Merrill Financial Analyst Interview Questions
& Process

it was very technical but straightforward. they asked me very little behavioral. you should enter the meeting really knowing your stuff on all aspects. A lot was regarding what my thoughts on the current and future market is. good luck!

I was a sophomore econ major exploring career options. I found this internship on my school's career website and applied with my resume and cover letter. I was surprised to get an interview, which was on campus with two Merrill Lynch analysts who were alumni. They asked me to walk through my resume and typical behavioral questions like why I chose my college, my strengths and weaknesses, and why I wanted the opportunity. One interviewer seemed excited when I mentioned I work best with mentors. I felt I didn't interview well and didn't expect a second round. But during spring break, I got a call inviting me to second-round interviews in their LA office the following week. When I arrived at the LA office, I was directed to a high floor, met one of the previous interviewers, and was shown to an office space for the day. I was told about breakfast and given a schedule with interviewer details. I had about 7 interviews with around 12 people in total, with some interviews having two interviewers. The interviews were diverse, some normal, others stressful, with one interviewer saying 'I don't believe you. what makes you any better than any of these other people?'. One person only asked if I had questions. During lunch, an interviewer who worked with clients asked, 'I don't care about your academics. what do you do for fun?'. The whole process lasted about 5-6 hours, involving many interviews and interactions in the kitchen area during provided breakfast and lunch. I felt confident after the final interview, partly because I already had another offer lined up, which reduced my stress. I received a job offer from the team head over the phone within a day. I declined because I had a better offer that was more flexible, paid more, and was closer to home. My advice is to have fun, be enthusiastic, and show you're willing to work harder than anyone else. They know you're qualified, so focus on being a good fit. This was their first time offering the internship to sophomores, and they might have been looking for female candidates. I'm not sure if that influenced my hiring.

I applied online and got a recruiter call the very next day to go over the job. After I said I was still interested, she asked me some general questions about how I handle conflict and show commitment. She then said I was a good fit and that someone from the local office would call me soon. The next day, another analyst called and asked me to come in to meet the team. The week after, I met with each person on the team individually. It wasn't very technical, mostly about my past experiences, how I'd use them for the role, and if I'd be a good fit for the team.