Interviews can be stressful. You’ve got to make a good impression, showcase your skills, and explain your work experience in a relatively short amount of time. As a job seeker, the interview and recruiting process can feel mysterious.
That’s why we’re pulling back the curtain to give you a behind-the-scenes look at Fidelity’s interviewing and recruitment process. Get insider tips from Cindy, Director of Talent Acquisition, who supports our wealth management team.
Key takeaways
- Interviews give you a chance to expand upon your resume with stories and show you’ve got what it takes to do the job.
- Fidelity’s interviews can vary by department and role; the typical interview process includes:
- Initial screening call with a recruiter
- Standardized interview questions, which could be technical or behavioral based, for all candidates based on competencies needed for the position
- Senior-level interviews
- Video-based interview(s) via Zoom with a single interviewer or an interview panel
- Panel interview(s) for 360-degree review
- Fidelity debriefs all candidates on what to expect:
- Junior-level applicants might receive more coaching through the process
- Senior-level applicants often have behavioral-based interviews and may need to meet higher expectations from the hiring team
- Best practices for Fidelity interviews are to:
- Tailor your resume and career summary to the role you’re applying for
- Leverage your recruiter for help throughout the process
- Do your homework on the job, interviewers, and location
- Have relevant stories that prove your experience
- If you’re new to the post-college job market, focus on transferrable skills like customer service.
- If you’re pivoting careers, connect the dots between your experience and your goals in your career summary.
- Once you get hired at Fidelity, you can use our free Career Center to advance
Why interviews are an essential part of Fidelity’s recruitment process and how they can help you get a job
“Interviews give you the opportunity to breathe life into your resume and demonstrate you have the skills for the job.”
The interview is your chance to humanize your resume, showcase your passion for the job, provide examples of your experience, and illustrate your interpersonal skills. “Interviews give you the opportunity to breathe life into your resume and demonstrate you have the skills for the job,” said Cindy.
Think of your Fidelity interview as your chance to get to know us better, just as we’re getting to know you. It should be a two-way dialogue where we each ask and answer questions. You can get a feel for the hiring manager and team, and potentially others you could work with if you get hired.
It’s also a good opportunity for the hiring team to understand your body language and how you carry yourself. If you’re applying for a customer service position, for example, we want to be sure you’re both confident and warm.
Where interviews fit into Fidelity’s typical recruitment process
Interviews play a large role in Fidelity’s recruiting and hiring process. “Fidelity puts a lot of emphasis on candidate experience and making applicants comfortable,” said Cindy. “Our recruiters, schedulers, and hiring teams are well trained. We care about the hiring experience.”
Every recruiting business group is searching for applicants with specific skillsets and experience, and every role is different. In the end, every recruiter and hiring team has the same goals: to give candidates a good experience and hire the most qualified person for the job.
Here’s how Fidelity’s recruitment interview process typically works:
After you’ve applied and a recruiter has reviewed your resume against the job description, they reach out to you for a screening call. This isn’t an interview but rather a conversation to see whether the role, requirements, and salary range are in line with your expectations. You’ll have a chance to ask any questions about the role and get insight into the hiring process for this position. The recruiter will let you know which type of interview(s) you’ll have and schedule them at the best time for you.
At Fidelity, we work hard to create a fair interview process for everyone, so candidates are evaluated on the same criteria. “For example, the hiring leader will select the key competencies for the job and ensure all candidates are asked questions within those competencies, so we understand how the candidate has dealt with similar experiences,” said Cindy.
External candidates might have additional interviews to get to know Fidelity better and be more comfortable by the time they get to a panel interview.
Most of the time, Fidelity conducts interviews over Zoom because we know, especially if you already have a job, how difficult it can be to take a half or full day off for an interview. Zoom-based interviews can be more flexible with your schedule.
Cindy advises not to let the convenience of Zoom turn into casualness. Keep it professional with a quiet, neutral setting. Be seated rather than in transit or while you’re out and about. Dress professionally and appropriately for the role. “Show us you’re serious,” Cindy said.
Depending on the role, you might have several interviews. These could be with a hiring manager, a hiring team, or a panel of diverse associates so you can get a full picture of the role, expectations, and requirements.
After your interview(s), you’ll hear from the recruiter about next steps. They might give you feedback on anything that needs to be addressed in the next round or coaching for the future.
Feedback goes both ways. Just as we provide you with feedback, we want to hear how the process went for you. “We do read feedback from candidates,” said Cindy. “We’re always trying to improve.”
“We pick certain competencies for the job and craft questions around those to understand how the candidate has dealt with similar experiences in the past.”
How entry-level job interviews differ from higher-level job interviews at Fidelity
At Fidelity, we aim to meet you where you are in life, whether that’s with the interview process or through employee benefits.
We know that if you’re a student or new graduate, you might not have a robust work history. Our recruiters want to see what skills you’ve built on campus, what leadership roles you’ve taken on, which clubs you’ve joined that could be relevant to or help you contribute to Fidelity, and whether you’ve had any prior internships.
For higher-level roles, such as vice president and above, our team will brief you on the expectations for the job and explain that the interview process will be more in-depth, with an emphasis on behavioral interviewing (using past behaviors to show how you’ll perform in the future). That higher-level role comes with higher expectations. “We expect them to handle an interview differently than someone very junior who’s never interviewed before,” said Cindy.
What to do if you’re interviewing for a Fidelity job and you don’t have much job experience
Chances are you have some kind of job or volunteer history, whether it’s in retail, hospitality, or other service jobs. Customer service–based jobs give you transferrable skills to financial services.
“If you worked at Stop & Shop or Target, or another supermarket or retail store, customer service is in your DNA,” said Cindy. “Be able to speak to that.” Talk about a time you put the customer and their needs first or how you wowed someone.
How to interview at Fidelity if you’re pivoting careers and entering financial services for the first time
Maybe you’re burnt out from your current career and need a change. We want diverse applicants from all industries, such as health care, education, and social services, with or without financial experience. Simply connect the dots on your resume’s career summary between where you’ve been and where you want to go. Here’s an example.
Math teacher with 11 years in education seeking to transition to a business analyst role after getting SIE, Series 7, and Series 63 licensed. Adept at explaining complex topics simply, mentoring colleagues, and coaching students through critical thinking and problem-solving. Analytical skills include data visualization, pattern recognition, and trend identification.
Best practices to prepare for a job interview at Fidelity
Before you can get an interview, you’ve got to get your foot in the door. The best way to do that is with a resume tailored to the role.
“Your resume and career summary need to explain why you’re applying for this role,” said Cindy. “Your career summary should outline everything you bring to the table in four sentences or less and explain what you’re trying to achieve.”
Think of your recruiter as your handy Fidelity sidekick. They’re there to answer questions and alleviate concerns. They are your liaison with the hiring manager and team. If a conflict or issue arises, reach out to them ASAP.
They’re also there to help you get essential information and feel empowered. “You want to be in a position of power,” said Cindy. “If you don’t understand a requirement, you’re worried about a part of the process, or you’re not sure about something, talk to your recruiter about what’s involved.”
“People like to see that you’ve done the research,” said Cindy. Tap into as many data sources as you can, such as Fidelity’s website, social media channels, or current and former employees.
Network. Learn about the hiring team on LinkedIn. Reach out to friends, family, former colleagues, or current or former Fidelity associates. Ask for information about the company, department, and role. You want to reach out to people who can help you make your case for the position. “What sets you apart is your extra effort,” said Cindy.
If you know someone at Fidelity or on the hiring team, don’t get lured into a false sense of comfort. Stay on point and maintain your professionalism. Knowing someone isn’t a guarantee you’ll get the position, because many factors go into the hiring process, which is why you should put forth your best effort.
“Think of stories in advance and have lots of examples,” said Cindy. Storytelling shows how your past behaviors could show up in the future. Your examples serve as proof that you have the skills and experience needed for the role. Explain how you handled the situation and what you learned from what did and didn’t go well.
Sell yourself. Show the value you bring and your passion for the role. Close strong by reiterating your skillset and experience. Show and tell the hiring team why you’re right for the job.
“What sets you apart is your extra effort.”
A job offer is just the beginning of your career path at Fidelity
Once you get hired at Fidelity, your career development has only begun. We have a Career Center where associates can get hands-on training, and coaching on resume writing, interviewing tips, and more. Associates can shadow others in roles they’re interested in to see whether that career path makes sense for them. At Fidelity, you can reimagine and reinvigorate your career, and we’ll help you do it.
You found your interview mojo; now it’s time to find your Fidelity
When you work at Fidelity, you have the chance to transform your life for the better. with incredible benefits, an exciting and inclusive culture, and a meaningful career. Sign up for job alerts or apply today.
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