I bring a positive, steady energy—especially during stressful periods. I try to keep the team grounded and focused, even when things feel chaotic.
And what would you say? Kind of would be some constructive criticism that people would share with you, or maybe what we can go through is during your last role or your last job. What was like negative feedback that you received? And how did you react to it? Write something about being stuborn
One piece of constructive criticism I received in my previous role was that I could be somewhat stubborn, especially when I believed strongly in the direction I was taking on a project. For example, when we were standardizing the way we presented transaction comparables, I had a very specific vision for how it should be done. I was so focused on getting it right that I sometimes dismissed feedback from colleagues who had different perspectives or ideas about how we could improve the process.
When I first received this feedback, I initially took it personally, but I quickly realized it was an opportunity for growth. I learned that being open to others’ suggestions, even when I’m confident in my approach, can lead to better outcomes. I started actively seeking feedback earlier in the process and making sure to involve others in brainstorming sessions. I also made a conscious effort to create more space for collaborative input, which ultimately led to more innovative solutions and a smoother workflow.
Over time, I found that being flexible and considering multiple viewpoints made me more effective as a team player and a leader.
What’s kind of been the toughest kind of negative kind of feedback that you’ve ever received. And how did you react to that?
The toughest piece of negative feedback I ever received was early on in my career, when a senior colleague told me I was being “too passive” and even called me a “sponge”—meaning I absorbed everything but didn’t speak up enough or contribute my own ideas proactively. At first, it really stung. I was new, trying to be respectful and learn as much as I could before jumping in, but I realized they were right—I was playing it too safe.
Instead of getting defensive, I took that feedback seriously and made a conscious effort to become more vocal. I started asking more questions during meetings, sharing my perspectives during discussions, and volunteering for more visible tasks. Over time, that shift helped me build more confidence and establish myself as someone who not only delivers but also contributes actively to the direction of the team. That experience taught me that being present isn’t just about listening—it’s about engaging.
