Initially saw a role for a Graduate Technical Analyst on the Monster website. Was unaware that it was at Experian QAS. Application process was simple; just a CV and covering letter.
Surprisingly I got a call from the recruitment administrator the next day to arrange a telephone interview with the Technical manager a few days after.
Telephone Interview was fairly straightforward, just fairly common competency questions drawing upon my CV, past work experiences, reasons for choosing degree course, favourite modules in degree course etc. Some questions were a bit difficult i.e describe a time in detail when you had to deal with a difficult customer, and how you resolved it? Other standard questions included: What do you know about Experian QAS?, Why do you want to work for Experian QAS?, What makes you suitable for this role etc... Quite a lot of emphasis during the telephone interview was placed on the knowledge of Experian QAS products, so make sure you prepare fully by researching in detail the various products on the website if applying for a Tech role.
Phone interview lasted 30 mins overall. Recruitment administrator then contacted me a few days after, to say that they were keen to see more for a face-face interview at their head-office in Clapham, South London. Interview was schedule for 1 week after, due to Technical recruitment team being busy with other projects. I used this time to my own advantage by preparing as fully as possible, including learning all their products by heart!
The first thing that strikes you when entering the Experian QAS George West house headquarters, is the building itself. The historic 4 storey building itself is impressive in it's style and architecture. Upon entering, the modern interior couldn't be more contradictory to the regal style of the building.
The panel interviewing me consisted of two members: The Technical Manager and the Software distribution manager. Interview lasted 45 mins, and the questions were very similar to the competency ones covered in the phone interview i.e why do want to work here, what makes Experian QAS stand out for you, why do you think you are suitable for this role? Knowledge of the company software products was covered in more detail, so it is a good idea to prepare well. Other questions included: Describe a time when you had to work in a team to complete a difficult task. How did you go about resolving it? Describe a time when you had to work with a difficult team member, what did you learn from it? What are your strengths & weaknesses?...etc
I found the interview panel were very pleasant, and responded positively and did not try to catch me out/ make nervous etc. After most of my answers they kept on saying "excellent, good" which I thought was encouraging. However it is important not to take everything at face value, which I would find out afterwards.
Upon completing the interview, I was presented with a rather strange problem solving task which lasted 15mins. The task itself was a simple maths problem, but requires more thought then it appears. Initially I misread the task, but upon clarification I was able to complete it.
I thought that the interview went quite positive, and I was looking forward to receiving a favourable reply. Especially considering the amount of time & effort that I'd invested in preparing. They said that they would contact me within 1 week.
So I was shocked when I got a call from the recruitment administrator a few days afterwards, to tell me that they won't be taking my application any further for the weakest reasons that I've come across. Apparently they thought that my knowledge of the company products was not strong enough, and they felt that I was not able to follow instructions properly.
Overall a quite disappointing experience, and a waste of time & effort.