To succeed at NTT DATA Europe & Latam, you must understand the specific competencies recruiters and hiring managers look for during each stage of the evaluation.
SQL & Data Manipulation
This is a fundamental pillar of the Data Analyst evaluation. You must demonstrate that you can extract, clean, and transform data efficiently without relying on GUI-based tools.
Be ready to go over:
- Joins and Unions – Understanding how to combine tables efficiently while avoiding common pitfalls like duplicate rows or Cartesian products.
- Aggregation and Window Functions – Using functions like
SUM(), AVG(), ROW_NUMBER(), RANK(), and PARTITION BY to perform complex calculations over specific data partitions.
- Query Optimization – Writing queries that execute quickly, understanding execution plans, and knowing how indexes impact database performance.
- Advanced concepts (less common) – Writing recursive Common Table Expressions (CTEs), managing database transactions, and understanding database normalization vs. denormalization.
Example questions or scenarios:
- "Write a query to find the top 3 highest-spending customers for each region over the last fiscal year."
- "How would you identify and remove duplicate records from a staging table before loading it into a data warehouse?"
Business Intelligence & Visualization
Your ability to translate numbers into compelling visual stories is highly scrutinized. Interviewers want to see that you build dashboards with the end-user in mind.
Be ready to go over:
- Dashboard Design Principles – Creating clean, intuitive layouts that highlight key performance indicators (KPIs) without cluttering the screen.
- DAX & Calculations – Writing efficient Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) in Power BI to build custom measures and calculated columns.
- Data Modeling – Designing star schemas, managing relationships, and understanding the impact of bidirectional filtering on performance.
- Advanced concepts (less common) – Implementing row-level security (RLS) to restrict data access based on user roles, and configuring incremental refresh policies.
Example questions or scenarios:
- "How would you design a dashboard for an executive who only has two minutes to look at it? What metrics would you prioritize?"
- "Explain the difference between a calculated column and a measure in Power BI, and when you would use each."
Critical Thinking & Case Studies
Consulting requires solving problems that do not have straightforward answers. This area evaluates your logical structure, adaptability, and comfort with ambiguity.
Be ready to go over:
- Fermi Estimation – Breaking down large, seemingly impossible estimation questions into logical, manageable components.
- Root Cause Analysis – Systematically identifying the underlying factors behind a sudden change in business metrics.
- Business Acumen – Aligning data analysis goals with broader organizational objectives and client needs.
Example questions or scenarios:
- "How would you estimate the annual revenue generated by public transit in a major European city?"
- "A retail client notices a sudden drop in online checkout completions. Walk me through the data points you would analyze to diagnose the issue."
Group Dynamics & Collaboration
In some locations (such as Italy and Australia), NTT DATA conducts group assessments (colloquio di gruppo) to observe how you interact with others under collaborative pressure.
Be ready to go over:
- Active Listening – Showing respect for other candidates' ideas and building constructively upon them.
- Problem Solving in Teams – Working together to reach a common goal or solve a business case within a strict time limit.
- Influence without Authority – Guiding the group toward a structured solution without being overbearing or dismissive.
Example questions or scenarios:
- "As a group, prioritize a list of IT projects for a client with a limited budget and conflicting stakeholder demands."
