How to Apply to Northern Trust

10 min read Last updated March 7, 2026 223 open positions
Blake Crosley
Blake Crosley Researched using publicly available information, hiring data, and ATS analysis.

Key Takeaways

  • Research Northern Trust's three business segments (Asset Servicing, Wealth Management, Asset Management) and explicitly connect your experience to the one most relevant to your target role — this demonstrates institutional understanding that most applicants lack.
  • Optimize your Workday profile as aggressively as your resume: complete every structured field, manually correct parsed data after submission, and include searchable certifications so recruiters can discover you for roles beyond your initial application.
  • Mirror the exact terminology from each Northern Trust job description in your resume and application — Workday's keyword matching is literal, and close synonyms may not score the same as exact phrases.
  • Prepare STAR-format stories that emphasize fiduciary responsibility, client-first decisions, risk management, and ethical conduct — these themes are woven into Northern Trust's behavioral interview framework.
  • Demonstrate long-term career thinking in every interaction, from your resume's progression narrative to your interview answers about why you want to join Northern Trust. The firm values builders, not job-hoppers.
  • Follow up with personalized, substantive thank-you notes after each interview round — Northern Trust's relationship-oriented culture notices and appreciates this level of professionalism.

About Northern Trust

Northern Trust Corporation, founded in 1889 and headquartered in Chicago, stands as one of the world's most respected financial institutions, specializing in asset servicing, wealth management, and asset management for corporations, institutional investors, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals. With approximately 22,000 employees across more than 20 global offices, Northern Trust manages over $1 trillion in assets under management and services trillions more in assets under custody. The firm distinguishes itself from larger universal banks by maintaining a deliberate focus on servicing rather than lending, which insulated it during financial crises and earned enduring client trust. Northern Trust's culture is often described as collegial, relationship-driven, and deeply principled — a reflection of its roots serving Chicago's wealthiest families. Employees frequently cite the firm's emphasis on long-term thinking over short-term profits, a rarity in financial services. The company has earned consistent recognition on lists for workplace excellence, diversity, and corporate responsibility, including accolades from Working Mother and the Human Rights Campaign. Career progression tends to reward deep expertise and institutional loyalty, with many senior leaders having spent decades at the firm. What draws professionals to Northern Trust is the intersection of prestige and purpose. Unlike fast-paced trading floors, the environment favors thoughtful problem-solving, fiduciary responsibility, and genuine client partnership. The firm is currently investing heavily in technology — particularly AI, cybersecurity, and digital transformation — signaling exciting opportunities for technologists alongside traditional finance roles. If you want to work at a firm where heritage meets innovation and where integrity isn't just a tagline but a business model, Northern Trust is a compelling choice.

Application Process

  1. 1
    Explore Open Positions on Northern Trust's Workday Careers Portal

    Navigate to Northern Trust's dedicated Workday careers page (ntrs.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/northerntrust) and use keyword filters to search by role type, location, and business unit. With only a selective number of active postings at any given time, Northern Trust tends to hire deliberately — so each listing represents a genuine, high-priority need. Read the full job description carefully, noting specific qualifications, certifications, and technology platforms mentioned.

  2. 2
    Create or Log Into Your Workday Candidate Profile

    Northern Trust's Workday portal will prompt you to create a candidate account or sign in using LinkedIn, Google, or an existing Workday account. Complete every section of your profile thoroughly — Workday ranks candidates partially based on profile completeness. Upload your tailored resume and fill in the structured fields even if they duplicate resume content, as the ATS parses structured data and free-text uploads separately.

  3. 3
    Tailor Your Resume and Supporting Materials to the Role

    Before submitting, align your resume language with the specific job description. Northern Trust postings often reference specific technologies (e.g., CyberArk, Python, Bloomberg), regulatory frameworks (e.g., Basel III, SEC/ERISA compliance), or financial concepts (e.g., balance sheet optimization, fiduciary standards). Mirror this terminology precisely. If the posting mentions a cover letter or additional documents, include them — Northern Trust's culture values thoroughness and attention to detail.

  4. 4
    Complete the Application and Pre-Screening Questions

    Workday applications at Northern Trust commonly include role-specific screening questions about licensure (Series 7, 63, or CFA), years of relevant experience, and willingness to relocate. Answer these precisely, as recruiters often use them as initial filters. Some roles — particularly in wealth management and cybersecurity — may also require you to disclose certifications or security clearance status at this stage.

  5. 5
    Recruiter Phone Screen

    If your application passes initial review, a Northern Trust talent acquisition partner will typically reach out for a 20-to-30-minute phone screen. Expect questions about your career trajectory, why you're drawn to Northern Trust specifically, and your understanding of the firm's business model (servicing vs. lending). Demonstrating that you've researched Northern Trust's distinct market position — not confusing it with a traditional commercial bank — is a strong differentiator at this stage.

  6. 6
    Hiring Manager and Panel Interviews

    Northern Trust interviews typically involve two to four rounds depending on seniority, often including a direct conversation with the hiring manager, a panel interview with team members, and for senior roles, meetings with business unit leadership. Formats vary — technology roles may include technical assessments or case studies, while wealth management and client-facing roles emphasize relationship-building scenarios and behavioral questions. Virtual interviews via Microsoft Teams are common for initial rounds, with final rounds sometimes conducted on-site at a Northern Trust office.

  7. 7
    Background Check, Offer, and Onboarding

    Given Northern Trust's position as a regulated financial institution, expect a thorough background and compliance check, including employment verification, credit history review, and FINRA checks for licensed roles. Once cleared, you'll receive a formal offer through the Workday system. Onboarding at Northern Trust is structured and comprehensive, often including orientation sessions that introduce new hires to the firm's heritage, compliance expectations, and corporate culture.

Resume Tips for Northern Trust

critical

Lead with Fiduciary and Client-Centric Outcomes

Northern Trust's brand is built on fiduciary responsibility and long-term client relationships. Your resume should foreground outcomes that demonstrate trustworthiness, risk management, and client satisfaction — not just revenue generation. For example, instead of 'Grew portfolio AUM by 15%,' try 'Grew client portfolio AUM by 15% while maintaining fiduciary compliance and a 98% client retention rate.' This signals alignment with Northern Trust's values over a pure sales culture.

critical

Mirror Exact Terminology from the Job Description

Workday's ATS matches candidate profiles against job requisition keywords. Northern Trust job descriptions use precise industry terminology — 'balance sheet optimization,' 'CyberArk operations,' 'enterprise AI,' 'RFP specialist.' Copy these exact phrases into your resume where you can authentically claim the experience. Avoid synonyms or abbreviations the ATS might not map correctly; for instance, write 'Request for Proposal (RFP)' on first use, then 'RFP' thereafter to capture both forms.

critical

Highlight Regulatory and Compliance Knowledge Prominently

As a highly regulated financial institution, Northern Trust values candidates who understand the compliance landscape. Dedicate resume space to regulatory frameworks you've worked within — SEC, OCC, ERISA, Basel III, SOX, GDPR, or FINRA depending on the role. If you've led audit responses, implemented compliance programs, or navigated regulatory examinations, call this out with specific results. This is especially important for operations, risk, and legal roles.

recommended

Showcase Long-Tenure Roles and Progressive Responsibility

Northern Trust's culture rewards loyalty and deep expertise. If you've spent several years at a single firm and been promoted, make this progression visually clear — list each title with dates under the same company header. Frequent job-hopping (especially stays under 18 months) may raise concerns in Northern Trust's relatively traditional hiring culture. If you have shorter stints, provide brief context in a parenthetical note if appropriate, such as '(contract role)' or '(company acquisition).'

recommended

Quantify Technology and Transformation Contributions

Northern Trust is actively investing in AI, cybersecurity, and digital transformation. If applying to technology roles, quantify your impact: 'Reduced vulnerability remediation time by 40% through CyberArk privileged access automation' or 'Designed ML pipeline processing 2M+ daily transactions for anomaly detection.' Reference specific platforms and programming languages mentioned in the posting, such as Python, Terraform, AWS, or Azure, to ensure your profile scores well in Workday's keyword matching.

recommended

Include Professional Certifications and Licenses with Dates

Northern Trust's roles frequently require or prefer specific credentials: CFA, CFP, CAIA, CISSP, Series 7/63/66, or PMP. List these in a dedicated 'Certifications & Licenses' section near the top of your resume. Include the date earned and status (active). Workday's structured fields also capture certifications, so entering them in both places ensures visibility to both the ATS and human reviewers.

recommended

Use Clean Formatting That Workday Can Parse Reliably

Upload your resume as a .docx or PDF, avoiding multi-column layouts, text boxes, headers/footers with critical information, or elaborate graphics. Workday's parser performs best with standard section headers ('Experience,' 'Education,' 'Skills') and chronological or hybrid formats. Place your name and contact information in the body of the document, not in a header, as Workday sometimes strips header content during parsing.

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Reference Northern Trust's Core Business Lines Where Relevant

Northern Trust operates across three major business segments: Asset Servicing, Wealth Management, and Asset Management. If your experience maps to one of these, name it explicitly. For example, 'Managed custody operations for institutional clients' maps to Asset Servicing, while 'Advised UHNW families on estate and tax planning' maps to Wealth Management. This shows recruiters you understand where you fit within the organization — a subtle but meaningful signal.

ATS System: Workday

Northern Trust uses Workday Recruiting, one of the most widely adopted ATS platforms among large financial institutions. Workday parses uploaded resumes into structured data fields and scores candidates based on keyword alignment with the job requisition. It also allows recruiters to search the candidate database by skills, certifications, and experience level, meaning a well-optimized profile can surface you for roles beyond the one you initially applied for.

  • Complete every structured field in your Workday profile — the system weighs profile completeness when surfacing candidates to recruiters, and some fields (like skills and certifications) are independently searchable.
  • Use exact keywords from the Northern Trust job description in your resume and Workday profile. Workday matches on specific phrases, so 'balance sheet optimization' will score differently than 'balance sheet management.'
  • Upload your resume as a .docx file for the most reliable parsing. While PDFs are accepted, Workday's text extraction is generally more accurate with Word documents, reducing the chance of garbled data in your parsed profile.
  • Do not place critical information — your name, email, or phone number — inside document headers or footers. Workday's parser may skip header/footer content, potentially stripping your contact details from the parsed output.
  • Avoid tables, text boxes, columns, and embedded images in your resume. Workday reads documents linearly from top to bottom, and non-standard layouts can cause content to be scrambled or omitted during parsing.
  • After submitting your application, log back in and review your parsed profile for errors. Workday allows you to edit the extracted data, so correct any fields where your experience, dates, or job titles were parsed incorrectly.
  • Apply to roles individually rather than mass-applying. Workday tracks application volume per candidate, and recruiters at selective firms like Northern Trust may deprioritize candidates who apply to many unrelated roles simultaneously.

Complete Workday Resume Guide →

Interview Culture

Northern Trust's interview process reflects its culture: measured, thorough, and relationship-oriented.

Unlike the high-pressure, rapid-fire style common at bulge-bracket investment banks, Northern Trust interviews tend to be conversational and evaluative, with a genuine interest in understanding how you think, collaborate, and serve clients. The typical process spans two to four rounds over several weeks. After the initial recruiter phone screen, you'll commonly meet the hiring manager for a deeper conversation about your technical expertise and career motivations. For mid-level and senior roles, expect a panel interview with two to four team members, cross-functional stakeholders, or business unit leaders. Senior leadership roles — such as the Chief Financial Officer or Global AI Engineering Leader positions — may involve executive-level conversations and potentially a presentation or case study. Behavioral questions are central to Northern Trust's interview methodology. Expect STAR-format questions (Situation, Task, Action, Result) probing how you've navigated complex client situations, managed risk, resolved team conflicts, and upheld ethical standards under pressure. Questions like 'Tell me about a time you prioritized doing the right thing for a client over a short-term gain' are characteristic of the firm's fiduciary mindset. Technical assessments vary by function. Cybersecurity candidates (e.g., CyberArk Operations, Cyber Security Engineering) may face scenario-based questions or hands-on exercises involving privileged access management, incident response, or security architecture. AI and engineering candidates should prepare for coding assessments, system design discussions, and questions about ML model deployment in regulated environments. Wealth management and wholesaler roles emphasize market knowledge, relationship-building aptitude, and consultative selling. Culture fit matters deeply at Northern Trust. Interviewers look for humility, intellectual curiosity, long-term thinking, and genuine respect for the firm's heritage. Arriving overly aggressive or transactional in your demeanor can be a mismatch signal. Demonstrate that you value collaboration over individual heroics, that you take compliance and ethics seriously, and that you're genuinely interested in a career — not just a job. Sending a thoughtful thank-you note after each round is both expected and noticed in Northern Trust's courteous professional culture.

What Northern Trust Looks For

  • Fiduciary mindset — a demonstrable commitment to putting client interests first, which is the foundation of Northern Trust's reputation and business model
  • Deep domain expertise — whether in wealth management, asset servicing, cybersecurity, or AI engineering, Northern Trust favors specialists over generalists
  • Regulatory fluency — comfort navigating the complex compliance landscape of banking and financial services (SEC, OCC, FINRA, Basel, GDPR, SOX)
  • Collaborative professionalism — the ability to work across teams and functions without ego, reflecting the firm's collegial and non-hierarchical working style
  • Long-term orientation — evidence of sustained commitment to employers, continuous learning, and career depth rather than lateral moves for incremental pay increases
  • Technology acumen in traditional roles — even in non-tech positions, Northern Trust values candidates who understand and embrace digital transformation and data-driven decision making
  • Cultural alignment with Northern Trust's heritage — respect for the firm's 135+ year history, its conservative risk approach, and its reputation as a trusted steward of wealth

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the Northern Trust hiring process typically take from application to offer?
Based on common patterns reported by candidates in financial services, Northern Trust's process typically spans three to six weeks from initial application to offer, though senior and specialized roles can take longer. The recruiter phone screen usually occurs within one to two weeks of application if you're selected, followed by hiring manager and panel interviews scheduled over subsequent weeks. Regulated roles requiring extensive background checks (credit, FINRA, employment verification) may add additional time after the verbal offer. Staying responsive to scheduling requests and proactively following up with your recruiter can help keep the timeline moving efficiently.
Does Northern Trust require a cover letter with applications?
Northern Trust's Workday portal does not always mandate a cover letter, but submitting one is strongly recommended — particularly for client-facing, senior, and leadership roles. Northern Trust's culture values thoughtful communication and attention to detail, so a well-crafted cover letter that explains your specific interest in the firm (not just the role) can differentiate you. Reference Northern Trust's fiduciary heritage, a recent strategic initiative (like their AI and digital transformation investments), or a specific business segment that excites you. Keep it to one page and avoid simply restating your resume.
What resume format works best with Northern Trust's Workday ATS?
Use a single-column, chronological or hybrid resume format saved as a .docx file for the most reliable Workday parsing. Avoid tables, text boxes, multi-column layouts, and graphics — Workday reads content linearly and non-standard formatting can cause critical information to be scrambled. Place your name and contact information in the document body rather than headers or footers. Use standard section headers like 'Professional Experience,' 'Education,' and 'Certifications.' After submitting, log back into Workday and review the parsed version of your profile to catch and correct any extraction errors.
Can I apply to multiple Northern Trust positions simultaneously?
Technically, Workday allows you to apply to multiple roles, but exercise strategic restraint. Northern Trust typically has a selective number of open positions, and recruiters can see your full application history. Applying to two or three closely related roles is reasonable and shows focused interest. However, applying to a wide range of unrelated positions — say, both an Executive Assistant role and an AI Engineering Leader role — can signal a lack of direction and dilute your candidacy. If you're genuinely qualified for multiple roles, tailor each application's resume and responses to the specific posting.
How should I prepare for a Northern Trust behavioral interview?
Prepare five to seven STAR-format stories that map to Northern Trust's core values: fiduciary responsibility, collaboration, integrity, and client service excellence. Expect questions like 'Describe a time you identified and managed a significant risk,' 'Tell me about a situation where you went above and beyond for a client,' and 'How have you handled disagreements with colleagues while maintaining professional relationships?' Weave in examples that show long-term thinking, ethical decision-making, and a service-first orientation. Research Northern Trust's recent initiatives — such as their investments in AI and sustainability — to demonstrate genuine interest and prepare thoughtful questions for your interviewers.
Does Northern Trust offer remote or hybrid work arrangements?
Northern Trust has adopted flexible work arrangements, and many roles offer hybrid models that blend in-office and remote days. However, arrangements vary significantly by role, business unit, and location. Client-facing positions such as Senior Market Leaders and External Wholesalers may require more in-person presence for client meetings and relationship building, while technology roles in cybersecurity or AI engineering may offer greater remote flexibility. Job descriptions on the Workday portal typically indicate location requirements. During the recruiter screen, ask specifically about the team's working model to set clear expectations.
What experience level does Northern Trust typically hire for?
Northern Trust hires across experience levels, from entry-level analysts and program associates to senior leaders and C-suite executives. However, given the firm's emphasis on deep expertise and its relatively selective posting volume, many active openings skew toward experienced professionals — specialists, senior leads, and leadership positions. The firm also runs early-career programs and internships, typically recruited through campus partnerships with target universities. If you're earlier in your career, look for Associate or Analyst-level postings, and consider networking with Northern Trust professionals through industry events or LinkedIn to uncover opportunities not yet publicly posted.
What certifications or licenses should I highlight when applying to Northern Trust?
The certifications most valued at Northern Trust depend on the role. For Wealth Management positions, CFA, CFP, CAIA, and active FINRA licenses (Series 7, 63, 66) are highly regarded. Cybersecurity roles favor CISSP, CISM, CompTIA Security+, and vendor-specific certifications like CyberArk Defender or Sentry. Technology and AI roles benefit from cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, GCP) and machine learning credentials. For operations and project management, PMP and Six Sigma carry weight. List all relevant certifications in a dedicated resume section and enter them into Workday's structured certification fields so they appear in recruiter searches.
How can I stand out from other Northern Trust applicants?
Three strategies consistently differentiate candidates at Northern Trust. First, demonstrate genuine knowledge of the firm's unique market position — it's a custodian and asset servicer, not a commercial lender, and confusing this signals a lack of research. Second, emphasize your fiduciary and client-first philosophy in both your application materials and interviews; this is the DNA of the organization. Third, leverage your network. Northern Trust is a relationship-driven company, and an internal referral or a connection made at an industry conference can elevate your application from the Workday queue to a recruiter's priority list. Employee referrals are commonly reported to carry significant weight in the screening process.

Sample Open Positions

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Related Resources

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Sources

  1. Northern Trust Careers Portal — Northern Trust Corporation
  2. Northern Trust Corporation — About Us — Northern Trust Corporation
  3. Northern Trust Reviews and Interview Insights — Glassdoor
  4. Workday Recruiting — How It Works for Candidates — Workday, Inc.