Morgan Stanley's hiring process for students and graduates is an online application, a video interview for some roles, and then one or more interviews with the business. Morgan Stanley says its interviews "could be competency, strengths based, skills based or technical", and that every interview is different. Its senior interviewers list fumbling the standard questions, such as "Tell me about yourself", "Why our firm?" and "Why this position?", among the ten biggest interview mistakes.
Everything below comes from Morgan Stanley's careers pages and its own articles for candidates, linked as we go. Where Morgan Stanley doesn't say something, we say so.
The Morgan Stanley hiring process at a glance
| Stage | What happens | What Morgan Stanley says about it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Explore | Attend events, learn about the divisions and the core values. | Events are listed on its careers site |
| 2. Application | Apply online for a programme, division and location. | Programmes range from apprenticeships to internships to full-time graduate roles |
| 3. Video interview | A live or recorded video interview for some roles. | In 2020 it said more roles, including in North America and Asia, required one |
| 4. Interviews | Interviews with people from the business. | Could be competency, strengths based, skills based or technical |
| 5. Decision | An offer, or news that you weren't selected. | No timeline published |
Morgan Stanley doesn't publish how many interview rounds there are or how long the process takes. Ask your recruiter.
What is the Morgan Stanley hiring process?
For students and graduates, Morgan Stanley describes three steps on its early careers page: explore the firm and its culture, apply for a programme, and interview. Its early career opportunities run "from apprenticeships to internships to full-time roles for recent graduates", across Wealth Management, Investment Banking and Capital Markets, Sales and Trading, Research, Investment Management, Operations and company functions, and Technology.
Before you apply, Morgan Stanley suggests getting to know its culture and values and attending its events. Its recruiters also say, in a 2018 article, that students who use their careers service, attend events and stay in touch with people they meet "always attract more attention".
Morgan Stanley doesn't publish a separate process for experienced hires, except for Financial Advisor programmes (below). If you're applying as an experienced hire, ask your recruiter what to expect.
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What is the Morgan Stanley interview process?
After you apply, you may be asked to do a video interview, then interviews with people from the division. Morgan Stanley's interview preparation page says it uses interviews "to find out who you are and what motivates you", whether you understand the business and the job, and what you'd bring to the team.
It's open about what the interviews can include:
- Competency, strengths based, skills based or technical questions. You may be asked about times you used particular skills, or what you're good at and what inspires you.
- Scenarios. Morgan Stanley says it doesn't always expect the right answer: "we're interested in seeing how you work through a scenario".
- Your resume. Be ready to explain everything on it without looking at it. Its interviewers warn that "everything on there is fair game".
- The industry. You don't need to know every part of finance, but Morgan Stanley suggests picking one or two areas you can discuss "with knowledge and conviction".
Interviews are run by Morgan Stanley staff through official channels. Its note on recruitment scams says it doesn't use video chat rooms such as Google Hangouts for interviews and won't contact you from a non-Morgan Stanley email address.
What is the Morgan Stanley video interview?
It's an interview by video, either live with an interviewer or recorded on your own. In a January 2020 article, Morgan Stanley said more roles, including those in its North America and Asia offices, required a video interview "as part of the application and screening process". It doesn't name the platform, the number of questions or the answer time, so read your invitation carefully.
Its recruiters' advice for video interviews:
- Know the job and the firm. A Hong Kong campus recruiter said this is where candidates can show "their current knowledge of the markets".
- Don't read from notes. The recruiters call it "probably the most common bad habit we see".
- Read the rules before you start. Recorded services set time limits and how many times you can re-record.
- Keep answers short. You don't have to use all the time allowed.
- Practise several times and review your recordings.
If yours is recorded, our guide to one-way video interviews explains how the format works.
Does Morgan Stanley have an online assessment?
For Financial Advisor programmes, yes. Morgan Stanley's Financial Advisor Associate page says applicants complete two online assessments with their application, which it describes as "designed to gauge aptitude in areas critical to the success of a Financial Advisor". It doesn't say what they contain, how long they take or how they're scored.
For student and graduate programmes, the careers pages we checked don't describe an online assessment. If you're sent one, the invitation should explain the format. If it shows you work scenarios and asks what you'd do, it's a situational judgement format; our guide to situational judgement tests explains how those work in general.
What is the Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor hiring process?
Morgan Stanley publishes this one in four phases, and calls it "a rigorous process":
| Phase | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 | You complete the application, submit your resume and take two online assessments. |
| 2 | The Talent Acquisition team reviews your application and assessment results, then sets up a phone screen. |
| 3 | Face-to-face interviews with the local management team. You then complete a business plan exercise; if it's assessed successfully, there's another round of face-to-face interviews. |
| 4 | Local management makes a final evaluation and decides whether to make an offer. Employment depends on a background check. |
If you're hired, the programme requires you to pass the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam and get your Series 7 and 66 licences.
What does Morgan Stanley look for?
Morgan Stanley says it has pledged since 1935 to do "first-class business in a first-class way", and names five core values:
| Core value | What Morgan Stanley says it means |
|---|---|
| Do the right thing | Act with integrity; value honesty and character |
| Put clients first | Keep the client's interests first; listen to what the client needs |
| Lead with exceptional ideas | Break new ground; use different perspectives; be vigilant about what can be done better |
| Commit to diversity and inclusion | Value differences; make everyone feel heard, seen and respected |
| Give back | Serve communities; mentor and develop others |
Its interview page adds that "a passion for learning and being part of a collaborative team is imperative". Prepare examples for each value; Morgan Stanley's own vice chairwoman suggests reading up on core values before you answer "Describe yourself in three words".
Common Morgan Stanley interview questions and how to answer them
The first six questions come from an article in which Carla Harris, Morgan Stanley's Vice Chairwoman, explains what interviewers are looking for. The rest are questions to prepare for, built from Morgan Stanley's core values and interview guidance. Use the STAR method (situation, task, action, result) for "tell me about a time" questions.
1. Tell me about yourself.
Harris says this isn't an invitation to recite your resume. Talk about the experience most relevant to the job and "try to hit the qualities in the job description". Finish on why you're applying for this role.
2. Describe yourself in three words.
Harris says this checks whether you've read the job specification. Her example for a Wall Street internship is "analytical, detail-oriented, quantitative". Pick words that are true of you, and have an example ready for each one.
3. What's your biggest weakness?
Pick a weakness that isn't a key skill for the job, and show what you're doing about it. Harris's advice is blunt: don't say you're a perfectionist.
4. Why should we hire you?
Explain what sets you apart from the other candidates. Harris suggests thinking of yourself as a product and the interviewer as a customer: your skills, your interest in the industry and what you'd bring to the team.
5. Describe a time you failed.
Harris says this tests self-awareness and maturity. Own the failure, then spend most of your answer on the steps you took to improve.
6. Why are you interested in Morgan Stanley?
Show you've done the research and that you've chosen Morgan Stanley on purpose. Its senior interviewers say you need an answer "that explains why you differentiate our firm from the other banks". Connect your strengths to its values and culture.
7. Why this division?
Explain what the division does and why it suits you. Morgan Stanley's interviewers warn against applying to one role just to get a foot in the door for another: if your long-term goal is different, explain how this role fits it.
8. Tell me about a time you did the right thing when it was difficult.
This maps to "Do the right thing". Choose a real example where you held to a standard of honesty when an easier option existed, and say what it cost you.
9. Tell me about a time you put a customer's or client's needs first.
This maps to "Put clients first", which Morgan Stanley describes as listening to what the client is saying and needs. Show how you found out what the person really needed and what you did about it.
10. Tell me about an idea you had that improved how something was done.
This maps to "Lead with exceptional ideas". Pick an example where you questioned how things were done, used someone else's perspective, and made a change that worked.
11. Tell me about a time you worked with people who were different from you.
Morgan Stanley says diverse perspectives and "deep collaboration" make it stronger. Choose an example where different views improved the result, and be clear about your own part.
12. Tell me about a market or business story you've been following.
Morgan Stanley asks candidates to keep up with financial news and its position in the market, and its interviewers say Investment Banking candidates should know the firm's recent deals. Pick one story you understand well and explain why it matters.
13. Do you have any questions for us?
Morgan Stanley's interviewers say they always ask, and that there's "no excuse" for having none. Ask about the interviewer's work or the team, and avoid anything you could answer from the careers site, such as "What does Morgan Stanley do?".
How to prepare for the Morgan Stanley interview
- Research the job, the division and the firm. Morgan Stanley's interviewers call skipping this "the single biggest and most common mistake".
- Learn the five core values and prepare a STAR story for each, plus a failure and a time you learned something quickly. Our list of behavioural interview questions gives you more to practise on.
- Know every line of your resume. Don't list anything you can't talk about in detail.
- Pick one or two areas of finance you can discuss with conviction, and follow the news on them.
- Practise on camera if you've been invited to a video interview, without reading from notes.
- Do a mock interview with someone who'll give you honest feedback, so you sound prepared without sounding rehearsed.
- Send a short thank-you email afterwards. Morgan Stanley's interviewers suggest using it to restate your interest, and say it's fine to follow up there on a question you couldn't answer.
For another bank's process, see our JPMorgan hiring process guide.
Practising realistic work tasks
Morgan Stanley says it wants to see how you work through a scenario, and that improves with practice on realistic tasks. Cohesyve, which publishes this guide, runs practice job simulations for your role, with a scored report on where you lost marks. It isn't affiliated with Morgan Stanley and doesn't use Morgan Stanley's interview questions or assessments.
FAQs
How long does the Morgan Stanley hiring process take?
Morgan Stanley doesn't publish a timeline for its student, graduate or experienced hire processes. Ask your recruiter, or contact the campus recruiting team for your region.
How many interviews does Morgan Stanley have?
It doesn't publish a number. It says every interview is different and depends on the role. The Financial Advisor Associate process has a phone screen and at least two rounds of face-to-face interviews.
What kind of interviews does Morgan Stanley use?
Morgan Stanley says interviews could be competency, strengths based, skills based or technical. Some roles also include a live or recorded video interview.
Does Morgan Stanley use HireVue?
Morgan Stanley's careers pages don't name a video interview platform. They say some roles include a live or recorded video interview, and that recorded services set their own time limits and re-record rules.
Will Morgan Stanley ever ask me to pay to apply?
No. Morgan Stanley says it won't ask you to pay money at any point in the hiring process, except for reimbursable travel expenses. Report anything suspicious to its campus recruiting team.
Who do I contact about a Morgan Stanley application?
Morgan Stanley lists regional addresses on its contact page, including MSCampusRecruiting@MorganStanley.com for North America and graduaterecruitmenteurope@morganstanley.com for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Sources
Morgan Stanley's own pages, checked 27 October 2026:
- morganstanley.com: Students and graduates
- morganstanley.com: Interview preparation
- morganstanley.com: 10 Tips for a Successful Video Interview (8 January 2020)
- morganstanley.com: Don't Let These Common Interview Questions Trip You Up (11 August 2017)
- morganstanley.com: 10 Biggest Interview Mistakes (28 October 2015)
- morganstanley.com: 5 Ways to Get Noticed During Job Search (3 January 2018)
- morganstanley.com: Our core values
- morganstanley.com: Financial Advisor Associate
- morganstanley.com: A warning about recruiting scams
- morganstanley.com: Careers contact