MBA Recruiter Shares Insights on Getting Hired at BlackRock

Written by BusinessBecause 

BlackRock is expanding its MBA Summer Associate Program. Pasquale Quintero, VP of campus recruitment, talks about BlackRock opportunities for MBAs and gives advice on how to stand out from the crowd. 

As the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock is a great place to build an MBA career in finance or technology, given the firm’s expertise in investment management and increasing focus on the fintech space. 

The firm’s FinTech Fund invests 70% of capital in companies developing fintech solutions; and in January, Blackrock partnered with fintech company Clarity AI to support its sustainable investing efforts. 

These initiatives signal an especially exciting time to launch a career at BlackRock – and the firm is planning to hire more MBAs in the coming year. 

BusinessBecause caught up with Pasquale Quintero, VP of campus recruitment, to find out more about Blackrock’s MBA Summer Associate Program, an internship program for active MBA students. 

What does BlackRock look for in its MBA hires? 

To be eligible for a role as a summer associate at BlackRock, you’ll need to be enrolled in a full-time MBA program and have at least three years of pre-MBA work experience behind you. The summer 2021 cohort took on around 25 MBA students. 

There are both soft and technical skills that BlackRock looks for in its MBAs, Pasquale (pictured) explains. “We look for candidates to have strong leadership, communication, analytical and critical thinking skills.” 

The ability to work collaboratively on a close-knit team is equally important to possessing those individualized skills. Candidates should also demonstrate an interest in the industries in which BlackRock operates: financial services and technology. Exactly which technical skills you’ll need to showcase depends on which business area you apply to work in. 

Once the internship begins, you can build more specific skills and knowledge with expert guidance from your BlackRock colleagues. 

How do I apply to BlackRock’s MBA Summer Associate Program? 

Applications for the MBA Summer Associate Program open each year in early August. To apply, you’ll need to submit an online application and select up to two business areas of interest. 

BlackRock hires MBAs into a range of its businesses. If the firm selects your application, they’ll invite you to a first-round interview. 

“First-round interviews are behavioral-based,” Pasquale comments. During this interview, you can expect to be asked about your background, your working style and your motivations for joining BlackRock. Candidates should also be familiar with BlackRock’s Principles. 

If you’re successful at that stage, you’ll be invited to a final-round interview. During this stage of the process, you can expect more technical questions, Pasquale reveals. 

“Interview questions vary by team and role, as some groups are more technical than others,” he says. “Depending on the role candidates applied for, they should be prepared to demonstrate their technical abilities, and possibly complete a case study or stock pitch.” 

After the final interview round, successful candidates will receive an offer to join BlackRock as Summer Associates. In addition to immersing themselves in their teams, MBA Summer Associates will have the opportunity to attend networking and social events, participate in skills development sessions and engage with senior leaders at the firm. 

BlackRock careers for MBAs 

All summer associates who perform well during the internship are offered full-time Associate- or VP-level positions at BlackRock. Levels are determined based on an individual’s pre-MBA experience. 

“We are continuing to see great interest and enthusiasm from MBA candidates, who are attracted to BlackRock’s position as a global leader in asset management and fintech, as well as our guiding principles and culture,” Pasquale concludes. 

A version of this article was originally published on BusinessBecause.