What was your longest interview?

needhelpguy

I've just come back from a 2 hour job interview and honestly it's the longest interview I've ever done. In fact it was 3 different interviews (one hr, one with the "team", and the last with 2 senior managers) and to top it off they put me through a live whiteboard test in front of the managers to solve a problem on the spot (without proper warning so I couldn't prepare). This was for a junior IT position. At 5pm. After I had been sick for a week.

Needless to say I doubt I got it. But I am a bit taken back by the length and intensity of it, if I'm honest. I would expect a senior person might get what I got. I'm not even entirely sure I'd want to work for them after it!

My shortest was 20 minutes and I got the job, and worked in that company for 2 years!

What was your longest and what was the job?

rojito

About 2 hours also, for a tech position I had no experience in but my knowledge of the fundamental concepts etc. is pretty good. It was single interview of 2 hours. I got the job.

Upon starting work I learned the average interview time for my new colleagues had been 30-45 minutes each and they had all been looking towards the interview room during mine wondering what was going on. The guy that interviewed me was a visiting senior guy who apparently enjoyed what he saw and kept probing me with more and more indepth questions. We have since become good friends.

As such, I wouldn't write off your chances just yet. Interviews are a costly exercise for a company and I doubt they would have keep you in for 2 hours if they had decided early on that you didn't have a chance.

Best of luck!

Diziet

An all day thing, about 6 hours, with several different people. I think the whole team interviewed me!

I got that job though :-)

I also have had a 5 hour interview, 3 separate ones followed by a written aptitude test. I didn't get that one, and worse, the company never came back to let me know, which I thought was very strange as that was the last round. How long does it take to send a 'sorry but no' email?

Long interviews, or back to back interviews, are not unusual, especially in the tech sector. If they want a particular fit, they need to know the person will operate well within the team.

seamusk84

Went through a 6 stage interview process over 6 weeks. The first few interviews were a mix of Skype from the head office in San Francisco and face to face in Dublin.

Final interview I was flown to San Francisco and after 1 day of getting used to the time zone was brought into the offices and interviewed by 5 different people across 6 hours. Each person gave me some form of test and I was so jet lagged I messed the whole thing up.

Walked out done at 6pm local time and proceeded to get very drunk in local bars until 2am, when I headed to the airport to fly back to Dublin via a stop over in Chicago. Was completely exhausted when I got home.

Hate that company now and glad I didn't get the crappy job they were offering. Moved on to a much better place. So to summarise- Many weeks

Eoin

2.5+ hours, I think - 5 x 30 minute interviews with different people. And there was a Skype interview either side of that.

La_Gordy

I was in an interview for over 3 hours with 3 different people (1 x team manager, which included Excel practicals and French writing, 1 x Russian speaking test, 1 x Dublin general manager). It was exhausting and I knew by the last interview I had waned, not helped by midway the other interviewers had their wires crossed and I was left alone for half an hour! Nearly died of hunger. Ended up working in the company for a year and half.

When will you hear? While it's impossible not to overthink interviews, even if you weren't on your best form, they probably wouldn't have continued for such a long time if they weren't interested in hearing you out.

syklops

6 hours, met with 5 different people, both face to face and via skype. This was an all day event, which had been preceded by a one hour skype call and a 30 minute phone interview.

needhelpguy

syklops wrote: »

6 hours, met with 5 different people, both face to face and via skype. This was an all day event, which had been preceded by a one hour skype call and a 30 minute phone interview.

Eoin wrote: »

2.5+ hours, I think - 5 x 30 minute interviews with different people. And there was a Skype interview either side of that.

Did you get the job at least?

needhelpguy

La_Gordy wrote: »

I was in an interview for over 3 hours with 3 different people (1 x team manager, which included Excel practicals and French writing, 1 x Russian speaking test, 1 x Dublin general manager). It was exhausting and I knew by the last interview I had waned, not helped by midway the other interviewers had their wires crossed and I was left alone for half an hour! Nearly died of hunger. Ended up working in the company for a year and half.

When will you hear? While it's impossible not to overthink interviews, even if you weren't on your best form, they probably wouldn't have continued for such a long time if they weren't interested in hearing you out.

Hopefully tomorrow or early this week. It's good to hear you got that position. I know they are interviewing some other people so I just have to wait and see. It's entirely possible some other guy will wow them and get the whiteboard test 100%. Nonetheless I did the best I could at that particular time, and that's enough for me. I have a job so if I don't get it it's not the end of the world. It would be nice though!

syklops

needhelpguy wrote: »

Did you get the job at least?

I did.

Eoin

needhelpguy wrote: »

Did you get the job at least?

I withdrew at that stage as there were still more interviews they wanted to do. I reckon I was in with a good shout though.

godtabh

As a graduate I did a few interviews in Lodnon. One always sticks out. A one hour interview followed by an engineering problem to solve. Was given the problem on a sheet and pen and paper. The interview left me to it.

An hour later I was no closer to solving the problem. No sign of the interviewer (or anyone else in the office!). I eventually just left. Never heard from them but they werent a company I want to hear from them. Close to 3 hours I'll never get back.

Ardent

seamusk84 wrote: »

Went through a 6 stage interview process over 6 weeks. The first few interviews were a mix of Skype from the head office in San Francisco and face to face in Dublin.

Final interview I was flown to San Francisco and after 1 day of getting used to the time zone was brought into the offices and interviewed by 5 different people across 6 hours. Each person gave me some form of test and I was so jet lagged I messed the whole thing up.

Walked out done at 6pm local time and proceeded to get very drunk in local bars until 2am, when I headed to the airport to fly back to Dublin via a stop over in Chicago. Was completely exhausted when I got home.

Hate that company now and glad I didn't get the crappy job they were offering. Moved on to a much better place. So to summarise- Many weeks

That's rough. I don't know how senior the role you were going for was but I think I would have point blank refused to travel to SFO for an interview.

ziedth

Did one that lasted the better part of 9-5. Broken down into like 5 assessments and finally an interview. Long ass day

La_Gordy

godtabh wrote: »

An hour later I was no closer to solving the problem. No sign of the interviewer (or anyone else in the office!). I eventually just left. Never heard from them but they werent a company I want to hear from them. Close to 3 hours I'll never get back.

I would hope that that was a wires crossed scenario like what happened to me. But not getting in touch with you after is one of the most ignorant and disappointing aspects of the job search. I interviewed with one online recruitment company and had a good interview, never heard from them and they ignored all my emails and calls. And ahm still bitter!

syklops

seamusk84 wrote: »

Went through a 6 stage interview process over 6 weeks. The first few interviews were a mix of Skype from the head office in San Francisco and face to face in Dublin.

Final interview I was flown to San Francisco and after 1 day of getting used to the time zone was brought into the offices and interviewed by 5 different people across 6 hours. Each person gave me some form of test and I was so jet lagged I messed the whole thing up.

Walked out done at 6pm local time and proceeded to get very drunk in local bars until 2am, when I headed to the airport to fly back to Dublin via a stop over in Chicago. Was completely exhausted when I got home.

Hate that company now and glad I didn't get the crappy job they were offering. Moved on to a much better place. So to summarise- Many weeks

That company didnt begin with a 'W' by any chance did it?

uck51js9zml2yt

I did one 3 hour interview and didn't get it;)

La_Gordy

needhelpguy wrote: »

I've just come back from a 2 hour job interview...

Any news yet OP?

needhelpguy

La_Gordy wrote: »

Any news yet OP?

Nothing yet. Recruiter emailed me to say they are still interviewing so it'll be a few more days. My experience tells me there's always someone better among other candidates!

Diamond Doll

I did a couple of Big Four interviews back in final year of college. They basically involved a computer-based assessment (around an hour long), plus a short essay, followed by two interviews about 45 minutes long each. So probably around four hours altogether.

JJJJNR

Had a series of interviews over a 2 month period, each lasting about an 2 hours, by the time it was all finished I had secured another role. I got offered the job also. Biggest waste of time ever.

Second longest was my best interview, it was over a series of nights out, was brought to a really expensive restaurant at the first interview, and then subsequent ones were all based in similar surroundings, each time with various people in the company, I didn't get the job but got some super steak.

That was the dot-com bubble era..

stimpson

I drove to Cork from Dublin for a 10am interview. Did 1 1/2 hour interview with the engineering team that went very well. Then an interview with the GM and Engineering manager of nearly 2 hours.

It was all going well until I was asked my salary expectations. I could tell by their faces I was over budget. Would be no big deal except they didn't offer any expenses for the trip and I never heard back from them. It would have been a great job, but in the end I ended up with something better. Their loss.

At the end of the day I would think a long interview can only be a good thing. I've wrapped up interviews early when it became apparent the candidate wasn't up to the job.

keepkeyyellow

Like an hour and twenty minutes for a summer contract in paddy power. Oddest thing ever. Didn't even get the job. Shortest was 5 minutes at 16 and I got hired there and then but then again those were the boom years.

needhelpguy

Well just as I imagined I didn't get it. Fell down on the problem solving and a few other things. Also found out yesterday I didn't the the last job I interviewed for (they finally got back to me). Double whammy. This is actually 3 of 3 interviews I have not got in the last few months. Not great for the old confidence.

Oh well onwards and upwards. Just have to keep trying.

La_Gordy

needhelpguy wrote: »

Oh well onwards and upwards. Just have to keep trying.

Hey OP, I think a lot of us know what that feels like. I think it would be a good idea if you sent the recruiters a follow up mail, thanking them for the invitation to interview but also asking for feedback. You might hear nothing but if someone gets back to you you might learn something valuable no so harm in trying.

It will all be grand, it just takes a while and a break!

highlydebased

Typically a 50 min interview often including either a 10 min presentation or a task of about 30 minutes is what I tend to get.

My most disappointing one was over in Leeds, flew over all geared up for it as I was mad to work there. In the end the interview was hardly 15 minutes, they only wanted to ask FOUR questions, and at the end dropped the bomb they would contact me soon with any feedback from the interview. Was in no doubt that they had someone lined up they had. Had a nose through Linkedin a few weeks later- sure enough, somebody who previously held a more junior role in the office had gotten the job.

zoobizoo

Had a three hour group interview for Emap in London back in the late 90s.

There were about 16 of us - all guys in their 20s.

There were four interviewers/employers sitting among us at the boardroom table.

There were three parts.

PArt 1 - tell us about yourself....
Part 2 - if you could meet anyone, who would it be, how would you contact them and where would you bring them?
Part 3 - Britain should be a republic, discuss. Half the table were told to oppose, the other side were told to be pro. Then they switched it around.....

I should have walked out at Part 2... .. Certainly saying "Freddie Mercury, seance & The POD's Friday night club HAM" (Hardcore Adult Movies) wasn't going to get me the job but I had given up by then... at least I didn't say Nelson Mandela or Richard Branson which were popular choices.

godtabh

stimpson wrote: »

I drove to Cork from Dublin for a 10am interview. Did 1 1/2 hour interview with the engineering team that went very well. Then an interview with the GM and Engineering manager of nearly 2 hours.

It was all going well until I was asked my salary expectations. I could tell by their faces I was over budget. Would be no big deal except they didn't offer any expenses for the trip and I never heard back from them. It would have been a great job, but in the end I ended up with something better. Their loss.

At the end of the day I would think a long interview can only be a good thing. I've wrapped up interviews early when it became apparent the candidate wasn't up to the job.

I did something similar with a fruit company that makes phones. Did a great interview and was offered the job but a much reduced salary than originally discussed. You wonder some times.

ZeroThreat

Diamond Doll wrote: »

I did a couple of Big Four interviews back in final year of college. They basically involved a computer-based assessment (around an hour long), plus a short essay, followed by two interviews about 45 minutes long each. So probably around four hours altogether.

Didn't realise interviews for accountants involved creative writing :eek:

Diamond Doll

ZeroThreat wrote: »

Didn't realise interviews for accountants involved creative writing :eek:

I accepted one of the offers, and came to realise that being an auditor involved a lot of creative accounting! :eek: So I guess the interview made sense!

ZeroThreat

Diamond Doll wrote: »

I accepted one of the offers, and came to realise that being an auditor involved a lot of creative accounting! :eek: So I guess the interview made sense!

hmmm talking of auditing, I should really be studying for F8 exam on Monday....:o

JohnMearsheimer

My longest one was an hour long interview with the Central Bank. I felt like I got steamrolled. They offered me the job but I got such a terrible vibe off the head of department during the interview that I turned the job down. I got offered another job a day later