First Interstate Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was simple and straightforward. They clearly explained what the job position would be like. Most questions were about explaining a time when a situation occurred and what you did.

Applied online, which was a simple process. The waiting for the recruiter or any sort of approval/decline was way too long. Got an interview invite and it was conducted virtually. Then again, nothing. I reached out via email to check on the status and get feedback on my interview. Received a decline email almost immediately after that.

The interview process for this role involves general questions about the position, your past experiences (including strengths and weaknesses), and your ability to explain yourself. You'll need to demonstrate your skills in analyzing financial statements, your familiarity with the banking environment, and discuss past struggles and accomplishments. The interview focuses on your ability to work both within a team and autonomously. It's important to mention that your long-term goal is to become a commercial lender, as that's the development path for this role.

The interview process was extremely unprofessional, with a lack of communication that made candidates feel unimportant. The process seemed disorganized, as I was bounced around to different positions based on my experience. It turned out they were primarily looking to recruit candidates from out of state. After being referred to a specific position, there was no response. It's ironic that a bank which uses marketing tactics of being closely connected to the community, prefers to hire candidates from outside Montana with large bank experience and overlooks local talent in Billings who possess the same qualifications. Candidates appreciate feedback and updates on the hiring process. It's ironic that months later, they claimed to be looking for a candidate with bigger banking experience, despite qualified local candidates being available. They seem to heavily rely on feedback from current employees who were either released from previous positions due to underperformance or were not top performers, which could foster a culture of inefficiency and prevent them from bringing in the best candidates to help the bank grow.