I applied through college or university. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Northwestern Mutual (New York, NY) in May 2010
Interview
I met the managing director at a college career fair, spoke to him, and handed him my resume. A week later, I received a call from the recruiter and they asked me to come in for an interview. The initial interview was pretty informal and they ask mostly about your background, your passions, and where you see yourself X number of years from now. The decide if they want to call you in for a second interview, where you meet another recruiter. The recruiter will give you a marketing survey exercise to complete, where you ask ten friends, families, and acquaintances some survey questions on their financial situation. The last interview was with the managing director (who I met at the career fair) and he speaks to you about the position and determines if you're in or out. If they give you an offer, it is at this interview. They will give you a couple of days to think about it and call you back for a 4th time, where you can either accept or reject. An overall friendly experience as the office is trying to create a good company culture.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Where do you see yourself 3 years from now, personally, professionally, and financially?
There were four or five interviews, if you count the meeting with my future mentor. There were also a few personality assessments. Lots of paperwork. The finance industry is tightly regulated.
The first interview was easygoing and went fairly well. We talked a little on myself and what northwestern was all about. Because they wanted to see how I could fit in to their team and what I would bring.
I interviewed at Northwestern Mutual (Greenville, SC)
Interview
The process was smooth and straight forward. A lot of behavioral based questions, but relaxed and low stress. First phase is a phone screening followed by a teams or in person meeting.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me about the most influential person in your life?