Anyone looking for blog updates recently might have noticed that I have been Very Busy; a small boutique counting house in Edinburgh needs a Funds Accountant. Obviously I am their girl; I just need to re-assure them on that point.
On the first working day on January I went to interview them for the first time. I met Sam and Martin. As usual in a first interview I cover the usual ground, all the years of experience managing funds, yep, and sorting stuff, yup, and looking after people, of course.
And my first interview goes so well I get a second interview. Except that this is a Rigorous Selection Process so first I will:
Meet with another fund accountant at small boutique counting house. She's pregnant. We discuss babies, men, working for them, ah , yes, we bond.
Meet with the Finance Director. He used to work at the same Big American Bank I did. He lasted three months there. We agree we don't like them. Compare notes on who we met there. Yep. I passed that one.
Do a test scenario, where I must make a presentation from a folder of information they have given me 15 minutes earlier. I ad lib wildly. It seems to go well
Finally, two hours after first entering the building, I have a structured interview. When I can see they have run out of paper to take notes, I stop talking.
My recruitment consultant phones the next day to confirm - They Like Me! I have passed the second stage!!! All four stages of the second stage in fact!!
But woah!!! Hold the celebrations....Now there will be a third stage - three test papers to test my numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, and personality.
Sweet Baby Cheeses... In my own past life I've agreed to emigrate on less evidence...
17 January 2010 at 15:42
Is this an endurance test? Or will they then have to see if you can use a knife and fork properly? I expect you to ace it. Good luck.
17 January 2010 at 16:13
Mme DeF- Thanks! {scuttles off to practise cutlery etiquette Just In Case...}
17 January 2010 at 22:23
The real test will be whether or not you notice that they've been paying you a salary since the sixth interview.
Good luck!
18 January 2010 at 07:43
Kev - Thanks!The amount of time I've spent in their offices already, I feel like they must owe me a couple of lunchon vouchers by now!
18 January 2010 at 13:29
Wouldn't it be great if you could go through all this, get the job and then say "Nah...I've change my mind".
18 January 2010 at 13:46
Rog - YES!! Sorry - love to join you guys but I have a BETTER OFFER for LOTS more £££
Bwah ha ha ha HAR
18 January 2010 at 21:34
Is this a top notch secret service job or what? Maybe they'd like you to solve a world crisis or build a gun from scratch? Holy hell woman. What happened to the days of a half hour interview with one person and a handshake and "welcome to the firm"?
Good luck with stage three.
19 January 2010 at 07:17
Ms Veg - I'm beginning to suspect that it might be a very cost effective way of getting some of their projects finished.
Now I've done their business contingency plan for them, my numeracy test might be to produce the year end accounts.