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Subject:Re: Half Day Interview From:BeckyF <BeckyF -at- BRISTOL -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 9 May 1997 09:08:04 -0400
Michael Clark wrote:
>
> A potential employer of mine said they would like me to spend "at least
> a half a day" with them for an interview.
>
> What in the world would we do over a half day?! Should I prepare for it
> any any differently than I would other interviews?
In my experience, a longer interview demonstrates an employers interest in
making careful hiring decisions and provides the same benefit to a prospective
employee. Another list member remarked that in longer interviews, different
interviewers repeated the same questions, but that has not been my experience.
At my present company, a candidate first meets with a small group from
different departments for an general introductory session (1/2 hour). This is
followed by a technical skills interview (1 hour), a problem-solving skills
interview (1 hour), a business interview (1 hour), a tour of our office and
demonstrations of our products, and a wrap-up session. Different people are
involved in each session.
Deciding to work for a company and to hire someone are both important
decisions. Although this interview system is expensive in terms of the time
invested by people from every department, it helps both the candidate and the
company make a more informed decision. Because of the time and number of
people involved, we do two thorough phone screens (one general and one
technical) before bringing a candidate in.
As for preparation, I don't think you should prepare any differently than you
would for any other interview. That is, convey the skills and strengths you
can bring to the company and identify whether the company is a good match for
you. I have had interviews that included writing tests, but I was always told
in advance to expect some kind of test.
Good luck!
Becky
becky -at- bristol -dot- com
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