Stock Broker Interview Questions

Looking back at the Stock Brokers who have mentored you and helped to shape your career - what common qualities and characteristics to they have? Talk to the hiring manager about the characteristics that you have admired most in your mentors and be sure to let them know that, you too, possess these great qualities.

"Throughout my journey to becoming a Stock Broker, I have had many amazing mentors and teachers. I quickly learned that the most essential qualities to success as a Stock Broker are integrity, attention to detail, and willingness to adapt. I have spent a lot of time working on these qualities and incorporating them into my every day work habits."

Prior to interviewing, it is imperative that you conduct enough research on the interviewing organization that you can talk about their internal structure, any awards or recognition they have received, and how you feel you will fit with their company culture. Research multiple sources (website, google, glassdoor.com) as well.

"I was familiar with your firm prior to my interview but have conducted more in-depth research since being invited for an interview. I understand your structure quite well and really appreciate the time and funds your organization puts back into the community through your variety of charities. Your employees seem to have great things to say, and I was happy to see that you ranked as one of the top rated employers in the financial sector. All very impressive!"

Help the hiring manager to understand some of your current work and responsibilities. Talk to them about a more complicated portfolio that you are responsible for.

"Recently, I acquired a large portfolio through a strong referral source. This particular client owns multiple businesses, properties, and has some offshore interests. I am sure to nurture this account regularly as it, alone, makes up for 15% of my total client portfolio."

Share a little something about yourself that is not on your resume. Make it unique and be sure to tie this bit of knowledge back into the interview.

"Something that you would not know from reading my resume is that I was a competitive rugby player throughout high school. I feel that this athletic experience really helped me to learn how to compete in a healthy way, and set personal goals."

Speak to the hiring manager about your current, or most recent role, quickly outlining your primary responsibilities. If the interviewer would like further detail, they will ask you to elaborate.

"My current responsibilities as a stock broker include managing a large portfolio of personal finance clients. I constantly spend time researching the financial markets, consulting our investment analysts and reporting to my clients. I monitor my clients’ investments, and also pitch for new clients."

Talk to the hiring manger about a time when you have displayed a strong ability to handle stressful situations. You should use a recent example, if possible, and be sure to talk about the positive outcome of your actions.

"As a Stock Broker, I am exposed to many high-stress situations on a regular basis. One of the most high pressure situations that I can think of was just last month. One of my largest accounts wanted to take his portfolio elsewhere, as he had a friend who recently finished his MBA and was joining a competing firm. There was a lot of pressure on me to save his business. We met, and I helped him to see that, friendship aside, our firm was the best choice for him. Losing his business would have had a huge impact on my portfolio so I was incredibly relieved to have saved it."

Talk to the hiring manager about your predictions on the direction of interest rates. Be sure to include why you have come to this conclusion. You can also ask them their opinion on the matter to start a lively conversation.

"According to a recent publication by BDC, interest rates are expected to go up slightly over the next few months. This is due to the higher inflation rate we have seen recently. Where do you feel interest rates are headed in the short term?"

Talk to the hiring manager about how you cope and manage in a highly stressful work environment. You can talk a bit about what you do in your personal life to create a healthy balance.

"My work environment is stressful, however; I am able to create a healthy balance for myself through taking time for stress management outside of the workplace. I workout regularly, read books and spend time with friends in casual settings such as patio pints in the sun! All of these things help me to create a balance so that I can easily handle the stress that comes with being a Stock Broker."

Having performed research on the interviewing firm, what do you feel makes them a "stand-out"? Talk to the hiring manager about why you want to work for them. Be specific.

"stand-out"

The simplest way to do this is to start at the beginning of your career. If you are a more seasoned candidate, generally the past 10 years will suffice. Briefly talk about your roles, why you left, and what you learned.

"My career began in 2006 after graduating from the University of Florida with my Bachelor's Degree in Commerce. I worked for XYZ company as a junior broker. I stayed in that role for 4 years until I was offered a promotion with a competing firm. That is when I joined ABC Company..."

Cold calling can be challenging and uncomfortable. Talk to the hiring manager about the cold calling experience you have and be sure to talk about any successes that have come along with that. Include numbers and percentages if you can. The proof is in the numbers!

"I have been in a cold calling based role for the past 3 years, and with great success. My level of comfortability with cold calling is strong. In my current role I am responsible for cold calling up to 100 new leads per week with an expected conversion rate of 15%. My current conversion rate is 22% which I am very proud of."

Even though it may feel strange, it is absolutely okay to brag about yourself a little bit when it comes to your career accomplishments. Be sure to give credit where credit is due!

"My proudest career accomplishment this far is that I have been able to triple the worth of my client portfolio within one year of working at XYZ firm. I have had incredible leadership and mentors during that time, which has helped me significantly."

Be honest and forthright when answering this question. The hiring manager would like to further understand why you would, or would not, risk purchasing stock in the current market. You can complete your answer by asking the interviewer how they feel as well.

"Personally, I would be very cautious about buying stock in the market right now. With the recent election and the unsettled feelings surrounding it, I feel it would be wiser to sit back and wait a moment to see if any new trends begin to emerge. How do you feel about buying stock right now?"

As a stock broker, you must remain on top of the latest changes in the market. Talk to the hiring manager about how you ensure you are on top of the DOW.

"Yesterday the DOW closed at 18,867.93 with a price decrease of 35.89 (0.19%). I am sure to know where the DOW closes every day through alerts on my phone."

Talk to the hiring manager about any experiences you have outside of your home country. What did you learn? Would you consider going again?

"After I graduated University, I travelled to Australia for 3 months. I spent time working as a bartender and mostly focused on soaking up the new experiences. I really enjoy travel and would be open to working abroad or travelling for training purposes."

Why do you think that you will be one of the few to last long-term? Talk to the hiring manager about what sets you apart from those who do not make it.

"I feel this industry has a very high turn over rate because it is stressful and a lot of hard work for little income at first. I know that I can make it long term because I do possess more tenacity than the average person. I really want this and will do what it takes to succeed."

Talk to the hiring manager about the types of articles and publications that you read in order to stay on top of the happenings in your industry. You can also ask the interviewer what their opinion may be on the matter.

"I read an article this morning about how the Trump election win has been beneficial for the smaller financial firms and brokers. The index had soared 13.2%, and the Dow is up 2.9%. What are your thoughts on this?"

A strong leader will always want to understand what motivated their employees. Share with the hiring manager how you are best driven to succeed. What factors push and motivate you?

"I am certainly driven financially. Winning over clients, gaining new commissions and receiving an increase in my earnings are all very motivating to me. I am also motivated by words of encouragement and knowing that I am creating a strong and positive reputation for myself."

You are currently looking for a new position. Why is their firm your top choice? Talk to the interviewer about the stand-out factors for you. Draw on your research of their firm.

"I was attracted to your job posting because it sounded upbeat and stood out from the rest. I matched all of your criteria which was great, as well. It sounds like your firm truly invests in the future of its employees and I found that to be incredibly encouraging as well."

How do you calculate risk when it comes to stocks and investments? What do you think constitutes a "calculated" risk vs. an uneducated one? Talk to the hiring manager about how you calculate risk.

"calculated"

Where you attain your market information is very important for the hiring manager. It will give them insight into your personality and the type of 'voice' that you listen to best. You can complete your answer by asking the interviewer if there is a resource that they like best within their firm.

"My most trusted source for financial market information would be the BDC Market Research tool. I find that it offers a complete and unbiased look at the current market. In your opinion, what are the best resources for your firm?"

If hired, you will likely be expected to hit the ground running immediately. What is your strategy for building immediate trust and rapport with your new clients? How will you make an impact for the benefit of the firm, right away?

"I believe that a firm and positive initial introduction is vital for setting the initial tone of a new client relationship. I would begin with a strong introduction which includes me showing the client how I can positively impact their business. From there, I would want to listen to any grievances or concerns that the client may have and create a mutually beneficial strategy with them."

Assure the hiring manager that you are able to handle a valuable portfolio. Use an example of what you are currently managing.

"Currently, I am managing a portfolio of $100MM. This is by far my largest, and I am happy to say that I am able to handle this volume in a very professional and efficient manner. I have no doubt that I could manage a portfolio even larger than my current capacity."

As a Stock Broker, how important is it that you market yourself in a professional way? Talk to the hiring manager about how you go about marketing yourself and if you feel that it is an effective approach.

"I believe it's very important to market yourself appropriately as a stock broker. I do this through marketing tools on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. I also have a weekly newsletter that I send out to my contacts to update them on the latest happenings."

Being a stock broker, you should be excited about sales! Talk to the hiring manager about the aspects you love most when it comes to sales. Sales people love the competition so be sure to discuss the wins and how that affects you.

"The thrill of the hunt is what I enjoy most about sales! I love to source a new potential clients and win them over. It's exhilarating. Also, being on the leaderboard in my firm is really fulfilling to me."

Ensuring that your personal sales pipeline is filled with qualified leads is a very important, and often difficult, part of sales. Talk to the interviewer about your ability to generate leads and your level of comfortability doing so.

"I am very comfortable generating leads. It's a huge part of my success in sales and I fully understand the importance of it. I create my own call lists from referrals, web inquiries and social media hits. From there, I add the leads into my pipeline. I am very tenacious when it comes to cold calling and following up on referrals."

Every person has their own unique way of selling. Take the hiring manager through your style of selling and explain why you think it is effective.

"I would describe my sales technique as friendly, informative and fact driven. If I want to close a sale, I will collect all of the information possible and work the data to show the client exactly where their needs are. I will collect agreement, and then close. It's pretty straightforward and I believe this style is a big factor in why I am in the top 10% for closing ratios in my current firm."