So I finally landed an interview, but then...

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showtyme

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For someone who graduated with a Chemistry degree and currently preparing for the CFA level 1 exam this December, it has been a strenuous task seeking employment in the financial industry.

So I finally landed an interview for a securities analyst position last week for a reputable company. But then I received a call today from the recruiter stating that the hiring manager will be out for this week and next week, which means I have to wait until the week of Sept. 24 to conduct the interview. Is this a normal situation? Are they still interested? Are they not worried that I may find a different position? any insight would be greatly appreciated
 
Typical hiring cycle runs 1-2 months minimum for a large shop, including getting all committees' approvals, reference checks, whatever other hoops they jump through before being able to generate an offer letter. My general experience is that the cycle time increases with firm size.

So a lost week or two here or there is certainly par for the course. If they really had no interest in you they'd just tell you that.
 
My feeling is that this is probably a genuine reason. They are also probably not in a hurry to hire, so willing to bide time and wait.

They are not bothered that you may find a different position as there will be plently of people to take your place, if you do.
 
Similar situation for me. The M&A IB I was supposed to interview with tomorrow emailed me today and pushed it back a week. showtyme, I know how frustrating it is because there's nothing we'd like more in the world than to get on with things; the longer we wait for an interview, the longer we are out of the employment game; hiring managers don't seem to understand this. Such is life.
 
Thanks for the response guys. kkent, you're absolutely right, this is fustrating. I spent the whole weekend thoroughly preparing for the interview just to find out I have to wait two weeks. It sucks!
 
sounds legit...happens all the time. don't sweat it -- just look at it as your having a couple more weeks to prepare.
 
More than likely legit.

When dealing with the "large and reputable" crowd they treat that name recognition as currency to treat everyone like crap.
 
4 months between my first interview and date of hire.

If they really did not want to hire you they would have said it straight out or told you in a different way (the job is no longer being offered, we decided to pursue another candidate etc...)

Spend this time learning about your role, the company, the industry etc.


good luck!
 
I wouldn't trip. Treat the situation like you would a girl who is playing games, or trying to put you on the shelf: Use the time to see what else is out there.

Before I landed my gig, I was rescheduled three f-ing times. Each time I felt further away from getting the job. It was all in my head though.

Stay focused, and keep looking. Just because you got an interview doesn't mean the search is halted even the slightest.
 
You guys don't seem to understand the dynamic - an entry level hire is usually not the most pressing item on any manager's to do list. Sure, it seems rude, and it may be, but it's just business. Something more important than you came up. Could be an important meeting on short notice, could be taking his kids to disneyland before school starts.

If they absolutely, positiviely, desperately wanted you to come work there, they wouldn't do this. But they don't. You're just some halfway decent resume at this point, one of many. Knock em dead in two weeks.
 
This happens all the time. It happened at the job I recently accepted (people were on vacation so they had to push the interviews back a couple of weeks). Most firms take a while to hire people (1-2 months) unless they are really trying to fill an unexpected opening quickly (and when this happens sometimes it may not be the position you really want because you are in a sense just putting out a fire).
 
Since when did someone's word mean nothing anymore? I think it's incredibly rude. The only thing pressing should be the employer keeping its word. Forgiveable yes. Inexcusable, no.
 
definitely the norm. I am passively searching and would go nuts if I was out of work and looking full time with all the delays that occur. -- even if I was getting severance. I guess that goes back to the enjoy the moment discussion earlier.
 
recentcornellgrad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> definitely the norm. I am passively searching and
> would go nuts if I was out of work and looking
> full time with all the delays that occur. -- even
> if I was getting severance. I guess that goes
> back to the enjoy the moment discussion earlier.


plus, you also have no leverage in compensation discussions if you don't currently have a job. i've seen some people on the sell-side quit their jobs outright to focus on their buy-side job search, but i can't imagine how this is ever a good idea. no leverage in comp discussions, no salary while you're voluntarily unemployed, etc...
 
numi, I've never been in the situation of being employed (especially in a 60-80 hour per week job) while attempting to look for another job. How is that even logistically possible? Can you take 4-5 separate instances of 3-4 hours off without it becoming highly suspicious or even detrimental to your work? I ultimately quit my job because it was about 170 miles away from my preferred area of residence.
 
kkent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> numi, I've never been in the situation of being
> employed (especially in a 60-80 hour per week job)
> while attempting to look for another job. How is
> that even logistically possible? Can you take 4-5
> separate instances of 3-4 hours off without it
> becoming highly suspicious or even detrimental to
> your work? I ultimately quit my job because it
> was about 170 miles away from my preferred area of
> residence.


kkent, it's tough, no question about it. but i guess you just try to do it as long as you can without drawing too much attention to yourself, assuming you're looking for a position in the same city. and in the case that you want to relocate completely, then usually you have no choice but to leave your job.

i don't know how people do it because few people outside of banking or strategy consulted are "expected" to be looking in the latter part of their first year or second year. i guess it probably just depends on how well you're able to do it discreetly. people here do it all the time but it always seems so much easier said than done. anyone have tips or suggestions from personal experience?
 
Lots of "dental work".

Bonus: you can come back from interviews drooling, and blame it on the novocaine.
 
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