Applied online, received an email invitation for a phone interview. Several behavioral questions that were pretty straightforward; Why Charles Schwab? what did you read about us? Discuss a time you failed with a client. Discuss a time you had to work with a difficult client and how you were able to work with them. Then they discussed your current job, why you want to leave, current hours, etc. The interviewer was kind of quiet on this but she warmed up throughout the call, I was very honest with her on my current position and why I want to leave. I also gave a lot of kudos to the Schwab culture. During that call they scheduled the next interview, which was in person at the office. Met with two managers and it started off very cordial and lighthearted started with introductions of the managers and their experience at Schwab. First it was open-ended questions: tell us about yourself, etc. They asked me what other firms I was interviewing with and what the interviews were like there. Then there were behavioral based STAR questions and each interviewer has a page of questions that they asked depending on what they thought would fit best; this was the worst part because they were pretty stony-faced and quiet the whole time and would take a lot of notes with long silences. There were a lot of them and they were unrelenting in their follow-up questions and that got exhausting at the end. It took about an seventy-five minutes and afterwards they gave a really short tour of the facility.

Interview process was swift and well laid out. I originally applied for the FC Academy with Schwab, but they contacted me and told me to do the Broker Trainee program instead. I assume it costs the company less because it lasts less than a year, whereas the FC Academy program lasts two years and likely requires relocation. After submitting an application you are emailed a personality questionnaire gauging your interest in the field and how well you'd fit in with the company. After that, you have a phone interview that lasts about an hour and consists of basic info about the broker trainee program and a few behavioral questions. About the position: Starting salary for this program in Indy location is $40k for everyone, plus bonuses up to $5k based on performance. Additional $2k bonus available if you pass both the Series 7 and 63 on first try! This is one of the few brokerage/advisor firms that doesn't pay commission - it's straight salary. I found this a huge motivator since I'm new to the industry. Health benefits aren't expensive, but they could be better. The last interview (there's only two) is in person with two Schwabies. They told me only about 30% of applicants make it to this point, and even fewer make it past, so BE PREPARED if you really want the job. First a tour, then small interview room for a 1.5 hour interview. Know a LOT about the company and the broker program. After that, it's fairly quick. They let you know in less than a week if you've made it through. Usually a generic email will be bad news and a phone call will be good news. Fortunately, I've made it through, so I'm just waiting for my credit check and background check. Important note - they don't make you take the SIFMA testing anymore.