Analyst applicants have rated the interview process at BlackRock with 4 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 100% positive. To compare, the company-average is 60% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Here are the most commonly searched roles for interview reports -
I applied online by just filling in the form and attaching my resume. Then I immediately receive the link to take the virtual interview (it's a virtual cover letter) through HireVue. Waiting for a feedback
I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at BlackRock (Frankfurt am Main) in Jan 2017
Interview
I was approached by a talent acquisition specialist of BlackRock who found my profile in internet. After a short phone conversation focused on my professional background and technical skills (VBA/SQL/German language skills), I was invited to a first-stage interview at the office of the company in Frankfurt.
The interview consisted of 3 rounds with 4 people for a total of 1.5 hours. The first two rounds were conducted via video call with the London office, while the third round was a f2f meeting with an employee from the office in FaM.
The first round was rather unpleasant for me - I was cross-interviewed by two people although I didn’t expect that as only one of them was mentioned in the e-mail from the HR. They didn't take the time to tell me more about the position and the team, and to give me a moment to calm down. After a short introduction, they came straight to the point and started asking questions related to my general understanding of the business, the role and their Aladdin platform, as well as my knowledge about capital markets (mostly fixed income), risk managements tools and models, financial analytics, etc. I did feel exhausted after that fast-paced conversation.
The second round was much more relaxed and friendly. I was given the chance to get to know more about the job and to ask questions. The third round, with the guy from the German office, also went quite easy, except for the fact that it was in German which was quite challenging for me.
I was not given a feedback after the interview until I wrote to the HR department to ask for one. They should be given a credit for providing a feedback with a summary of the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses.
Well, maybe I was just unlucky enough to have my first ever interview in Germany with such a big name like BlackRock. I was very tense during the interview and I definitely underperformed. The strange feeling to talk to someone in the screen, as well as the quick start and the cross-examination in the first round, did not contribute to make things easier. It was my worst ever interview but yet a valuable experience.
Advice to the candidates - be sure that you can distinguish between the businesses of BR and BRSolutions.
Interview questions [8]
Question 1
What determines the yields in the fixed income market?
I applied online. I interviewed at BlackRock (New York, NY) in Jun 2016
Interview
Very well conducted. All interviewers were professional and made it a good experience. The recruitment team were quick to provide feedback and make a decision. Great interview skills from all.