Q: How will I know when American Express is coming to my campus to interview?
A: Check out the campus calendar on the American Express Web site, or contact your placement office for more information.

Q: When will I hear from you?
A: After you have been assessed on campus, you will hear from us within two weeks about next steps. After an interview at an American Express location, you will be contacted within two weeks on the results of the interview; if you will be made an offer, you will know at that time.

Q: What are your selection criteria?
A: Candidates who are selected will have excelled academically and will have had success in prior work or internship experiences. They will also have demonstrated, at school and through our process, the leadership competencies that are critical to success at American Express. These include results orientation, the ability to develop and leverage relationships, the ability to think out of the box and the flexibility to successfully manage or respond to change.

Q: How important is a grade point average?
A: Important, but only one factor in the selection process.

Q: How important is previous work experience?
A: Obviously, previous work experience is always useful in determining a candidate’s fit and potential success. However, we look at candidates’ other experiences, such as participation in student organizations, community service, and other employment to assess potential. The degree to which prior experience is important will also vary by the different positions we will fill through our campus relations program.

Q: What are the opportunities for advancement at American Express?
A: American Express is a company that recognizes and rewards people who make significant contributions and individuals who have demonstrated mastery of their position. There are no routine career paths and we encourage people to pursue lateral moves as well as promotional opportunities to broaden their skill sets and enhance their own development. American Express has one of the most open posting systems in American businesses. All open positions, below Senior Vice President, are broadly communicated through a company wide posting system. Individuals ready for new opportunities are encouraged to seek those positions where they can contribute and learn most.

Q: Do people generally stay in one business throughout their career?
A: Not necessarily. Because we have an extremely open posting process, individuals frequently identify and post for opportunities in other businesses or even other functions. It is not unusual to find American Express employees who have worked in three or four business units during their career, or in a number of locations depending on their function and interests.

Q: What types of training and development does American Express offer employees?
A: Much of what you’ll learn at American Express comes on the job, and your career is self-directed. We are a dynamic company that expects employees to contribute to their businesses from day one, but you are the architect of your own career.

There are also additional training opportunities available to support your development, including Leadership Training, Management 101, Diversity Training, Change Management, and other types of business and skills training available to employees as classroom activities or self-paced courses.

Q: What if I want to continue my education at some point?
A: American Express has an Educational Assistance Program that encourages employees to take advantage of educational opportunities that enhance their personal and career growth. Through the Educational Assistance Program, the company offers tuition reimbursement to qualified employees with one year of company service to cover the cost of certain work-related courses at accredited institutions and work-related course of study leading to a degree.

Q: How do I get feedback, and how often?
A: At American Express, you get feedback several different ways. First, together with your manager, you will establish business and personal development goals for the year. At year-end, your manager will provide feedback through the Performance Management Process — commonly referred to as the “annual review.” This review helps determine your annual compensation, salary increase, and incentive compensation you may be eligible for.

Second, American Express employees participate in an annual leadership feedback process, through which your direct reports, colleagues, and customers will be able to provide anonymous feedback about you. This process will help you understand your leadership strengths and development needs.

Finally, all people who manage other people are required to support the development of their employees. Through feedback and coaching, managers provide their employees with the information and guidance required to become more successful.

Q: How are people rewarded at American Express?
A: At the outset, your compensation will be determined by your experience and qualifications for the job you are offered. After that, compensation is based on job performance — your ability to meet goals set with your manager at the beginning of the year and your demonstration of important leadership behaviors. There is a strong pay-for-performance culture at American Express.

In addition to pay, employees can be recognized through a variety of company and business unit recognition programs. The Chairman’s Award for Quality recognizes teams that have worked on a project that has significantly improved a process or program with cash awards. Cash awards are also presented to the winners of the Great Performers Program, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to customer service. Other company programs include the Rings of Reward and Recognition, Team SE Excellence, the President’s Club, Centurion Club, and PaceSetters programs.

Q: What is the corporate culture like?
A: The culture is what employees make it, because each employee helps shape the corporate culture at American Express. American Express is a fast paced, dynamic environment. There is a commitment to quality, and a commitment to exceptional service is demonstrated at all levels and across all businesses. People are encouraged to present fresh perspectives. Employees are proud to be associated with a company with the reputation for service quality.

Q: Would I fit in at American Express?
A: You could thrive here. Our customers, clients, and partners are as diverse as the products and services under our brand. In order to serve them, we must be equally diverse, welcoming new ideas and being open to new ways of thinking. As a global organization, managing and maximizing the diversity of our work force is critical to our business success. The mix of human differences enriches our company and is essential to creativity and business growth. We are committed to ensuring that everyone works in an environment that enables them to achieve their potential.

American Express has been recognized by Fortune magazine, Hispanic magazine, Latina Style, and Working Woman as being among the best companies for people of diverse backgrounds to reach their potential.

To this end, employees and their managers participate in Diversity Training efforts to orient people in issues of diversity and help build skills to address those issues.

American Express supports the development of diversity teams, open to all employees of a particular business unit or function. Teams work to understand diversity issues, develop goals, and coordinate diversity activities. American Express also has a number of employee networks, primarily support groups for employees with common interests.

American Express also has an annual employee survey that measures and tracks employee satisfaction across a number of dimensions and addresses issues on a company wide basis.