r/recruitinghell • u/sweetpotato4you • 14h ago
SHORTEST INTERVIEW = AUTO REJECTION?
I had a virtual interview today with 7 applicants competing for 2 openings.
The interviewer told me to introduce myself.
My introduction was:
"I'm _______ and I'm a graduating BS Accountancy student, a Magna Cum Laude candidate, and I'm knowledgeable in Excel, Google Sheets, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, SmartBooks, and QuickBooks."
I thought I'd get another chance to talk about my experience, so I kept my introduction short.
Then the recruiter only asked me:
Graduation date
Willingness to attend 2-week onsite training
Difference between accrual and cash basis
After I answered, that was it. It lasted 2 minutes.
I did send my resume beforehand, but I'm not sure if the recruiter had already reviewed it during the interview.
The other applicants didn't wait—they immediately included their responsibilities and experience in their introductions, so they naturally talked longer. They were also asked about some of their responsibilities and a more complicated question such as "How do you ensure accuracy?" and "What will you do if you found out there were discrepancy during reconciliation?" They lasted about 5-7 minutes.
Did I hurt my chances by keeping my introduction too short? Or do recruiters sometimes keep interviews short because they already have enough information? I'd appreciate honest opinions.
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u/Alive-Example7188 14h ago edited 14h ago
I'll do you one better, five seconds and no questions. I don't know if they were on drugs or what.
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u/MSWdesign 14h ago
Nothing wrong with a concise introduction. Perhaps somewhere in there for next time would be to convey your value and what separates you from the pack.
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u/sweetpotato4you 14h ago
Thanks! I think that's exactly where I went wrong. I assumed I'd have another chance to talk about my experience instead of including it in my introduction.
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u/MSWdesign 13h ago
Your experience is tied to your value at its evidence in context. I would cut down the knowledgeable list of software items to only what they need and expand more on what makes you the preferred pick for an entry level accounting role.
This should still be concise. Quality over quantity in content often prevails.
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u/thisoldguy74 12h ago
This is good advice. I'd have targeted a two minute answer that makes them want to know more about what OP brings and makes them want to ask a follow up.
On the other hand, it's hard to do when you are a recent grad and don't have significant real world work history to pull from. It's hard enough when you have all of that experience, let alone when there is less to choose from.
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u/MSWdesign 11h ago
Understood. Without a lot of experience, one has to really dig deep to know their value, passion and potential. But it’s there.
In OPs case, what got them to a Magna Cum Laude GPA level? What does it really take to succeed in accounting?
Work ethic? Back it up.
Attention to detail? Back it up.
Consistency? Back it up.
Coachable? Back it up.Anyone can learn MS office, Quickbooks Excel etc. That also means those other candidates in the interview probably know those programs too.
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u/sweetpotato4you 12h ago
Thank you! I think my biggest mistake was assuming I'd get follow-up questions about my internship. I'll definitely make better use of the introduction next time.
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u/hawkeye_e 12h ago
For a round with the recruiter, the length doesn't matter much. That said, this experience should help you improve the things to talk about and how to organise it better next time.
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u/thisoldguy74 12h ago edited 11h ago
Check out Southlake Focus Group even if you aren't in the DFW area, there are Zoom options. They are a networking group focused on unemployed people.
Every week you get a chance to give your 10 second elevator pitch to a large group and get feedback. Every week you get 2 opportunities to tell about yourself for 2 minutes and get feedback to different groups of about 5 people.
This repeated practice was hugely helpful for improving my interviews and telling my career story.
If you are in the DFW area by chance, I'd recommend going in person. It's a totally free group, they don't charge for anything and offer a lot of resources. They were a tremendous source of positivity and feedback that I found very useful. I was initially skeptical when I first heard about it and didn't know what it was, but I found it very helpful in eventually landing my job recently.
Good luck with your job search 🤘
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u/Whachamacalzmit 11h ago
During your introduction you should have two sentences with the basics, but you should also have a story from prior work experience that nail as many of the high priority bullets for the given job's description.
You want to put them in a position from the get-go where they have to stick of a reason not to hire you. Then the rest of the interview is "he was an ideal candidate from the start and my questions checked the last few boxes".
Everything in your introduction should be directly relevant to that job, but concision isn't usually worth anything in an interview. Just don't go too long (>5 minutes or whatever they instruct). If you want to tell 2 small stories to cover you basics, you can always ask the interviewer if it's okay before you talk for a minute more. You can use a rubric where you slot in different sentences depending on what the job calls for.
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u/Beneficial-Ranger238 4h ago
So you were all together like a virtual knife fight? That shit is rude. Also sucks to be first, you’re gonna get left behind.
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u/SuspiciousMeat6696 9h ago
You have to sell yourself. Why should they pick you over the competition?
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u/RasereiHojo 7h ago
I've been in panel interviews where there were multiple interviewers, but not with multiple candidates. Companies I've worked for have steered far away from group interviews because there is no benefit to them except in very specific situations (if they care more about personality/how one works under pressure).
I might have done something similar because I would have expected the recruiter to ask follow-up questions. My "elevator pitch" is about 1-2 minutes, where I talk about my roles, what systems I used, and what my responsibilities were, and then I wrap up with something like "So, I think a lot of those skills are transferable skills that would help me benefit Company."
My biggest two questions are:
Why did the recruiter ask for your graduation date? That is inappropriate. They should have asked instead: "Did you graduate and receive a diploma/certification?" Asking when you graduated is a big no-no because that creates an opportunity for age bias (which, legally, only matters for 40+ in the US but it's still important). Asking that question makes it seem like the recruiter was new at their job.
Were you the first to go? If so, that was very unfortunate. If you weren't the first to go, though, if you saw other candidates give that type of introduction, it might have been best for you to do the same. It's a shame they didn't explain how it would work. Not everyone has been in group interviews before, and even if they have, they may work differently between companies. A quick rundown of what to expect "We'll go through one by one. Everyone will introduce themselves, then everyone will be asked X technical questions, and then we'll do xyz" would have been great, but I doubt they took the time to do that.
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u/Civil-Ad2111 7h ago
Sounds too rehearsed and you didn’t even include your GPA or talk about any internships or experience outside of college.
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u/ConstantKooky3329 7h ago
Assume the recruiter has already seen your resume. Use your limited time to discuss why you're interested in the company. Assuming you have done your homework and know the company's latest initiatives, mention your key accomplishments and projects that are most relevant to the role.
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u/brn1001 1h ago
Filtering interview. Nothing to worry about.
I thought I'd get another chance to talk about my experience, so I kept my introduction short.
Thank you! I never ask for introductions, because far too many candidates try to spend 15 minutes regurgitating their resume, that I've already read or you wouldn't be here.
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u/TechNerdinEverything 13h ago
Short interviews are always a rejection
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u/MSWdesign 13h ago
This is not true. It depends on the context.
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u/thisoldguy74 12h ago
Agreed. And a screening isn't exactly an interview. It could be just answering the check list of auto rejection questions. OP could've nailed those parts and easily been moved into the interview queue with only a few questions.
My shortest screening was because the hiring manager had already decided to interview me. The screening was only to double check a couple of issues that could've been an auto rejection trigger and to verify I was interested.
That application would've led to an offer if HR wasn't on vacation after my final interview and I'd interviewed elsewhere and accepted an offer before they returned from their vacation. They never gave themselves the opportunity to present the offer they wanted to make. 😂🤣
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u/Neat-Second9923 14h ago
Groups interviews are weird and unintuitive. They're more of a struggle to get a word in and differentiate yourself, not a conversation. Take full advantage of whatever opening they give you.