ECON241 Information and Advice Relating to the Video Assessment 2023-24

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Video Interview Mark Sheet and Tips for Good Performance:

Overall Mark: Out of 100

Submission Deadline: Friday April 26^th by 11.59pm

You can begin to practice with the Shortlister software using the link below. Please note that the link for completion of the video assessment will be sent to you separately via your University email address and you will NOT be completing the assessment via the link below. I am attaching the following link so that you can perhaps use some of the pre-existing video interviews on the platform to practice speaking online and to practice your presenting skills. In any event, knowledge of the platform will be useful to you as you apply for graduate roles as online interviews may be part of the recruitment process.

https://go.shortlister.com/marketplace/uniofliverpool

Assessment Criteria, What You Should Include and How You should Approach the Assessment:

First Impressions:

Given the recent COVID situation, many job interviews have been and will continue to be held via on-line interviews. They may be in a pre-recorded format, consistent with this assessment or synchronous / live in nature. Either way, use of the Shortlister software provides valuable practice. Accordingly, students should take the assessment seriously and conduct throughout should be very professional – this would of course indicate the personal standards of any candidate to employers. At the very least appropriate attire needs to be worn for an academic interview and this would be expected for any job or postgraduate interview. For example, the wearing of caps, hats, coats, sunglasses on the head, would not give the best first impression to me or any employer. Professional working environments have exacting and high expectations of appropriate conduct and professionalism, which should also be evident in this assessment.

Evidence of Research:

In your video assessment there must be clear evidence of external research and resources. Examples would be use of the websites posted to CANVAS since week 1 and also the Financial Times. Your answers should make reference to your sources and data and stats should be quoted. For example:

“According to the BBC Business website, GDP fell by x% in the year to XXXX in the UK….”

Question 1:

How were the US and UK financial markets impacted by the COVID pandemic?  (You have three minutes to answer this question).

You may want to consider the following:

· the impact on the UK and US equity markets with accompanying stats and data;

· the winners and losers in the equity markets (by industry / sector) with named company examples;

· a summary of the bond market activity (including prices and yields);

· the impacts on the commodities and oil markets (with stats and data);

· the impacts on IPOs and new equity and bond issues.

Please note that this was a global pandemic and the financial markets does not just imply equity activity. Your research needs to cover the period from the first signs of the emerging crisis (early 2020) to the middle of 2021 at the very least. Only then will you be able to capture downsides and also recovery. Do not just present a picture for 2020 alone.

Question 2:

Explain how the UK and US Central Banks and respective governments responded to counter the wider impacts of the COVID crisis. (You have two minutes to answer this question).

Be able to explain monetary policy decision making through cutting base rate and also the dynamics of QE and how it works. Any actions taken by the respective governments also need discussing eg. the furlough scheme, small business loans, tax deferrals.

Please note that all questions should be answered verbally and props / slides / graphs / charts cannot be used.

Speaking Clarity, Pace of delivery and ability to handle the questions:

To be engaging, practice is needed and reading from a script, or in a robotic style is not at all engaging. If reading directly from a script, it is obvious to the audience and should be avoided. Prior to undertaking the interview, practice with the Shortlister software (link provided above) or record yourself on your phone / computer / ipad to see how you sound to an audience. The more practice that you dedicate to this task, the more slick and professional you will look and sound. Pace is important – the audience needs to hear and understand every word clearly but if you rush your responses, clarity will be lost.

This assignment is not simply about collating information and presenting it in a script like manner. The way you articulate is very important – your natural personality needs to be apparent, you should use hand gestures, instill confidence in the audience that you know what you are talking about!!

Ability to keep within the time limits

I will post a video on CANVAS describing what you see on your screen when you begin the video assessment. A clock will count down the time allocated to each question and will cut off precisely after 3 or 2 minutes respectively. You must adhere to the time allowed so ensure that you practice your timings so that you don’t get cut off mid-way through making an interesting point.