THE SECOND INTERVIEW

The second interview is often the point at which you may receive a job offer from the employer. At the same time, it is an opportunity for you to consider the company environment and work style to see if it is a fit for you. Would you want to spend the majority of your day in this organization? By observing the environment and asking questions, you will be able to assess the culture.

Things to observe:

Dress Code
Numbers of men and women
Age groups
Condition of facility (old or new)
Presence of technology
Interactions between staff
Environment (formal or relaxed)

Tips:

Make sure you understand the arrangements in advance.
Location
Travel Arrangements
Expenses (Prepaid or will you be reimbursed?)
Contacts (With whom will you be meeting?)
Be prepared for a full day of interviewing.
A typical interview day can be up to eight hours long, and during this time you might participate in up to12 interviews. You may be presented with the following situations as well:

Case Interview: In this type of interview, the interviewer takes the candidate through a series of steps and evaluates how (s)he tackles the various levels. The steps can range from identifying a critical issue, to breaking a problem into component parts, to finally identifying one or more solutions.

Step 1: Big Picture Thinking: The interviewer lays out the facts and asks the candidate to articulate the critical issues facing the business. This requires an ability to focus on key issues, not every issue. The interviewer will then ask why the candidate chose the answer s(he) did.

Step 2: Problem Solving Logic: The interviewer asks the candidate to lay out all the elements of the problem: What factors should be considered?

Step 3: Focusing on Value: The interviewer then lets the candidate choose which avenues to pursue, leaving the discussion open-ended. The interviewer determines if the candidate is instinctive about which path to choose and asks why the candidate selected this path.

Step 4: Depth and Breadth - Business Intuition: The interviewer asks the candidate some probing questions about how (s)he would analyze a key area.

Step 5: Results Orientation: The interviewer asks the candidate how (s)he would implement his/her solution. The interviewer could pose a tricky or hostile client situation to see how candidate would get results in a difficult environment.


(Taken from "How to Ace the Case Interview," Bain & Company)
Writing Samples: The interviewer will ask you to produce a writing sample on the spot. They may want you to defend or argue a particular issue, or summarize data to support a philosophy or viewpoint.

Problem Solving Questions: You may be asked to solve a particular problem, either off the top of your head or with a paper and pencil, during the interview. Some examples of this are probability and quantitative problems.

Group Interviews: In this type of interview, you will meet with several interviewers simultaneously. They may be from different departments around the company or all from the department for which you are interviewing to obtain a position. It is important to be aware of who is in your interview, so that you can address issues in your answers and questions that pertain to those positions and departments. You should remember to address the whole group when answering a question.

Answer each question with the same enthusiasm as you did the first time you were asked. You will be meeting with a number of people who will have no idea what you discussed previous to their interview.

Be concise. Confine your responses to what the interviewer has asked you to explain.

Provide logical back-up for your answers. Be sure to explain what case facts led you to a conclusion, and how you reasoned from those facts to your conclusion.

Do not be afraid to ask clarifying questions. If you don't understand the facts, it will be difficult to answer correctly.

Do additional research.

Know the employer thoroughly and have an in-depth understanding of the career field that you are interested in entering.

Follow up with a thank you letter.

It is not necessary to send a thank you letter to every person with whom you interviewed. It is usually sufficient to send one to the person who coordinated the visit