I applied through a recruiter. The process took 5 weeks. I interviewed at American Express (New York, NY) in Apr 2011
Interview
Seven total interviews starting with division HR, then hiring manager. In my case I met with key business partners - that doesn't always happen, but usually. Very helpful to get an idea of the working environment.
HR interviews focused on process and ability to work in a matrix organization - lasted only a half hour. All other interviews lasted about an hour. Questions focused on thoughts and any experience with the products being interviewed for. Very important to have first hand experience.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
I didn't find the questions difficult or surprising. Being prepared is the key.
The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at American Express (New York, NY) in Sep 2011
Interview
The Company most often has internal candidates identified for positions, even when the incumbent is still in the job. Amex works very hard to ensure appropriate diversity at all job levels... which is a nice way of saying that you're favored if you are in a group that helps achieve diversity goals. They conduct many interviews with non-diverse candidates to show that they interviewed a diverse slate of candidates... which is pretty obvious when you get a non-descript, non-challenging interview. Caveat emptor.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Walk me through your resume (this is difficult because it shows they didn't care enough to prep for the discussion. You get follow up comments like "Oh, I didn't realize you had experience with x"... which is obnoxious when it's clearly laid out on your resume.)