Stearns Lending Interview Questions
& Process

This involved a conversation where I was asked questions about my past experiences. I was prompted to provide specific examples from my previous roles in response to the interviewer's questions. The interviewer was very energetic, and the time passed quickly. Situational interviews are difficult to prepare for, as they rely on your ability to recall specific details. I was asked to describe a situation, explain my response, detail the outcome, and reflect on what I might have done differently in hindsight.

A recruiter reached out for an initial call and skill assessment. My first interview was with the SVP later that week, lasting an hour and went great. The SVP said things like 'you just get me!' and 'you have excellent professional experience'. She introduced me to other Sr. Leaders and asked me to schedule four more interviews. I was told this would be fast. The SVP and a peer VP gave me their cards and said to reach out anytime. Then nothing. I emailed the SVP with thanks and follow-up questions, but no reply. Weeks later, I emailed again about the four interviews, still no response. The recruiter mentioned the SVP was hard to reach. It felt like an unnecessary and unprofessional rush. I found out weeks later they hired someone else.

I first had a quick chat with a recruiter for about 20 minutes. After that, I was set up with a branch manager for a 2-hour interview that felt more like a conversation with two managers. Then, I had a third meeting with another branch manager from the office I'd likely be working in. This interview had a "panel" of 4 people. It took a while, but the meetings felt more focused on checking if we'd be a good match for each other culture-wise, rather than just standard interview questions.

A recruiter reached out on LinkedIn to discuss the role and my background. I was then invited for a first interview with a VP, followed by a second interview with another VP, and a third interview with an AVP that included a training presentation. After a thorough background check that lasted nearly two weeks, I received an offer letter. The workload is demanding with a fast ramp-up, requiring immediate contribution unlike some previous roles where I've experienced prolonged inactivity.