I applied online, and within one or two days a phone interview was scheduled. I was asked 3 relatively easy questions, and then an in-person interview was scheduled.
While this wasn't a horrible interview process, it certainly was stressful and intimidating. They seemed very condescending and impersonal. I understand the importance of being serious and professional, but they should seriously consider lighting up enough to act like normal human beings, not robots.
I met with a panel of about six people, including the supervisor. The atmosphere was very serious, with almost no smiles cracked. One of the questions asked of me was something like, "If you were guaranteed success, what would your job be?". When I told them my answer, their response was that their employees' skills "blew [insert job title here]s' skills out of the water". I don't know if that was supposed to impress me or insult me, but I took it as the latter.
After the interview, the group asked me to lunch. I finally got to see a personal side of the group, and they actually seemed quite nice. It was a drastic change from the tense setting of the interview. At the end of it all, I asked the supervisor what the approximate timeline would be for their decision. I was told it wouldn't be long, and that I would hear back either way.
TWO MONTHS LATER. I had another phone interview with a brand new employee, which I thought odd. From what I gathered, they got the job that I had applied for. I did some research on Glassdoor, and realized that one of the other Business Intelligence Specialists had either quit or had been let go, hence why they probably interviewed me again.
I ended up getting the job offer, but turned it down due to the pitiful pay. According to MULTIPLE sources, the average salary for this title falls within the 50K-70K range, give or take. Of course this was an entry-level job, but the pay they wanted to offer me was insultingly low. I would have made more waiting tables, and much more in the job that I told them during the in-person interview. If the supervisor boasted how their employees "blew [insert job title] out of the water" skill-wise, shouldn't they be compensated more? I asked the HR representative if they could negotiate the salary, and I was told that while I could try, it wouldn't be likely as this was a "typical entry-level salary". I rejected their offer. Since then, I have gotten my dream job with a significantly higher pay rate than what Holland & Knight offered me. If you want to hire talented, educated individuals, then at least compensate them appropriately.