John Hancock's recruitment process was shady from the start. JH had a reputation on my campus as being unduly selective, much more so than the banks or the Big 4. However none could figure out why. And unlike these other firms, JH didn't have a workable program; this CPA development thing had yet to "graduate" a new hire into a role at the company. Seemed like a work in process... Their recruiters would have us, the students, believe that their selection was purely merit and character based. This couldn't be farther from the truth. This program and it's architect (Jeff N.) demonstrate a heavy bias in favor of low-tier schools with connected alumni. This was quite obvious by who they invited to their "superday", and more so when the offers went out. Although JH is a great company, and one I may very well apply for again, I'd strongly recommend college juniors and seniors to avoid this program like the Zika virus, especially if you're from a top school such as Northeastern, Boston University, or Babson College. (Side note: at superday they asked us to "dress up like John Hancock and explain to the room why this is the best opportunity to take out of college"). This was their way to evaluate your public speaking. Let that sink in. Their recruiters are practically bought out from schools not worth naming. And they'll surely waste your time.

There were two rounds: one on campus, one in the office. The first round was two 30 minute interviews with the hiring manager, who focused more on general questions, and someone from talent aquisition, who focused more on questions related to team work and work ethic. Both interviewers were very nice. Some questions caught me off guard a little, but I managed to answer them. The second round is a half day in the office. It consisted of two more interviews, a writing sample, a group activity and presentation, lunch, and networking. It was overall an amazing experience and not as nerve-wracking as one might think. In this round, one interviewer focused on personality and behavior and the other focused on critical thinking and problem solving skills. These interviewers were from various departments in the company and were very nice. Again, some questions threw me off but I did well. Overall, fairly difficult interview process, but manageable. Offers went out the same day as the final round in the late afternoon/early evening.