FHLB New York Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was pretty straightforward, it started with a phone interview with HR, then there was an excel/technical test, and finally, an interview with the Head Trader and some colleagues/team members. Overall, it was a positive experience and everyone I interacted with was friendly.

The final interviewer was late for the Zoom call and hadn't reviewed my resume. They focused entirely on financial questions irrelevant to the role. They threatened to have IT contact me to test my Excel skills, referencing my resume. The interviewer dominated the conversation with company history and financial problem-solving scenarios unrelated to the position.

I found out about this job through a staffing agency. I talked to HR the week before the interview to discuss their Covid rules and ask any HR-related questions. The HR person and I had a regular chat, and she told me to 'talk to them like you’re talking to me.' The interview itself was with three people over Microsoft Teams, and each part lasted 30 minutes. During this time, I was asked questions I felt good about answering and I asked them questions that needed more than a yes or no answer. I felt like it went well, but I never heard back. I found out a month later that they decided not to move forward because they thought I was too casual and couldn't answer their questions. I know my view of how I did might be different from theirs, but I know I wasn't casual. Plus, like I said, I was told to have a conversation. I talked to them easily but professionally. Also, when I got on Microsoft Teams, my video was on, but two of the three interviewers didn't have theirs on. I don't think that's right. Everyone should have their camera on; facial expressions are important. I think they are looking for unrealistic perfection—good luck with that.

This interview happened after I was already qualified for the face-to-face with a recruiter. The interview with the HR generalist felt rushed. It was supposed to be half an hour, but we only spoke for about 15 minutes, and he kept leaving the call. I have experience in recruiting, and he really needs to work on listening more and talking less. It felt like a waste of time for both of us because the interview wasn't used effectively. Also, the technical expert who should have been there wasn't, which shows really poor planning!