Sanford C. Bernstein Equity Research Associate Interview Questions & Reviews

Interviewed Jan 2011 in New York, NY (took 1+ week)

Phone interview with HR prior to 1:1 interview with HR. Basic case study (along the lines of how many starbucks are there). The HR rep asked me to repeat numbers several times. I don't think she understood all of the concepts I discussed and she was trying to write it all down so that she could relay the answers to someone else. That is a little unfortunate because you can't really get into a serious discussion with HR who are not equity researchers. She also asked my GPA and GMAT scores.

Not a hard interview. The next step would have been a modeling test. I was underqualified relative to my competition and never heard back from them at all. The HR rep told me she would let me no either way but was unresponsive, which is an all to common trait these days. It is not difficult to send people a polite disqualification email.

Again, not a hard interview but dealing with HR is rarely a positive for the interviewee because HR is looking for specific profiles and less apt to an open evaluation of straight-up ability to excel in the job.