Phone screen then panel interview 50 min. SQL questions and dashboard experience then culture fit
Questions Asked
1.“How do you calculate net present value?”
Goldman Sachs
Financial Analyst
New York, NY
Summer 2025No Offer
Georgia Tech · BSBA
3rd year · 3.7+ GPA · 1 past internship
Hard Interview
Multiple roundsStressfulIn-Person
Did a hireVue with like 7 questions with 30 second prep each and the timer really pressures you. Superday was four interviews in a row and by the third one it gets exhausting. One of the MDs wanted to know about recent treasury yield movements. Started at 8am went past noon couldnt have been more tired afterwards
Questions Asked
1.“Tell me about a time you worked closely with a business unit to support a decision”
2.“Whats the difference between a fixed budget and a flexible budget?”
Brookfield Asset Management
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Summer 2026Accepted
Western University · Economics
4th year · 3.7+ GPA · 3 past internships
Easy Interview
BehavioralFast processIn-Person
Made an offer the same week. Single round with a managing director, about 45 minutes. Resume walkthrough and why real assets and infrastructure, why Brookfield over other alternatives managers. Very loose format. Short process for a firm this size imo
Questions Asked
1.“Tell me about a financial model or analysis you built and how it was used”
RBC
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Summer 2023No Offer
York University · Economics
1st year · 2.1-2.4 GPA · 0 past internships
Hard Interview
Multiple roundsTechnicalStressfulVirtual
Superday format, first two were behavioral and laid back but third one was supposed to be technical and had me pitch a long and a short and I completely froze on the short pitch. The Canadian economy and recent news also came up, would've been fine if I had just prepared a short pitch beforehand.
Questions Asked
1.“How do you calculate return on equity?”
Canada Life
Financial Analyst
London, ON
Fall 2025No Offer
University of Waterloo · Accounting and Financial Management
First screening with HR was basic background questions. Second with a manager covered what I know about life insurance products and financial reporting. Review recent insurance accounting changes if you're applying here.
Questions Asked
1.“What is purchase price allocation and when does it arise?”
Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Summer 2026Accepted
Queen's University · Commerce
3rd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 1 past internship
Easy Interview
BehavioralFast processVirtual
Fast process for a pension fund, went through my resume, relevant coursework, interest in pension fund management. One question about how they differs from a typical asset manager and I had a solid answer for that
Questions Asked
1.“What is a co-investment and why do LPs value having access to co-investments?”
RBC
Financial Analyst
London, ON
Winter 2026Accepted
Western University · Ivey HBA
3rd year · 3.7+ GPA · 1 past internship
Hard Interview
Multiple roundsBehavioralTechnicalVirtual
Superday was three zooms in a row and the last one was all technical, DCF walkthrough and had me pitch a stock. First two were pretty chill though mostly why RBC why capital markets type stuff. And a lot of questions about Canadian current events
Questions Asked
1.“Whats the difference between gross margin and net margin?”
CIBC
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Summer 2026Accepted
University of Waterloo · Mathematical Finance
4th year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 2 past internships
Hard Interview
TechnicalCase studyMultiple rounds
Had a Hirevue with like 8 questions, a lot of stress, then three 30 minute interviews in a row so you need a bunch of different stories ready. They asked what I knew about CIBC in the news too so do your research beforehand.
Questions Asked
1.“What do you know about CIBC that made you apply?”
2.“How do you approach reconciling data from two different financial systems?”
CIBC
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Summer 2026No Offer
York University · Business Administration
3rd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 1 past internship
Average Interview
In-PersonStressful
STAR behavioral, time you took a risk led a team balanced multiple commitments. covered resume projects but no technical questoins was mostly conversational and background check took a while after
Questions Asked
1.“Can you tell me why you applied to CIBC?”
2.“How do you calculate free cash flow”
Goldman Sachs
Financial Analyst
New York, NY
Summer 2024Declined Offer
University of Michigan · Finance
4th year · 3.7+ GPA · 3 past internships
Hard Interview
Multiple roundsBehavioralIn-PersonStressful
Prepped hard for Hirevue 7 behavioral questions and it paid off, superday was three interviews two behavioral about leadership and failure and one about equity market views. Pitched consumer staples stock and they pushed back hard on valuation but I defended it, took a PE offer
Questions Asked
1.“What is a budget vs. actual variance report and how would you present a large gap?”
2.“How do you evaluate whether a capital project is financially viable using NPV and IRR?”
QuadReal Property Group
Financial Analyst
Vancouver, BC
Summer 2025No Offer
Simon Fraser University · Business Administration
2nd year · 2.1-2.4 GPA · 0 past internships
Easy Interview
BehavioralResume ReviewGhosted
Nothing for three weeks then rejection. Started with an HR screen, then interview with a manager asking about finance experience and why real estate
Questions Asked
1.“Describe a time you had to synthesize a large volume of information quickly”
Fairfax Financial
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Summer 2026Accepted
University of Waterloo · Accounting and Financial Management
3rd year · 2.5-2.8 GPA · 1 past internship
Easy Interview
BehavioralFast processVirtual
Fairfax runs a co-op program for Waterloo students so the process felt specifically tailored. Applied through WaterlooWorks. Single interview with someone from Northbridge Financial, one of their subsidiaries. went through my resume and basic finance knowledge about the insurance holding model. Very friendly and relaxed
Questions Asked
1.“Whats the difference between gross return and net return for a private equity fund?”
Manulife Financial
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Summer 2025Accepted
Queen's University · Commerce
2nd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 0 past internships
Easy Interview
ConversationalFast processVirtual
HR interview then some questions about basic financial statements, what they are used for and when to use them, communication from recruitment was bad
Questions Asked
1.“Whats the difference between capex and opex?”
National Bank of Canada
Financial Analyst
Montreal, QC
Summer 2026Accepted
Concordia University · Commerce
2nd year · 0 past internships
Easy Interview
BehavioralMultiple roundsVirtual
Know your resume and follow Canadian financial news. Basic behavioral to start, then finance technicals and Excel modeling concepts, then a senior behavioral. Three rounds, about 21 days.
Questions Asked
1.“How do you manage the pressure of tight monthly or quarterly close deadlines?”
2.“What are common drivers of gross margin compression in a business?”
CNA Insurance
Financial Analyst
Winter 2024Accepted
Wilfrid Laurier University · Business Administration
3rd year · 3.7+ GPA · 1 past internship
Multiple roundsBehavioralTechnical
Two interviews back to back, one behavioural with HR, the other more techincal with a financial analyst. Understand the process of insurnace and how accounting may differ for an insurance company vs. a typical retail store
CIBC Capital Markets
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Fall 2025No Offer
University of Ottawa · Commerce
2nd year · 2.9-3.2 GPA · 0 past internships
Average Interview
BehavioralTechnicalMultiple roundsVirtual
Friendly interviewer but didn't land it. Mostly behavioral across two rounds, some working capital and interest rate questions
Questions Asked
1.“What's a rolling forecast and how does it differ from an annual budget?”
2.“How do you prioritize competing requests during a busy reporting period?”
National Bank of Canada
Financial Analyst
Montreal, QC
Summer 2026Declined Offer
HEC Montréal · Commerce
2nd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 0 past internships
Easy Interview
TechnicalBehavioralIn-PersonMultiple rounds
Pretty straightforward role. Round with two analysts, they asked about financial statement analysis, basic modeling concepts and why National Bank specifically
Questions Asked
1.“Tell me about a time a key assumption in your forecast turned out to be wrong”
2.“What are deferred revenues and how are they recognized?”
Questrade
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Fall 2025No Offer
Wilfrid Laurier University · Business Administration
2nd year · 2.9-3.2 GPA · 0 past internships
Average Interview
Pre-recordedVirtualGhosted
9 behavioural questions on a Hirevue and writing tests then round 2 was only 20 minutes with a manager who went into TFSAs RRSPs and why you'd pick one over the other
Questions Asked
1.“Whats the difference between gross profit and gross margin?”
Fidelity
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Fall 2025Declined Offer
Carleton University · Economics
3rd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 1 past internship
Easy Interview
BehavioralVirtualFast process
No case or modeling. Single interview about resume and sectors I follow. Got another offer I preferred so declined
Questions Asked
1.“Explain how changes in working capital affect cash flow”
OMERS
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Summer 2026Accepted
University of Toronto · Commerce
2nd year · 0 past internships
Easy Interview
BehavioralSlow processVirtual
Took 35 days, they warned me upfront about the long process possibility. HR then virtual with my future manager. Standard behavioral imo
Questions Asked
1.“Tell me about a time you identified a risk others had overlooked”
2.“Whats the difference between a hedge fund strategy and a long-only equity mandate”
FTI Consulting
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Fall 2025No Offer
Dalhousie University · Finance
3rd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 1 past internship
Average Interview
BehavioralTechnicalUnexpected QuestionsVirtual
Asked about insolvency proceedings in Canada and working with ambiguous information. Very specific practice area, should have researched more beforehand
Questions Asked
1.“Walk me through how you'd diagnose why a client's customer satisfaction scores are declining.”
2.“Tell me about a time you managed a complex project with many moving parts”
Scotiabank
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Summer 2026Accepted
University of Toronto · Economics
3rd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 3 past internships
Easy Interview
BehavioralVirtual
The coffee chat was lowkey an assessment, heads up. One interview after that covering my background, global markets knowledge and some commodity price questions. About 2.5 weeks total.
Questions Asked
1.“Whats the difference between a trailing and a forward P/E multiple?”
2.“Explain the difference between a direct and indirect cash flow statement.”
Saputo
Financial Analyst
Montreal, QC
Summer 2026No Offer
McGill University · Commerce
3rd year · 2.9-3.2 GPA · 1 past internship
Average Interview
TechnicalBehavioralMultiple roundsVirtual
Met the plant controller and someone from corporate finance. Cost accounting in manufacturing, standard costing and what causes variances. Mini case on raw material price fluctuations
Questions Asked
1.“What is a bridge analysis and when do you use it in financial reporting?”
2.“What is variance analysis and how would you explain a budget versus actual gap?”
British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI)
Financial Analyst
Victoria, BC
Fall 2025No Offer
Simon Fraser University · Finance
3rd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 1 past internship
Hard Interview
TechnicalCase studyBehavioralMultiple rounds
Built a basic DCF and presented via screen share. Good process, no offer though. HR call first then the modeling test.
Questions Asked
1.“Explain what infrastructure assets are and why large institutions like them”
2.“What metrics would you use to evaluate an investment manager's track record?”
Unilever
Financial Analyst
Summer 2025Accepted
University of Toronto · Economics and Finance
2nd year · 2 past internships
Resume ReviewCase studyTechnicalVirtual
The internship spanned across summer in dubai and was a great experience with a lot of freedom and responsibility. Got me doing real work from day 1
OMERS
Financial Analyst
Fall 2026Accepted
Western University · Business Administration
3rd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 1 past internship
EasyBehavioral
Asked me basic questions like tell me about yourself, expand on what you did in this class etc. Got the offer a day later
Techtronic Industries
Financial Analyst
Fall 2024Accepted
Wilfrid Laurier University · Business Administration
4th year · 3.7+ GPA · 2 past internships
BehavioralConversational
Show your interest in process efficiency and experience with financial analysis and the interview should be a breeze
BMO
Financial Analyst
Ottawa, ON
Winter 2025No Offer
Carleton University · Commerce
2nd year · 2.5-2.8 GPA · 0 past internships
Easy Interview
Pre-recordedBehavioralVirtual
Recruiter call then 30 min with a senior developer, basic technical and behavioral like why BMO and side projects
Questions Asked
1.“Walk me through how you'd conduct a business case for a capital investment”
2.“Describe a time you automated or improved a manual financial reporting process”
Oxford Properties
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Winter 2026No Offer
University of Waterloo · Accounting and Financial Management
3rd year · 2.5-2.8 GPA · 1 past internship
Hard Interview
Case studyMultiple rounds
Second round they gave me the case the morning of and I had to present same day. I underestimated how much they expected on the valuation side and they pushed hard on cap rates and my assumptions. Didn't make it past that.
Questions Asked
1.“How do you prioritize when multiple deals or asset reviews are running simultaneously?”
2.“What's the difference between a gross and net lease structure?”
Desjardins
Financial Analyst
Montreal, QC
Summer 2025No Offer
HEC Montréal · Finance
2nd year · 0 past internships
Easy Interview
BehavioralIn-PersonUnexpected Questions
Most of the interview was in French was barely able to keep up. Phone screen first, then in person. All behavioral and fit
Questions Asked
1.“Whats the difference between accrual and cash-basis accounting?”
2.“Explain what a financial restatement is and what typically causes one.”
JPMorgan Chase
Financial Analyst
New York, NY
Winter 2026No Offer
McMaster University · Commerce
3rd year · 2.9-3.2 GPA · 1 past internship
Average Interview
BehavioralMultiple roundsPre-recordedVirtual
Still didn't make round 3 somehow. hireVue then two zoom rounds, all behavioral, no hard technicals.
Questions Asked
1.“How do changes in inventory levels affect the cash flow statement?”
2.“Describe a time you identified a cost-saving opportunity through analysis”
3.“How do you calculate EBITDA from a set of financial statements?”
PSP Investments
Financial Analyst
Montreal, QC
Summer 2026Accepted
University of Ottawa · Commerce
3rd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 3 past internships
Average Interview
Case studyBehavioralMultiple roundsVirtual
Have a real answer for why u want to work in the pensions domain. HR behavioral then team interview with a mini PE case
Questions Asked
1.“Whats the difference between a secondary market transaction and a primary fund commitment?”
CRA
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Summer 2025Accepted
University of Toronto · Rotman Commerce
3rd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 2 past internships
Easy Interview
BehavioralSlow processVirtual
Aapplied in October heard back in February for a summer position. 30 min interview with two CRA employees, behavioral stuff about teamwork and dealing with difficult clients and strengths then they also had a written exercise at the end where you respond to a scenario.
Questions Asked
1.“What is scenario analysis and how do you use it in planning?”
AIMCo
Financial Analyst
Edmonton, AB
Summer 2026Accepted
University of Alberta · Finance
2nd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 0 past internships
Average Interview
BehavioralTechnicalMultiple roundsIn-Person
Culture seems really good, co-op students were visible and present during my visit. HR phone screen, then a team interview with good people who went through company values and past experience. Third round was more technical, basic accounting and investment concepts. Edmonton location is a bonus if you're from Alberta
Questions Asked
1.“What's the J-curve effect in private equity?”
2.“What is CAPM and what are its main limitations?”
Fairfax Financial
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Winter 2026Accepted
University of Toronto · Commerce
4th year · 3.7+ GPA · 3 past internships
Hard Interview
TechnicalIn-Person
One interview, no pre recorded screens or assessments. Two senior people from the investment team, quite technical. Went into insurance underwriting fundamentals, portfolio evaluation methodology and had me go over how I think about risk and return in a value investing framework like they use at Fairfax. Very focused on whether you actually understand the Hamblin Watsa approach to capital allocation. If you haven't read their annual letters you'll struggle
Questions Asked
1.“How do sovereign wealth funds differ from pension funds in their investment mandates”
Lululemon
Financial Analyst
Vancouver, BC
Summer 2026Accepted
University of British Columbia · Commerce
3rd year · 3.7+ GPA · 1 past internship
Average Interview
TechnicalCase studyMultiple roundsVirtual
General fit call first then second round with the finance team. Variance analysis, how I'd approach an FP&A problem and a brief case on sales trend interpretation. Very UBC heavy team
Questions Asked
1.“Describe a time you explained a financial concept to a non-finance audience.”
Toyota
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Summer 2026Accepted
University of Waterloo · Accounting and Financial Management
3rd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 1 past internship
Easy Interview
BehavioralMultiple roundsVirtual
Quick phone screen with behavioral stuff then a second call with three managers. Why Toyota, leadership examples, resume deep dive. Cambridge plant role. Offer came fast, about two weeks
Questions Asked
1.“Tell me about a financial model or analysis you built from scratch”
2.“How do you build a sensitivity table in Excel”
BMO Capital Markets
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Summer 2025No Offer
Dalhousie University · Finance
2nd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 0 past internships
Easy Interview
BehavioralVirtualFast process
Screening then one interview with a manager, very behavioral. Why BMO, tell me about a time you analyzed data under pressure, how do you stay current on markets. No modeling questions at all. Heard back in about a week saying they went with someone else. Wish they'd done something technical so I had a chance to show what I knew
Questions Asked
1.“Walk me through how you'd build a three-statement financial model”
2.“How do changes in foreign exchange rates flow through the income statement and balance sheet”
3.“Whats the difference between a fixed and a variable cost? Give examples from a real company”
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ)
Financial Analyst
Montreal, QC
Winter 2026Accepted
HEC Montréal · Finance
3rd year · 2.9-3.2 GPA · 4+ past internships
Easy Interview
Pre-recordedBehavioralVirtual
VidCruiter screen then casual team interview. Mostly fit and motivation, light technical. Got it later in the week
Questions Asked
1.“Describe a time you and a colleague disagreed on an investment conclusion.”
2.“What is duration and how does it measure interest rate risk?”
Great-West Lifeco
Financial Analyst
Winnipeg, MB
Summer 2025Accepted
University of Manitoba · Commerce
2nd year · 2.9-3.2 GPA · 0 past internships
Easy Interview
BehavioralVirtual
Casual format, single interview with a manager. Strengths and weaknesses and then a situational question about what I'd do if I noticed a colleague cutting corners. Basic knowledge of the insurance market and what they do. Winnipeg based also
Questions Asked
1.“What's the payback period of an investment and when is it a useful metric?”
2.“How would you build a headcount planning model for a business unit?”
RBC
Financial Analyst
Summer 2026Pending Outcome
York University · Business and Computer Science
2nd year · 0 past internships
very good experience but i haven’t heard back yet it was behavioural
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
Financial Analyst
Ottawa, ON
Summer 2025Accepted
Carleton University · Economics
4th year · 3.7+ GPA · 2 past internships
Easy Interview
TechnicalBehavioralMultiple roundsSlow process
Almost 2 months but they were upfront about the timeline. HR interview about career goals first, then panel with two managers, all STAR method. Wanted examples of analyzing financial data. Also had a short Excel modeling test
Questions Asked
1.“Tell me about a time you found a material error in a report before it went out”
2.“What key financial metrics would you track to assess a business's health”
RBC
Financial Analyst
Summer 2025Accepted
McMaster University · MBA
2nd year · 3.3-3.6 GPA · 0 past internships
1 HR round and one interview with the hiring manager mainly bahavioural focused
Power Corporation
Financial Analyst
Montreal, QC
Summer 2025No Offer
McGill University · Finance
3rd year · 4+ past internships
Average Interview
BehavioralTechnicalMultiple roundsVirtual
Knew some of their subsidiaries and holding company structure but not enough. Two rounds, second one really tested that knowledge.
Questions Asked
1.“Walk me through how you'd analyze a potential equity investment”
2.“What is the efficient frontier in modern portfolio theory?”
Edward Jones
Financial Analyst
Toronto, ON
Summer 2026Accepted
Brock University · Business Administration
2nd year · 2.9-3.2 GPA · 0 past internships
Easy Interview
BehavioralPre-recorded
Role is client facing so they cared about communication way more than modeling. Video interview then background check. Nothing but behavioral, motivation for financial services and handling difficult client situations
Questions Asked
1.“How would you model working capital changes in a revenue forecast?”
2.“How would you explain EBITDA to someone outside of finance?”