How long should an interview last
I recently got a call for a panel interview (consisting of 3 people + myself) and was told that it would only last for about 45 minutes. My interview ended up lasting for almost 2 hours. A lot of questions were asked of me and I answered everything and provided examples. The more detailed I got, the more questions they asked me. Is this a good sign that they were impressed with me or did I just talk too much? I am not one to go on and on about stuff. I make my point and explain my reasoning in a very timely manner. I really want this job and felt good about our rapport but just wanted to know from any of you interview veterans out there what your opinion is. Is this a good sign or a bad sign? I was given their business cards at the conclusion, then HR told me I would know something within 1 1/2 weeks.
I have had several long interviews in the past year + that I have been actively looking. One interview I had at a small family owned company in November ended up lasting 2 1/2 hrs. I first talked to the CEO (father) and President (son) together for about an hour. Then, I met with the General Manager (daughter), who I would have been working with. That interview lasted the longest. Guess I said something right, because they may me an offer two days later, but I turned them down. I had interviews with two separate people on different days at another small company this past month that each lasted about 1 1/2 hours. They were supposed to be making a decision on Tuesday (after the second interview of another candidate) but seeing as I haven' t heard anything, I' m thinking that the job may have gone to the other candidate. Of course, it could be they are just having a hard time making up their mind, as this whole process has lasted for over a month already. It sounds like your interviewers were very interested, especially since they asked so many detailed questions. That is a good sign. I know that the waiting is the hardest part. Just remember not to stop your job search, just in case. It could be a good sign, and it typically is, but then again it could be nothing. I' ve learned to not get my hopes up until the call is made, and the offer is on the table. I' ve had 3 hour interviews with 3 different people (one brought in sporadically - good sign!), but probably didn' t get the job. I' ve had a 25 minute interview where they offered it to me. There' s no surefire way of knowing, and it' s easy to look at something like "wow, I had a 1 1/2 hour interview, and they said they' d be in touch!" and then nothing. There are so many factors in place when getting offered a position, it' s best not to look at just one. I do believe if they were initiating more questions, saying, "good, great..." , taking notes, all point to the positive, but as I said, until you have that offer on the table, don' t put all your eggs in one basket, and keep searching. If you have two good prospects, it' s easier not to worry about just one. | |
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