Interview

Here is how a typical interview process for a candidate to join the Transfer Pricing Practice in Houston goes:

8:30 – 9:00 am
Recruiter Assistant will greet candidate at the reception and escort him to conference room. Partner will meet Candidate in conference room. At the conclusion of the interview, Candidate will stay in the room.

9:00 – 9:30 am
Principal will meet Candidate in conference room. At the conclusion of the interview, Candidate will stay in the room.

9:30 – 10:00 am
Manager 1 will meet Candidate in conference room. At the conclusion of the interview, Candidate will stay in the room.

10:00 – 10:30 am
Senior Manager 1 will meet Candidate in conference room. At the conclusion of the interview, Candidate will stay in the room.

10:30 – 11:00 am
Senior Manager 2 will meet Candidate in conference room. At the conclusion of the interview, Candidate will stay in the room.

11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Presentation
Transfer Pricing Group will meet Candidate in conference room. Candidate will present. At the conclusion of the presentation, Candidate will stay in the room.

12:00 – 1:30 pm
Lunch
Manager 2 & Staff (Me, me, me!!!) will take Candidate to lunch. At the conclusion of the lunch, please escort Candidate back to conference room.

1:30 – 2:00 pm
Manager 3 will meet Candidate in conference room. At the conclusion of the interview, Candidate will stay in the room

2:00 – 2:30 pm
Recruiter will meet Candidate in conference room. At the conclusion of the interview, Candidate will stay in the room

2:30 – 3:00 pm
Senior 1 will meet Candidate in conference room. At the conclusion of the interview, Candidate will stay in the room

3:00 – 3:30 pm
Partner (Same one lar, where to find so many partner in a department that has only 13 people?!!) will meet with Candidate in conference room for closing. At the conclusion of the interview, Candidate will stay in the room.

3:45 pm
Recruiter Assistant (Also same one lar, u think so many people so free ahh) will escort Candidate to the main lobby. A driver will be waiting outside to depart to the airport.

Wow, ain’t the interview process tedious? Wonder how the candidate will feel having to be interviewed by 10 people (including me!!!). And there is the presentation too! Heard from my colleague this was the same process she went through. Isn’t it amazing the company actually goes to such length to find the right candidate? Each of us will have to complete an evaluation form after the interview with him.

Luckily I did not have to go through the same draggy process. Mine was only 2 meow meow telephone interviews which lasted a mere 20 minutes each. What’s more, most of the time it was the principal who did the talking. All I did was listen and make a few “intelligent” comments now and then. Heng ah, bet I would definitely have failed if I had to go through the above process. Don't think I can take it if I have to impress so many high level personnel who will determine my future in a single day. Now I don't even know what to say when I go out with them for group lunch. No common topic. Superbowl, NFL, MLB, what the hell are they talking about?!!!

Anyway, the candidate will be flying in from Los Angeles next Wednesday just for the interview. Of course I have read through his resume which was sent to me too. Oh my, he is a high achiever expecting to obtain his Ph.D in 3 months' time and had served his internship in various big banks.

Now I am kinda worried. Everyone in the department has at least a Master. This is the minimum requirement to be promoted to a manager. So usually only people with at least an advance degree will be employed. I am sort of an exception and the only one with a meow meow degree. How am I gonna match up to them? How? How? How? I feel so meow meow now…