I applied through a staffing agency. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Merrill (Chicago, IL) in Sept 2017
Interview
This whole process was done through a 3rd party technical recruiting agency, where they set up the interviews and handled the correspondence. Technical interview with fairly basic Python- / SQL-related questions. Nothing super out of the ordinary, just testing my knowledge of lists, dictionaries, classes, etc. Then I had a more behavioral interview focused on my interest in banking and the specific department I applied to.
Ended up receiving an offer with essentially a less than 24 hour deadline to make a decision. When I asked for the weekend to think, they initially complied and said they would give me more time, but rescinded the offer the next day. Felt seriously pressured to accept the position while they had absolutely no regard for this being a significant choice that I'd want some time to consider. This whole experience left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
Ultimately glad I'm not working for this team. I'm sure this is not reflective of the entire organization, but concerning nonetheless.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Python lists, dictionaries, etc. SQL involved writing a query with an expected format and info - focus was on grouping by, and filtering with WHERE and HAVING.
I applied online. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at Merrill (London, England) in Mar 2016
Interview
Got contacted by a recruiter, then had an initial phone call with the hiring manager talking about the role and my CV, then got scheduled for a 3 hour technical round in their office.
The 3 hour technical interview consisted of 3 different rounds. First an interview on my business knowledge, then a SQL interview, then a C++ interview. It's confusing because it was a python role but I wasn't asked any python questions!!!!! Finally got rushed out the building because the time they booked the room for had run out.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What is VaR? Explain MIFID 2. Some SQL questions on Joins, Union, and then a C++ test