The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Fitch Ratings
Interview
My interview was done in three stage
1. A small test (you get a notebook to type) which contains six basic questions about the industry you are applying for. The idea is to test your basic knowledge of the industry and your language / writing skills.
2. A one-hour interview with two directors. I was asked some technical and some behavioral questions, about my motivation for job change and the latest industry trends.
3. Now this one was really tough. Your get a take-home assignment and have to prepare a ten-minute presentation to present to (in my case) five directors. They want to see how you behave and argue in an actual situation, where you have to present your analyses to committees or boards etc. My assignment was something along "compare and contrast company A and B in terms of risk". Seems easy, but it took me a whole weekend to research the company and to get the PowerPoint slides together. During the presentation, they drill into your analysis (diagrams, figures, assumptions etc.) and ask very detailed questions. After the presentation, more general question on the overall industry follow.
All in all a positive experience of Fitch Ratings was spoiled by the follow up. After so much time and effort invested in interview preparation, I would at least expect them to take the courtesy to a call, explain their decision, or to give some hints for future application. An automated boilerplate reply from the application system simply does not cut it. Especially, in an industry where everybody knows everybody, it is important to treat potential candidates in the same way you would treat your customers.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
- Have an idea of what a rating analyst does
- Read their methodology and a couple of rating reports beforehand
- Be aware of the latest developments in the industry
- Be prepared to discuss the latest events in the industry (e.g. major mergers or acquisitions)
- Be able to discuss the smallest details of your presentation
I applied online. The process took 4 months. I interviewed at Fitch Ratings (New York, NY)
Interview
Hr call -> 3 30 min panel interviews
Overall, pretty easy and conversational. Nothing too technical or hard. More so, if you hit it off with interviewers, you'll get in. Super subjective.
Hirevue, followed by panel interview which consists of 3 30 min interviews with people from various levels and teams. Very conversational with basic interview questions like walk through background, why fitch, etc. I would review the financial statements prior to the interview in case of any curveballs.
I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Fitch Ratings (Toronto, ON) in Jul 2023
Interview
Online application --> screening questions --> HR screening --> First: behavioural (2 analysts) --> Second: case study (analyst + senior analyst) --> Third: senior manager case study follow-up; overall positive experience, but long wait time between final interview and response.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Case study: analyse 2 companies and present a case study of their ESG impacts. Why Fitch? Why sustainable Fitch? What experience do you have? What scores would you award these companies?