Interview

November 8, 2007 was a special day for me and I will never forget it! It was my first time for interviews. How exciting it was!
The place for the interviews was located in the Grand Pacific Hotel and several government groups were interviewers participating in this activity. It was a good opportunity for me to find a great job. Although I was nervous when I saw so many candidates waiting for interviews, I was still happy to be one of the lucky people who would have the chance of learning from CGA’s and CA’s.

Before I went to Victoria, I spent some time scanning the web sites of these groups. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember all the information and I was not quite sure about the positions offered by various groups.
What could I do? Being honest was the only choice. When I walked into the interviewing place, I saw that two to four interviewers were at each table, waiting for people to come.

My first interview was with a man and a woman of the BC Pension Corporation. Actually, the interviews were not formal and they only lasted for about five to ten minutes. I started with a brief introduction to the interviewers but ignored the importance of giving opportunities to interviewers to ask me questions. I didn’t feel very successful due to my lack of interview experience. However, I was getting better, one by one. During the next three hours, I had nine conversations with different groups. I collected a lot of information, which couldn’t be known on campus. Some groups didn’t offer the job positions that related to finance or accounting. However, I was becoming more confident about myself because of the experience I was gaining about interviewing. Some interviewers concentrated on the candidates who had good qualifications and experience and were graduating. Nevertheless, they were patient and told me how to succeed in interviews and what the interviewers were looking for.

The most impressive interview was with Agresso. This company focused on software design and functions and more. I had a great conversation with an older gentleman and I asked about Agresso and the job opportunities offered there. The gentleman tried to explain everything and praised my oral English skills and competency. The job positions available in this company were not related to accounting or finance, so I was not very interested in this company. The gentleman mentioned that traveling was part of the job and that there were opportunities to communicate with CA’s, CFA’s and/or CEO’s. The job seemed very attractive, but my goal was and is to be a successful accountant in near future. Therefore, it did not quite match what I was looking for. He spent about a half hour interviewing me and tried to write down the process of hiring an international student. He also suggested that I submit another resume so that I may be formally interviewed by this company. Unfortunately, I could not apply to this company right away, as I am only graduating in April. I may have missed the opportunity, but I didn’t give up because I believe that there are always opportunities around us. In addition, the day’s experience gave me some tips for future interviews. Part of a successful interview includes fluency in English speaking, a good understanding about the company, self-confidence and a good profile of past working experience as well as volunteer experience. In any case, the interview experience at that evening boosted my confidence, and I am sure it will be a precious part of my memory forever.