Thread: Interview with Wells Fargo tomorrow.. Advice is appreciated..

Probably the most important interview I've had my entire life. I interview with Wells Fargo tomorrow for a personal banker position. I'm driving 30+ miles for this interview so I do not want to blow it!
Here are my plans
1. Dress in suit jacket, dress shirt, tie, nice pants and dress shoes of course.
2. Bring 2 copies of my resume
3. Bring 2 copies of the letter I got from my current job showing that I was a "quarter 1 2012 all star" (very high honor only 5% of my organization's sale staff gets this)
4. Cover Letter (?)
Is there any advice I should have for interviewing with a bank? I've never done it before, and I'm nervous. Obviously I'm going to research Wells tonight into tomorrow and bring some "fun facts" into the interview. I also know to avoid like, umm well and any words that people use when they're nervous/aren't sure what to say.
Any and all advice is welcome!

One of the biggest possible questions they can ask you is "Why Wells Fargo?" (Why not Chase? PNC? TD? Etc.) It's very important to have a solid reason for that. They may never ask you, but if they do and you blow it, you look like some guy who just randomly wants a new job because you're bored with your old one. Another thing is confidence. Be confident, but not cocky. Don't be nervous.

I'm going to GUESS (Meaning I'm not sure) that they want a team player, not someone who is all about himself. So, if that's the case, talk about how you had some individual accomplishments, but also mention how you did with the team you worked with. Any improvements you made for everyone overall, how you cared about everyone doing better, etc.

So take my advice with a grain of salt and listen to what other people say that have experience interviewing with a bank.

Side note, what are the qualifications you need to become a personal banker and what is the pay like?

Another side note, where in NJ are you?

It sounds like you're qualified and well prepared. I would suggest a small change in focus:

Instead of telling the interviewer about the skills you have, think about three specific events in your career that demonstrate those skills and turn them into compelling 90-120 second stories. Human minds are tuned to find a story much more interesting than a non-narrative answer. The time your store caught fire and you organized your team to save a puppy is going to stick in the interviewer's mind. A generic "I'm a leader" BS answer will get lost in a sea of all of the other generic "I'm a leader" BS answers.

Also, smile. You'd be surprised how often people forget.

You know what else will help? At least I think so.... Pointing out your biggest flaws/weaknesses. Refer to them as areas that need improvement. This will show them you're honest and you know you need to improve and you're striving to get better. The may even ask you that as a question. It's becoming way more common.

Curious, do they say what the commission is? I'm just interested in case I ever went for a banking job.

That's exactly what I was about to say. Be prepared to be asked to give an example of "a personal failure and the actions you took to overcome it." I work in a personal banking position myself and throughout my career I've completed a total of 4 banking-related interviews. All of them contained this question, and it was always the most difficult one to answer. Aside from that, highlight your ability to cross-sell (very important in the banking industry), your ability to be accountable for monetary transactions such as handling a cash drawer, be prepared to give examples of a team project in which you had an active role in leading (easy given your supervisory experience), and depending on the area's traffic flow, be able to demonstrate yourself as someone who can handle a high stress workflow in a fast paced environment. Most of all, just relax and be yourself!

Best of luck to you my friend! Please let us know how it goes.

Ratfacedudeguy has it right - talk about a flaw you overcame. Never mention a current flaw or weakness, especially if it would disqualify you. And, whatever you do, don't BS the interviewer by saying something like "I work to hard." They see right through that.

Interview went great. I had them laughing and made small talk. They didn't ask me a flaw, but asked about a month I did bad and how I overcame it the following month. I gave them great examples. The only negative was the job is 30 miles from my house, but I asked the recruiter if there was anything closer but also said I'm willing to drive that far. I also emailed my interviewer thanking her for her time. Hopefully I'll get the job!

Sounds like it went about as well as an interview can. Best of luck.

Excellent. Let us know what happens for sure.