Applying for a job. Need some opinions here.

[Anguyen92]

So an update for me, today, I applied for a Staff Accountant Internship for this company called Novogradac & Company in Long Beach.  Hours later, I got a phone call stating that they want me for an interview tomorrow.  I am very nervous, but I will read the Job Interview Do's and Don'ts thread here.

[ReaperKK]

Good luck!

[Anguyen92]

Got the response email.

"We have reviewed the qualifications of each candidate and after careful consideration, we have determined that the credentials of other candidates may better fit our needs at this time."

Well that sucks, but looking back at that interview, I knew I did not deliver too perfectly.  Oh well, something to learn from and move forward with.  I just got to keep going and applying more jobs.

[ReaperKK]

The generic email back. It's not the end of the world, just take it as practice interviewing and a learning experience.

[pogoowner]

The generic email back. It's not the end of the world, just take it as practice interviewing and a learning experience.

Yup. Also, it's nice that they sent you that email pretty quickly. I hate being left hanging.

[millahh]

The generic email back. It's not the end of the world, just take it as practice interviewing and a learning experience.

Yeah...no substitute for live fire when it comes to interviews, giving talks, etc.

[Anguyen92]

I wouldn't keep bumping this thread unless a window of opportunity is opened to me.  I applied for a Staff Accounting position for Enterprise (the rent a car company) in Orange, CA and a couple of days later I got this email.

"Hi there! Thank you for applying for the position with Enterprise. We have reviewed your application and would like to schedule you for a phone screen. Before doing so, please read the information below carefully:

This position is FULL TIME working approximately 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday (8am-5pm)
Must have a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or Finance
This position is based out of Orange (92868) and should be a reasonable commute for you

If the above is acceptable, please click or copy the link below to your browser to schedule your phone screening."

All three conditions I can fill with ease and I scheduled the phone call on Thursday.  I wonder what they will ask me?

[pogoowner]

I wouldn't keep bumping this thread unless a window of opportunity is opened to me.  I applied for a Staff Accounting position for Enterprise (the rent a car company) in Orange, CA and a couple of days later I got this email.

"Hi there! Thank you for applying for the position with Enterprise. We have reviewed your application and would like to schedule you for a phone screen. Before doing so, please read the information below carefully:

This position is FULL TIME working approximately 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday (8am-5pm)
Must have a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or Finance
This position is based out of Orange (92868) and should be a reasonable commute for you

If the above is acceptable, please click or copy the link below to your browser to schedule your phone screening."

All three conditions I can fill with ease and I scheduled the phone call on Thursday.  I wonder what they will ask me?

I would check a site like Glassdoor. People will likely have posted their interview experiences with Enterprise, quite possibly for that exact position. Phone screenings often just discuss your work history and explain the job to you in order to determine if you're fit for a later face to face interview, so there may not be a lot to prepare for. But there is the possibility for behavioral questions and "tell me about a time when you..." questions.

[mikeyd23]

I would check a site like Glassdoor. People will likely have posted their interview experiences with Enterprise, quite possibly for that exact position. Phone screenings often just discuss your work history and explain the job to you in order to determine if you're fit for a later face to face interview, so there may not be a lot to prepare for. But there is the possibility for behavioral questions and "tell me about a time when you..." questions.

Yeah I would check Glassdoor as well, a company the size of Enterprise should have a lot to look through.

[cramx3]

Says phone screening, not phone interview.  Probably going to ask you basic stuff about yourself to make sure you are sane and meet the minimum requirements.

[Stadler]

Tip:  DO NOT USE YOUR PHONE SEXY VOICE. 

[Orbert]

Wow, I was just gonna tell him to use his phone sexy voice.  I mean, it couldn't hurt, right?





(Just kidding (mostly))

[millahh]

Wow, I was just gonna tell him to use his phone sexy voice.  I mean, it couldn't hurt, right?





(Just kidding (mostly))

What about being blazed for it?   

[cramx3]

Wow, I was just gonna tell him to use his phone sexy voice.  I mean, it couldn't hurt, right?





(Just kidding (mostly))

What about being blazed for it?   

  clearly that works

[Orbert]

I've been told that my voice gets lower, and being more relaxed, it's entirely possible that the result is similar to a phone sexy voice.

[Anguyen92]

Well, that was easier than I thought it would be.  They asked me only these questions.  I answered them loudly and clearly with the answers I know they want to hear.  They stated they will get back to me next week whether or not I have a face-to-face interview.

Am I 18 years old or older
Do I have a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or Finance.
What is my level of proficiency with Microsoft Office products (i.e. Outlook, Excel, Word, etc.).
Am I available to work full-time, 40 hours/week Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.
Do I have a valid California driver's license.
How many driving incidents or infractions do I have within the last three years.
Did I plead not guilty of any drug or alcohol related convictions on driving record (DUI/DWI) within the past 3 years.
Am I authorized to work in the United States and do I require work authorization sponsorship by the company for this position now or in the future.
Do I have any prior accounting-related work experience. (I stated no on that one as I am a recent graduate. Don't know if that hurts my chances or not, but I just can't say yes when I don't have it and a school program where I assisted low-income families with their tax returns last spring probably does not qualify).

[cramx3]

Well, that was easier than I thought it would be.  They asked me only these questions.  I answered them loudly and clearly with the answers I know they want to hear.

Am I 18 years old.
Do I have a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or Finance.
What is my level of proficiency with Microsoft Office products (i.e. Outlook, Excel, Word, etc.).
Am I available to work full-time, 40 hours/week Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.
Do I have a valid California driver's license.
How many driving incidents or infractions do I have within the last three years.
Did I have any drug or alcohol related convictions on driving record (DUI/DWI) within the past 3 years.
Am I authorized to work in the United States and do I require work authorization sponsorship by the company for this position now or in the future.
Do I have any prior accounting-related work experience. (I stated no on that one as I am a recent graduate. Don't know if that hurts my chances or not, but I just can't say yes when I don't have it and a school program where I assisted low-income families with their tax returns last spring probably does not qualify).

Yea, just making sure you meet the requirements and are real. 

I'm curious since you were questioned about it.  The question about a DUI.  So I got a DUI (getting close to 3 years ago).  What impact does this have on me getting a job going forward?  I always wondered how this will effect me down the line.  It wasn't a felony so I can still answer that question as a no in a future interview, but if I got asked about a DUI, obviously I had one and they will find out through background check so wondering how many potential jobs did I screw myself out of from making that terrible mistake?

[Anguyen92]

^^ Honestly, I have no idea since I do not have a drunk driving infraction, but if you were asked that question "Did you have a DUI in the last three years?", got to go with the honest answer.  Don't know if it hurts your chances.  In my case, though, since I am applying for a company that deals with cars, if I did have a recent DUI, and stated that I had a drunk driving infraction, I can kiss that position chances goodbye.  Don't know how it applies to other jobs though.

[cramx3]

^^ Honestly, I have no idea since I do not have a drunk driving infraction, but if you were asked that question "Do you have a DUI in the last three years?", got to go with the honest answer.  In my case, though, since I am applying for a company that deals with cars, if I did have a recent DUI, and stated that I had a drunk driving infraction, I can kiss that position chances goodbye.  Don't know how it applies to other jobs though.

Oh yea that makes total sense, and I would give the honest answer (cause they will find out anyway) just wondering how many jobs I have elminated myself from automatically by getting that DUI.  A very poor decision that has cost me a lot, and I have always wondered how long I will be paying for it in other ways, such as getting a job in the future.

[Anguyen92]

^^ The thing is, now that I think about it, the question was phrased, "Did I plead not guilty of any drug or alcohol related convictions on driving record (DUI/DWI) within the past 3 years."  Now I stated no, since I had to have a drug/alcohol related conviction to plead to, which I did not.  If I stated yes, that means I would have had a drug/alcohol conviction on my record, which certainly was not the case.  Now that I think about it, I could have answered it as "I do not have a drug/alcohol related conviction."  Oh dear, did I screw myself out of another promising spot?

[cramx3]

That seems to be weird phrasing.  If you have a conviction on your record, why would it matter what you pleaded?  Unless they are trying to find out if you got out of a DUI arrest.

[Anguyen92]

I got a follow-up phone call about the job position with Enterprise. They stated they are going to do a phone interview with me, tomorrow afternoon. I need some quick advice on how to present myself on the phone that gets me the face-to-face interview, please.

[millahh]

I got a follow-up phone call about the job position with Enterprise. They stated they are going to do a phone interview with me, tomorrow afternoon. I need some quick advice on how to present myself on the phone that gets me the face-to-face interview, please.

-Be in a quiet place w/o interruptions
-Speak clearly and loudly enough
-Answer questions fully but as concisely as reasonable
-Remember that they can't see your body language (for better and worse)
-Some people recommend being dressed nicely for a phone interview, as it will influence your mindset and you will speak more professionally. 
-Be prepared for behavioral interview questions (tell me about a time..., what did you do...); likely won;t get much of that on the phone, but you never know
-Have your resume in front of you

[Anguyen92]

^^ All right, all of that is certainly doable.  Thank you.

[mikeyd23]

-Be in a quiet place w/o interruptions
-Speak clearly and loudly enough
-Answer questions fully but as concisely as reasonable
-Remember that they can't see your body language (for better and worse)
-Some people recommend being dressed nicely for a phone interview, as it will influence your mindset and you will speak more professionally. 
-Be prepared for behavioral interview questions (tell me about a time..., what did you do...); likely won;t get much of that on the phone, but you never know
-Have your resume in front of you

This is all awesome advice, specifically to that last point, I usually have my resume in front of me as a cheat sheet in case I blank on work experience, additionally I have found it helpful to have a hard-copy of the job description you are interviewing for in front of me as well. That way if you get the opportunity, you can speak directly to some of the qualities they are looking for in the job posting.

[millahh]

-Be in a quiet place w/o interruptions
-Speak clearly and loudly enough
-Answer questions fully but as concisely as reasonable
-Remember that they can't see your body language (for better and worse)
-Some people recommend being dressed nicely for a phone interview, as it will influence your mindset and you will speak more professionally. 
-Be prepared for behavioral interview questions (tell me about a time..., what did you do...); likely won;t get much of that on the phone, but you never know
-Have your resume in front of you

This is all awesome advice, specifically to that last point, I usually have my resume in front of me as a cheat sheet in case I blank on work experience, additionally I have found it helpful to have a hard-copy of the job description you are interviewing for in front of me as well. That way if you get the opportunity, you can speak directly to some of the qualities they are looking for in the job posting.

Yep.  Keeps you focused and centered as well.

[Adami]

I got a follow-up phone call about the job position with Enterprise. They stated they are going to do a phone interview with me, tomorrow afternoon. I need some quick advice on how to present myself on the phone that gets me the face-to-face interview, please.

Don't wear pants. Seriously, works wonders.

[Anguyen92]

Well, finished the phone interview. They asked a lot of behavior questions. Describe a time when you showed leadership, when you went above and beyond what was expected, when you had to self-motivate yourself, what areas of communication do you have an issue with, how do you stay competitive, and what were your overall goal in college. I stated my answers with examples from the class projects I've done, and then they wanted to clarify my answers which I stated, "Yes, that is correct." I think I did all right with few stutters, but nothing too serious or derailing.

I hope I get that face-to-face interview.

[Orbert]

Sounds like you're on track so far.  Phone interviews are often just to make sure you can actually communicate well enough using spoken words, but they also serve as a second level of screening (not throwing away your resume was the first).  If they call you in for the face-to-face, you're basically a "finalist".  Sometimes they pick the finalist from the phone interviews, so it's just a formality; but where I work, we narrow it down to two finalists, three tops, then see what they're like in person.

So far, so good. 

[mikeyd23]

Yeah man, sounds like you are on the right track! 

[Anguyen92]

All right, so it's been a week since the phone interview and I haven't anything from Enterprise since then. They hadn't sent an email stating that I did not get the job, so that's a good sign, but the length of waiting so far has me a bit nervous.

I did sent a follow-up email today asking about the status of the position.  So how long should I wait until I should give up pursuing the position?

[cramx3]

All right, so it's been a week since the phone interview and I haven't anything from Enterprise since then. They hadn't sent an email stating that I did not get the job, so that's a good sign, but the length of waiting so far has me a bit nervous.

I did sent a follow-up email today asking about the status of the position.  So how long should I wait until I should give up pursuing the position?

Well, there isn't much to pursue if they aren't responding (although I'd give it at least a day before saying that follow up e-mail is being ignored).  I'd say keep looking for other jobs while waiting, don't hold up waiting on them.  Also, if they continue to ignore e-mail, give them a call.  Doesn't hurt and while it may seems obvious by the time you call that they aren't interested, maybe you can get some honest constructive feedback to better yourself for next time.

[Anguyen92]

Welp, I didn't get the next step of the process.  Dang it.  Back to the drawing board.

"Thank you for your interest in our Staff Accountant Orange position.
 
Although we have chosen to pursue other candidates for this position, we sincerely appreciate your interest in our company and wish you the very best in your job search.
 
Thank you again for your interest in Enterprise."

[cramx3]

Learning experience... keep working on it 

[Anguyen92]

Decided to take a different approach regarding applying to jobs.  I decided to apply to a temp accounting agency.  Got a phone call stating that they want to do a video interview and talk about school, the jobs I have applied to, what the agency is going to do to help me out.  That went well.  The next day, they told me if I was interested in a temp job at an online university.  I said yes, of course.  Now today, they got me the position.  The timing is good as well.  The building is 10 miles away from where my family is going to be moving to.  Exciting times ahead.  I can now make that first step in gaining experience.