I applied online. The process took 1+ week. I interviewed at Visa Inc. in Aug 2012
Interview
Applied for a job and was contacted by HR a few days later, but then played phone tags with HR person for over a week before finally getting to the HR screening interview. At the end of the screening, the HR person set up a phone interview with the hiring manager for the next day.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Overall, hiring manager was not a skilled interviewer. He didn't present the position when he started the interview, as many hiring managers do. I find that it is always great to hear the job description from the hiring manager as written job descriptions can sometimes be misleading or do not articulate clearly key requirements for the job. Instead, he started with a generic question, to which he had a specific answer in mind; however I didn't realize it until it was too late. Not ideal to start an interview!
I applied through an employee referral. The process took 3 months. I interviewed at Visa Inc. (Foster City, CA)
Interview
I was screened over the phone by a recruiter, and then scheduled for interviews with 3 individuals. There were two openings in the same department, so I was interviewed by the V.P. and the hiring manager for each of the jobs. (NOTE: This was 11 years ago, the interview process has become much more rigorous since then!)
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell us why you believe you are a good fit for this particular position?
The hiring manager took the diligence to contact me and get to know my strength and experience. This is rare and most hiring managers didn't get the opportunity to do so because HR won't let it happen. You can't relax unless you already knew these people. This trumps diversity and you're expected to manage upwards. If you can please the top guy, then you shouldn't have any problem in getting hired.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
The interview process is not about understanding your ability, but more to see if you can be a fit. That's a challenge unless you already know "how" to speak up. I was asked for an experience that is not listed in the job description, which is generic and vague to begin with, and no wonder I was not qualified. They also make you meet with several stakeholders and partners though it only matters if the top guy says "yes" so it's kind of a waste of time. Find someone via linkedin before interview so you can be prepared to see who you're dealing with.
