William Blair General Intern Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process involved two stages. First, there was an online interview lasting 45 minutes. The second stage was a longer session, about 2 hours and 45 minutes, which included a case study and two separate interviews. Overall, the interviews were very pleasant; they listened attentively, seemed genuinely interested, and didn't create any difficulties.

First, they introduced the program. Then, we went over my CV, covering my previous experience, projects, academic background, and career plan. After that, there were behavioral questions about collaboration, my interests in investment banking, multi-tasking abilities, and time management. Finally, there was a Q&A session covering the institution's structure, its different divisions and groups, my thoughts on advanced technology, and why I'm applying for this program.

I submitted my resume and was then invited to a phone interview. This was followed by an in-person interview at their office where I met with several managers from the department. I had individual meetings with three different people that day. Although I recognize that larger companies often have a more competitive hiring approach, I personally found the interviews to be rather cold and intimidating. Regardless of a company's size or success, the hiring process should feel like a mutual decision, and I never got a sense of the positive aspects of working at William Blair. They discussed the business with me but provided no insight into the company culture or any reasons why it would be an appealing place to work. After the initial interview, there was a significant delay of one month before the second interview. To make matters worse, my second interview started 20 minutes late and concluded in just 10 minutes. Ultimately, I was not offered the position, and I acknowledge that I may not have been the most qualified candidate. However, from my current perspective in HR, where I now conduct interviews myself, I've come to realize just how unwelcoming the staff at William Blair were throughout the entire interview experience.