I got a huge interview tomorrow....***UPDATE***

[Gibson486]

It's for an engineering consulting firm for an intsrumentation and controls position. I am so nervous about this one. I have never had an interview with a consulting firm before. I don't even think that my shoes are shiny enough. Anyone here work at one? This is the first non-electronics interview I have ever had. What type of questions do they ask? I mean, i doubt they would ask questions about Fourier or op amps. Besides asking me about Electrical codes, what else could they ask?

Thanks a bunch!


****UPDATE******

Well, I am no longer unemployed. I officially accepted the offer last night. I knew they would start me low, but they started me lower than expected. After a whole day of negotiating (I also got an offer from a competing firm, which was more [but also lower than expected], but I'd rather work for the smaller one), I was about to say no, then my salary magically got bumped by 10% out of nowhere with a huge signing bonus.

I am happy, but also kind of sad. It's awesome that this opportunity fell in my lap, but I feel so torn that I am being pulled away from the industry I did my coops for. I just hope that taking this job does not pull me away from electronics, but I have to do what I have to do.

As for the interview, it was so laid back. The interview at the competing firm was so up tight and had me shaking.

The over all compensation and pay was better at the other firm, but growth seemed to be a guarentee at the one I chose. It took so much work to look past pay and benefits (the insurance plans kind of stink), and I hope it was the right move.

Anyways, thanks to all for keeping my spirits up during my 7 or 8 months of unemployment. I can honestly say that that Anandtech and my g/f were the only things keeping me sane and safe from depression during that time.

Well...back to the normal insanity that is ATOT....

 

[jpeyton]

What's one important mistake you made that you learned from?

 

[skim milk]

expect a lot of behavioral questions

 

[Gibson486]

Thanks all!

 

[FoBoT]

:sun:

 

[LordSnailz]

congrats! so what type of questions did the two firms ask you?

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: LordSnailz
congrats! so what type of questions did the two firms ask you?

The one I accepted the offer from pretty much just asked what my goals in life where and they tried to get to know me and they asked why I decided to go into engineering consulting....

The one I denied asked those HR questions about "give me an example when..." and so forth. They asked similair questions, but they did not get to know me and i did not get to know them.

When it came to offer time, I told them both of the competing firms offer. The one I denied just threw more money at me (it actually reached my goal of what I wanted to make out of college) and called it a day. They acted like it was a bidding war for my services. The one I accepted actually took time to have me look past the money. They came out and said that they do not engage in bidding wars and that they will not try to negotiate with me unless I truely wanted to work there. Even though they offered less (about 5 k less and had worse benefits), they acted like they really wanted me there. I don't know, but that really meant alot to me.

 

[compman25]

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: LordSnailz
congrats! so what type of questions did the two firms ask you?

The one I accepted the offer from pretty much just asked what my goals in life where and they tried to get to know me and they asked why I decided to go into engineering consulting....

The one I denied asked those HR questions about "give me an example when..." and so forth. They asked similair questions, but they did not get to know me and i did not get to know them.

When it came to offer time, I told them both of the competing firms offer. The one I denied just threw more money at me (it actually reached my goal of what I wanted to make out of college) and called it a day. They acted like it was a bidding war for my services. The one I accepted actually took time to have me look past the money. They came out and said that they do not engage in bidding wars and that they will not try to negotiate with me unless I truely wanted to work there. Even though they offered less (about 5 k less and had worse benefits), they acted like they really wanted me there. I don't know, but that really meant alot to me.

So what you're saying is their HR people are sales people also, since they sold you on less money and benefits and made that sound like an advantage.

 

[skim milk]

congrats man
I'm kind of in the whole downtime phase after college too, hoping things work out
good luck to you with the new job

 

[mh47g]

You emotional bastard, you just screwed yourself. Obviously the other company wanted you or else they wouldn't have been willing to give you more money. Now you get to work for a company that is more interested in bleeding hearts than people who are there to earn some fucking money.

GG.

 

[Gibson486]

How so? Big companies ofcourse will give you more money. The one i denied was a firm with over 4,000 people. The firm I accepted is only about 500 people. HIgh pay with no advancement vs low pay with advancement. You pick.

 

[JJChicken]

Congrats. Hey can u give tips on salary negotiations? thanks man.

 

[OrByte]

Originally posted by: compman25

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: LordSnailz
congrats! so what type of questions did the two firms ask you?

The one I accepted the offer from pretty much just asked what my goals in life where and they tried to get to know me and they asked why I decided to go into engineering consulting....

The one I denied asked those HR questions about "give me an example when..." and so forth. They asked similair questions, but they did not get to know me and i did not get to know them.

When it came to offer time, I told them both of the competing firms offer. The one I denied just threw more money at me (it actually reached my goal of what I wanted to make out of college) and called it a day. They acted like it was a bidding war for my services. The one I accepted actually took time to have me look past the money. They came out and said that they do not engage in bidding wars and that they will not try to negotiate with me unless I truely wanted to work there. Even though they offered less (about 5 k less and had worse benefits), they acted like they really wanted me there. I don't know, but that really meant alot to me.

So what you're saying is their HR people are sales people also, since they sold you on less money and benefits and made that sound like an advantage.

HAHA I was thinking the same thing! Business is business OP, you've GOT to go for the best offer you get. The rest of it you just figure out as you get along....

but anyways congrats OP. I hope you will be happy with this decision.

 

[Kadarin]

Congrats on the new job!

 

[mh47g]

Originally posted by: Gibson486
How so? Big companies ofcourse will give you more money. The one i denied was a firm with over 4,000 people. The firm I accepted is only about 500 people. HIgh pay with no advancement vs low pay with advancement. You pick.

Just because there are more people doesn't mean you're going to have no advancement. In my (limited) experience, people are more likely to help you out in a big company as opposed to a little company. In a little company it's more like IF I HELP YOU YOU WILL TAKE OVER MY JOB RAWRRRR

 

[bigdog1218]

Originally posted by: Gibson486
How so? Big companies ofcourse will give you more money. The one i denied was a firm with over 4,000 people. The firm I accepted is only about 500 people. HIgh pay with no advancement vs low pay with advancement. You pick.

High pay with no advancement any day of the week. I'll take money in the bank over potential money. These days you advance by getting a new job.

 

[duragezic]

It's hard to say what I would choose without having been in your shoes. Maybe it wasn't the best option to pick. But at least you will have a good job. Congrats

 

[SludgeFactory]

congrats on the job :thumbsup:

first job out of college?

 

[Goosemaster]

:sun:

 

[Gibson486]

Well...Maybe I did make the wrong decision. i don't know. In the end, the difference was 5k in salary and the other company paid all of grad school while the one i picked only pays 90%. $5k is alot, i know, but I have had 2 coops at huge companies and one coop at a small company. I enjoyed being at the small company much more. In the big companies, it was just work that got passed along. I barely saw my work in the end result. I felt like my work was only a minimal part of the project and when I did accomplish something major, no one really cared. When I worked for the small company, I felt my work made a direct impact and I actually got awarded for it. Also, the company I picked seemed to offer more in terms of career development.

I would have asked for even more, but being right of college, i didn't think it was possible getting a 20% raise from the original offer. I do have to admit that i even think I am being a little under compensated, but at teh same time, it was chasing salary that led me to be unemployed for so long in the first place....

 

[duragezic]

Tell me about it! I accepted a job that pays $8,500 less per year than my other offer ($5,500 less first year due to bonus). Factor in that the COLA where I accepted the lesser paying job makes it almost a $10k per year difference. Hopefully there will be some big jumps in pay!

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: duragezic
Tell me about it! I accepted a job that pays $8,500 less per year than my other offer ($5,500 less first year due to bonus). Factor in that the COLA where I accepted the lesser paying job makes it almost a $10k per year difference. Hopefully there will be some big jumps in pay!

I also factored in that one was in boston and the other was in the burbs. They are the same distance, just opposing direction. As much as I love Boston, I cannot imagine commuting to there everyday. If I still lived in Boston, I know that would have weighed in on my decision alot.

I don't know. I kind of just looked at it this way: Which company could I see myself making a bigger impact?