American Express, a globally recognized financial institution, is highly esteemed for its premium products and exceptional customer service. Known for its innovative solutions and strong corporate culture, American Express provides numerous opportunities for career growth and personal development.

Joining American Express as a Business Analyst means becoming part of a dynamic team responsible for delivering insightful data analysis and driving operational efficiencies. The role demands a combination of strong analytical skills, problem-solving capabilities, and the ability to communicate complex information effectively.

In this guide, Interview Query will walk you through the interview process, commonly asked questions, and provide tips to help you ace your Business Analyst interview at American Express. Let's get started!

Submitting Your Application

The first step in the interview process for the Business Analyst position at American Express is to submit a robust application that underscores your technical skills and keen interest in the role. Thoroughly review the job description, tailor your CV to match the listed qualifications, and craft a personalized cover letter. Ensure you highlight relevant skills and past work experiences that align with the job requirements.

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

Once your application is shortlisted, a recruiter from American Express will reach out to you to verify your experiences, skill level, and interest in the role. This initial conversation, typically around 30 minutes, may also include behavioral questions such as discussing past challenges you've faced at work or your reasons for applying to American Express.

First Round Interview

If you pass the recruiter screening, you'll proceed to the first round interview. This will often involve a video call with a hiring manager and will focus on general interview questions and behavioral questions. Topics can include your past work experience, how you've handled difficult situations, and why you're interested in American Express and this specific role.

Technical Virtual Interview

The technical interview stage usually involves more in-depth questions about your technical expertise. This can include case studies, puzzles, and guesstimates related to business analytics and problem-solving scenarios. You might also be required to complete a take-home assignment or a technical presentation, which will be reviewed in a follow-up interview.

Onsite Interview Rounds

If all previous stages go well, you'll be invited for onsite interview rounds. This stage consists of multiple interviews, including discussions with potential team members, managers, and possibly even senior leadership. These interviews will assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. The onsite interviews also offer you a chance to present any take-home assignments and showcase your analytical thinking and solution-providing capabilities.

Quick Tips for American Express Business Analyst Interviews - Understand the Company’s Core Values: American Express emphasizes its culture of integrity, customer focus, and employee support. Highlight experiences where you have embodied these values. - Prepare for Behavioral Questions: Expect to narrate past experiences, especially challenges and how you overcame them. Practice framing your answers in the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format. - Brush Up on Technical Skills: There's a likelihood of deep-diving into technical concepts during interviews, including SQL, data analysis, and problem-solving scenarios. Leverage platforms like Interview Query to practice potential interview questions and case studies.

Typically, interviews at American Express vary by role and team, but commonly Business Analyst interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

• How would you determine what our next partner card should be? You have access to all customer spending data. How would you analyze this data to decide on the best partner for a new credit card?

• What are the Z and t-tests, and when should you use each? Explain the Z and t-tests, their uses, differences, and scenarios where one is preferred over the other.

• How would you build a strategy to find the best businesses to reach out to? As a credit card company with limited manpower, you need to select 1,000 out of 100K small businesses to partner with. How would you develop a strategy to identify the best candidates?

• Write a SQL query to select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department.

Note: If more than one person shares the highest salary, the query should select the next highest salary.

Example:

Input:

employees table

|Column|Type| |---|---| | id | INTEGER | | first_name | VARCHAR | | last_name |VARCHAR| | salary | INTEGER | |department_id| INTEGER |

departments table

|Column|Type| |---|---| | id | INTEGER | | name | VARCHAR |

Output:

|Column|Type| |---|---| | salary | INTEGER |

• What’s the difference between Lasso and Ridge Regression? Explain the key differences between Lasso and Ridge Regression, focusing on their regularization techniques and how they handle coefficients.

• When would you use a bagging algorithm versus a boosting algorithm? Compare two machine learning algorithms and discuss scenarios where you would prefer bagging over boosting, including tradeoffs between the two.

• Is a logistic model valid if a key variable has data quality issues? Assume a logistic model heavily relies on one variable, which has data quality issues (e.g., decimal points removed). Discuss if the model remains valid and how you would fix it.

• What is the difference between XGBoost and random forest algorithms? Explain the differences between XGBoost and random forest algorithms, and provide an example of when you would use one over the other.

• Does increasing the number of trees in a random forest always improve accuracy? Discuss whether the accuracy of a random forest model continues to increase as the number of trees is sequentially increased.

• What are the Z and t-tests, and when should you use each? Explain what Z-tests and t-tests are, their purposes, and the differences between them. Specify scenarios where one test is preferred over the other.

What is the average salary for a Business Analyst at American Express?

Q: What is the interview process for a Business Analyst position at American Express like?
The interview process typically involves multiple stages, including an initial recruiter phone screen, one-on-one interviews with hiring managers, and technical rounds. You may be asked behavioral questions, case studies, puzzles, and questions about past experiences. A lot of emphasis is placed on technical skills, problem-solving ability, and cultural fit.

Q: What kind of questions can I expect during the interview?
Expect a mix of behavioral and technical questions. Common questions include discussing your past work experience, facing difficult situations, handling pressure, and solving analytical problems. You may also be asked to discuss your motivation to work at American Express.

Q: How long does the interview process usually take?
The process can vary but generally takes between 3 weeks to a month. Following the application, you might hear back within a few days, and the process usually includes multiple rounds of interviews and evaluations. Be prepared as some users have noted longer waiting periods for feedback after interviews.

Q: What skills are necessary to succeed in a Business Analyst role at American Express?
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are crucial. Proficiency in SQL, Python, and Excel is often required. Previous experience in similar roles, particularly in a financial or database environment, and the ability to present data-driven solutions are also important. Good communication skills and teamwork are valued attributes.

Q: How can I best prepare for the interviews at American Express?
Research the company thoroughly and understand their business model. Practice common interview questions and technical problems using platforms like Interview Query. Be prepared to discuss your previous work experiences in detail and how they relate to the position you’re applying for at American Express.

Conclusion

Cracking an interview at American Express for a Business Analyst position can indeed be challenging, and being well-prepared is key. From technical and behavioral questions to case studies and guesstimates, the extensive and diverse interview process is designed to assess various competencies required for the role.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main American Express Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. We’ve also created interview guides for other roles, such as software engineer and data analyst, where you can learn more about American Express’s interview process for different positions.

At Interview Query, we empower you to unlock your interview prowess with a comprehensive toolkit, equipping you with the knowledge, confidence, and strategic guidance to conquer every American Express interview challenge.

You can check out all our company interview guides for better preparation, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Good luck with your interview!