The American Express Company (Amex), with headquarters in New York City, was founded in 1850 as a freight company. It has since evolved into issuing traveler’s checks, to having cards, and now offers digital products and services. American Express recently partnered with Nova Credit to help extend credit to expats and recent immigrants and to the United States. American Express is rated #23 on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list, and they are #16 on Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies list.
American Express Interview Questions with Answer Examples
What happens in an American Express HireVue interview?
In a HireVue interview, you’ll record yourself answering questions.
Those questions might be shown to you as a couple of lines of text or they might be displayed as a pre-recorded video by someone at American Express asking you that question.
Then, you’ll get around 30 seconds to prepare your answer and around two minutes to answer.
The number of questions varies, so be ready to answer anything from 2 to 5 questions.
You can answer on your cell phone, laptop, or desktop computer – as long as it has a camera.
American Express’s HireVue interview specifics
The questions asked will be mostly behavioral ones, so make sure you are brushed up on how to answer those. The best way to answer them is via the STAR method – if you aren’t familiar with how to ace every question using that method, check out the video below.
You also want to be aware of American Express’s corporate values. You want to answer the behavioral questions on HireVue through the lens of those values. This will make the hiring manager’s life very easy as they are looking for those values in every person they evaluate.
You can find American Express’s corporate values on its website. Also take a look at their website to familiarize yourself with American Express’s history and corporate goals, because knowledge of those can be extremely helpful in an interview.
What candidates say about the interview process at American Express
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Round robin interview. Took 2-3 hrs because of having to wait for other people. I prefer solo interviews
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Long Process, Speed Dating
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A group panel with other applicants & several managers. There are tough questions to test your rebuttals and your ability to sale them in the interview.
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I applied for a position on 2/22, received an invitation to schedule an interview on 2/23 and completed that initial interview on 2/25. I was told that same day I would be proceeding to the next step:…
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I was contacted by HR, a phone interview/screening interview was scheduled. This first intervew was conducted by HR. All other interviews (3) were with the direct hiring leader and various staff.
Tell me about a challenge you’ve experienced in life. How did you overcome it?
- Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
- How to Answer
- Pro Tip
- Answer Example
- Second Answer Example
- Community Answers
This will help them ascertain whether or not you allow personal challenges in your life to affect your work life. It will also offer insights into how you overcome challenges that you face in your work life as well.
Think about the obstacles and challenges you have gotten through to make it to where you are! Maybe you took on a severe course load your first year in college. Or perhaps you were asked to give your first presentation with little time to prepare. Once you identify the challenge, talk about what you did to overcome it. Focus on the lengths you took to make sure you finished your semester strong or how you researched and practiced to make sure you nailed the presentation.
Remember, theres no right or wrong answer. Just give an example that shows off your skills and instills confidence that you will continue to overcome obstacles in the future! Overcoming challenges show you have perseverance and determination. It shows you can accomplish goals even in the midst of trying circumstances.
“One of the biggest challenges that I have faced, and one of my proudest accomplishments, was working my way through university and graduating with my bachelors degree in finance with zero debt. I did well in school and tried so hard–something that I am incredibly proud of.”
“I was on vacation in another country when my flight was delayed and eventually canceled. Getting home turned into quite the ordeal and we didnt get home until two days later. Luckily, I always pad time on the backside of my trip just in case, and I didnt miss any work as a result. My flight arrived at 3 a.m. on Monday and I had to be at work at 7 a.m. That was a rough re-entry, but it all worked out well in the end.”
“When I decided to do my masters after 3 years of work-life, it was hard for me to leave my already made career and start studies all over again. I left my job as I wanted to come to the US for my Masters but couldnt come because of Covid. I stayed calm, Deferred my admission from Fall 2020 to Spring 2021, and utilized that period by doing a short internship which helped me learn the basics of SQL, Power BI mainly and to an extent Python and R. I am happy I took that decision because I took Python n R course in my first semester and Internship learnings helped me.”
Kevins Feedback for the Answer Above
This is an excellent example to share in response to this question, as it showcases your ambition, determination, and resilience. The interviewer will be impressed by your ability to overcome the challenges caused by the COVID-related delay to your education, and the fact you were able to use the time to learn new professional skills.
“I decided to earn my master’s degree. I’d been working for three solid years, off to a good start to build my career. So I faced the challenge of leaving a solid career to return to education. But, I’d revised my career goals, deciding I wanted to pursue opportunities in the US. So, with this new focus, I faced my fears and started preparing for this big adjustment, and that was a challenge. Leaving my job, returning to school, and relocating to another country. Everything was lined up when I faced yet another challenge. After I left my job comitted to pursue my Master’s Covid hit, and I was unable to enter the USmy goals, and made the best use of my time. I deferred my admission from Fall 2020 to Spring 2021, and utilized that period by winning a temporary internship which where I learned the basics of SQL, Power BI mainly and to an extent Python and R. I was proud of this decision as I took Python n R course in my first semester and what I’d learned in my internship I was able to apply towards what I learned in college, giving me a head start that ultimately helped me towards my goals.”
How would you rate Kevins Feedback?
“What do you hope to learn at this company in this position?”
“Learn” is the operative word here. By phrasing the question this way, you can accomplish two things: One, gauge how interested the interviewee is in growing and improving—always a valuable quality in an employee. And two, see how you might tailor the role to support their development. Such a consideration is key to engaging employees long-term, And in the event the candidate is weighing multiple offers, it may help tip the scales towards you.
What to look for in an answer: Do their individual goals match the company’s goals? Can you see ways to support the individual’s development that would benefit both them and the business? If yes, it may be a strong fit.
“Tell me about a time when …?”
There are a lot of people who can give “good interview.” They can talk in generalities, but you may still wonder what the candidate really contributed to the achievements on their resume. This targeted question works because it requires a specific example. For instance, if interviewing someone for a sales position, consider asking, “Tell me about a time when you won a customer from a competitor.” If it’s a customer service rep, maybe ask, “Tell me about a time when you kept a customer from leaving the company.”
What to look for in an answer: As much detail as possible in the example that the candidate gives. Try to get names, dates and specific results as appropriate.
FAQ
Does American Express use HireVue?
How do I ace my American Express interview?
- Tell me a little about yourself.
- What are your long-term career plans?
- What made you leave your previous job?
- Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses.
- Why do you want to work here?
How many questions are asked in a HireVue interview?
