Work in HR or Recruiting?
Merrill Lynch
3.4 of 5 827 reviews
www.merrilllynch.com New York, NY 5000+ Employees

Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor Trainee Interview Questions & Reviews

Updated May 23, 2013
All Interviews Received Offers

Getting the Interview  33 Interviews

47%
31%
12%

Interview Experience  29 Ratings

72%
27%
0%
2.6363637
33 interview experiences
Relevance Date Difficulty
in

Financial Advisor Trainee at Merrill Lynch

Accepted Offer – Reviewed May 23, 2013

Interview Details – I had one interview, it was fairly casual and included questions about my business prospecting skills, employment and network. it was clear they were trying to determine whether I had a large number of prospects or whether I knew those who had money.

More

Helpful Interview?  
Yes | No
Problem with this interview? Add Employer Response

Financial Advisor Trainee at Merrill Lynch

No Offer – Reviewed Mar 12, 2013

Interview Details – Sent my resume to a friend who works at the company. Received an e-mail from the recruiter for the position and two other e-mails containing the FIAT test and personality assessment. Passed both tests and currently have a scheduled phone interview scheduled.

Interview Question – Questions regarding the GNP.   Answer Question

Helpful Interview?  
Yes | No
Problem with this interview? Add Employer Response

Financial Advisor Trainee at Merrill Lynch

Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Jacksonville, FL – Reviewed Jan 20, 2013

Interview Details – I began the process when a recruiter found my resume on Monster. He put me in touch with the local manager.

The interview process was very streamlined. I didn't know it until later but the first interview was really the only one. I interviewed with the branch manager and once he moved me to the next level it was fairly clear I had to royally screw something up to not get a formal offer.

Interview Question – Where else are you looking? (It didn't seem tough at the time but the feedback from the recruiter made it clear)   View Answer

More

Helpful Interview?  
Yes | No
Problem with this interview? Add Employer Response

Financial Advisor Trainee at Merrill Lynch

No Offer – Interviewed in Los Angeles, CA Sep 2012 – Reviewed Jan 9, 2013

Interview Details – Applied online and was called a few days later by a recruiter. Discussed previous work history and my interest in the training program. Was invited via email to a career night at ML's offices. Presentation by senior FAs then branch director. Was emailed a couple days later with link for financial aptitude test.

Interview Question – Financial questions about gdp, economy etc   Answer Question

More

Helpful Interview?  
Yes | No
Problem with this interview? Add Employer Response

Financial Advisor Trainee at Merrill Lynch

Declined Offer – Interviewed in Northbrook, IL Aug 2012 – Reviewed Nov 11, 2012

Interview Details – It is not very difficult to get a foot in the door here, and once you do, it seems as though you have already won after the first interview where they pump your tires and allow you to boast your qualifications. The subsequent interviews they grill you and basically try to steal your whole network in which keeping a tight mouth results in them discouraging you from the position. People will succeed, but they may not meet their "hurdles." This would result in a loss of of a lot of contacts.

Interview Question – How are you any different from someone else who comes in here with the same qualities?   View Answer

Reason for Declining – I did not forsee myself reaching the hurdles even though I was confident as a person.

More

Helpful Interview?  
Yes | No
Problem with this interview? Add Employer Response

Financial Advisor Trainee at Merrill Lynch

No Offer – Interviewed in Baton Rouge, LA Sep 2012 – Reviewed Oct 16, 2012

Interview Details – Initial application, phone interview, FIAT test is as far as I got

Interview Question – How would you build your client base?   Answer Question

More

Helpful Interview?  
Yes | No
Problem with this interview? Add Employer Response

Financial Advisor Trainee at Merrill Lynch

Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Portland, OR May 2008 – Reviewed Sep 17, 2012

Interview Details – I sent in my resume and received a call back within two days. They had me come in and take a math and personality test. The sales manager met with me, said that I was obviously qualified and asked me how much I needed to earn as a trainee

Interview Question – There was no questions, they just took me as is   Answer Question

Negotiation Details – I was told that they needed to get approval for my salary, the sales manager walked back to the Manager and came back within minutes saying that I could start within two weeks

More

Helpful Interview?  
Yes | No
Problem with this interview? Add Employer Response

Financial Advisor Trainee at Merrill Lynch

Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Phoenix, AZ May 2012 – Reviewed May 11, 2012

Interview Details – It started with a lengthy application process. After a few days, I was contacted by a recruiter via email, and had to pass a skills assessment before I could proceed. The test was 55 questions, roughly 30 were math (decimals, fractions, stock splits and basic algebra), and the rest were economics, accounting and finance related. I took the test online. After that, the recruiter contacted me via telephone and pre-screened me. I was also sent paperwork for a lengthy background check.

At this time, I had to write up a business plan that sold them on how I could be successful at Merrill Lynch. They won't hold your hand for this process and it's ultimately up to you to make an attractive plan. I spoke with the recruiter one more time and then went into the branch for a meeting with the manager. This was a very difficult interview. Keep in mind, the guy you're sitting across from has been in the industry and knows what it takes to succeed. I feel I answered all of the questions pretty well, but he did ask me about the history of the company, and I didn't provide good answers (dumb oversight, on my part. Wikipedia would have made my interview almost perfect). He did not offer me a job on the spot, and no panel interview was scheduled, so I thought I was finished. He called me later in the day and offered me the position.

My one piece of advice is to realize that not all branches go through the same process. While there are a few guarenteed steps, it is ultimately up to the branch how they hire.

Interview Questions

Negotiation Details – I had a number in mind, and the offer exceeded it. There is also amazing bonus opportunities , so don't worry about your salary.

More

Helpful Interview?  
Yes | No
Problem with this interview? Add Employer Response

Financial Advisor Trainee at Merrill Lynch

Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Dallas, TX Mar 2012 – Reviewed May 1, 2012

Interview Details – The process consisted of an initial phone interview for screening purposes followed by a 1 on 1 meeting with the local PMD coach at the downtown office. Following this I reached out and tried to build relationships in the office that could vouch for me during the review period. I had to take an online assessment that consisted of sales and capital markets related questions. Lastly, I had to present my business plan to a panel of seasoned veterans in the business. I heard the following week and accepted the offer.

Interview Question – What sets you apart from the other candidates we are considering at this time?   Answer Question

Negotiation Details – I was able to negotiate, and they were very helpful in the process. Come with reasons that you feel you bring more value to the table, and prepare literature that outlines your suggestions for increase or other requests.

More

Helpful Interview?  
Yes | No
Problem with this interview? Add Employer Response

Financial Advisor Trainee at Merrill Lynch

Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Austin, TX Sep 2011 – Reviewed Sep 8, 2011

Interview Details – After applying online for the position a recruiter emailed me to set up an initial test time. The test was the FIAT like everyone else has mentioned on this sight. Once I passed the FIAT, I was invited to take the personality test online. The admin assistant let me know immediately that I passed and then invited me to a career night. This phase was more for the people who knew nothing about Merrill but was a good pep rally for those who are familiar with Merrill. I had one formal interview with the director and then a casual one to make the offer. Overall I like the culture of the company. Don't consider if you are not ready to work harder than you ever have in your life. But, if you do, be prepared to make more money that you ever have in your life.

Interview Questions

  • What is something I should have asked but didn't? Then Answer that question.   Answer Question
  • Why should I chose you given your background? I'm on the ledge, talk me off.   Answer Question

Negotiation Details – The director gave me a chance to negotiate, however, I like the lower goals so I chose to leave the offer as it stood. You can always make more money for more production, however, you can't lower your goals if you are not meeting them. Bonuses are also easier to reach hence more money. Think about it!

More

Helpful Interview?  
Yes | No
Problem with this interview? Add Employer Response
110 of 33 Interviews RSS Feed embed Embed
Interviews for Top Jobs at Merrill Lynch

See What Merrill Lynch Employees Are Saying Posted by employees

Crazy, but generally ok.

 Current Vice President in New York, NY

Pros: Exciting technology. Some good people. Full Review `

More Merrill Lynch Ratings & Reviews ()

Worked for Merrill Lynch? Contribute to the Community!

Add Review Add Salary Add Interview Review Add Photos

The difficulty rating is the average interview difficulty rating across all interview candidates.

The interview experience is the percentage of all interview candidates that said their interview experience was positive, neutral, or negative.

Your response will be removed from the review – this cannot be undone.