This is an incredibly long and thorough interview process. First, you apply online. Then you are invited to do a phone screen, in which they ask you some basic info about yourself, why Edward Jones, why do you want to be an advisor, etc. This call takes around 45 min and if you do well, you are then invited for a face to face interview with an advisor located in the area you applied for. The advisor will ask you some situational questions, but it's more to gauge your personality. My interview lasted one hour. If the advisor chooses to move you along, you will then have to complete a business plan within one week. My best advice is do not hesitate to reach out to any FAs you know when completing it (including the one who interviewed you). A couple FAs from the area I applied to called me to introduce themselves when I was completing my business plan; establish a connection with them and ask for their help! While you are completing the business plan, EJ will be doing a background check, which could end the interview process if you don't pass. This can take a long time to complete (it took almost a month for mine to be completed and I don't have a record). Once you pass the background check, you will move on to the next step, which is another phone interview. This time it's with a talent acquisition manager in the area and it will last about 90 minutes. They will ask you more of the same questions you've already heard, but will also review your business plan with you as well as what they will expect of you should you be hired. If you pass this interview, you will be invited to take the assessment. It's designed to be like a "day in the life," but whatever you do, don't underestimate it. It is really hard. Study what they send you prepare for it. I have a background in financial services and sales, and I thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad- it was still very difficult. EJ will most likely call you a few hours after your exam to let you know if you passed or not. If you pass, you are given an offer of employment.
Few notes about the overall experience:
1. Everyone wants you to do well during the interview process. I always felt very supported each step of the way and never like they were trying to get rid of me somehow.
2. Everyone is very personable. While they are pretty frank about what to expect with your career, they don't go out of their way to scare you off. I interviewed with 2 other companies (Morgan Stanley and Bank of America) for the same position and felt like I was dealing with robots who hated their lives and had nothing positive to say about the job. I ended up going with EJ because the people I spoke to seem to genuinely love their jobs and working for EJ.
3. EJ doesn't really care about who you know with big money. This was a huge differentiating factor between EJ and other companies I was interviewing with. They are more preoccupied with your personality and whether they feel it would be a good fit for Jones' model than whether or not you're bringing big money to them right off the bat. I don't have many very wealthy contacts and felt as though other companies were disapproving of me because of it.
4. It's not about what you know, it's about how willing you are to learn. Never once was I asked a question about finance, even though I have a background in it. They are assessing you for your personality and likability, not your finance knowledge. If you have limited work experience, it's okay. Just do a really good job explaining why you think you're a good fit.