[Anonymous]

i recently interviewed as an experienced hire at a large public accounting firm. i interviewed with the HR director and an accounting manager. it went very well and from my opinion would be a good fit. after the interview i was offered to take a tour of the office and meet the other staff and individuals i would be working with.

is a tour of the office after an interview generally a good indicator that they are highly interested in you? i would think that if they weren’t interested in you after the interview, they would not care to show you around the office.

if anyone has some insight i’d greatly appreciate it…i hope i find out very soon because i’m really interested in the position and it would be a great opportunity.

thanks

[primgirl]

I think an office tour is probably better than no tour. That being said at our office tours are given on the first day of employment.

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[jeff]

The last 2 places I worked … corporate gigs … I was their primary candidate (or maybe they just lied 😉 … I didn't get a tour or lunch. One of them did pay $25k to move me (crazy, I know … pre-recession…2007) and the other didn't squabble when I countered their offer and asked for more $$.

Each company is different…can't read much into it either way I guess.

[shiggity80]

How long did you wait after your interview before you called twice?

If it had been a week or more, then it's probably not too big of a deal that you called twice.

If you had just had the interview and called not once, but twice the next day, that would be a little unprofessional and making you seem like an eager beaver.

But going back to your original post, it sounds like you are overanalyzing things (probably out of nervousness/anticipation). Office tours are pretty common as part of the interview process. Since I don't know your situation, I'm not saying you can't or won't get the job, but just pointing out the fact that you shouldn't over think or breakdown what an office tour means in terms of you getting the job or not.

Good luck man.

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[Anonymous]

i called twice the next day lol. if she would have just professionally picked up, we could have had a brief chat about when i could expect to hear anything from them. unfortunately i did not ask in the interview, but i did tell them i would be very happy to work for them.

i am very overanalytical, but also sometimes very reserved so i've been told sometimes it seems like i don't care. which i don't think i came off that way in the interview, but i would hope calling the very next day would counter any doubt about my interest in the position.

anyway, not much i can do but wait. i checked their website and the job listing is down after an original post date of about a month ago, and i had just checked it was available 2 days ago before my interview. soooo either they've made a decision, ready to make a decision, or i was sooo horrible that they don't want to see anyone else haha. i'll keep everyone posted…only with good news of course 😛

[Anonymous]

well i just received a call back from the company and was told i was too expensive for them and they gave the position to someone internally. my asking salary was the same that i was earning at my other entry-level position.

another example of settling for the meek – funny that in their 10-K it mentions that the company's most valued asset is their employees.

lol right, moving along.

[jeff]

What was the pay range and what was your salary req?

At what point did you tell them your salary req?

[Anonymous]

There wasn't a particular pay range, the day I went in for the interview, I had to fill out a paper application and I put $58K which I understand is above industry average but its what I was making as a new hire at the other firm. I probably should have put a range, it was my fault to assume they'd make an offer.

Same thing happened with the private firm I interviewed with, although they did state a range of $50K-$55K of which I requested $55K. They ended up “going with someone internally”

It's not even about salary, mainly just gaining experience at this point. Easily, if they offered $45K i wouldn't have had any problem with that. My mistake I guess, filling out the paper app did catch me off guard since I already did one online for them.

[jeff]

Advice: Never state salary requirements.

When they ask – tell them you're looking for a fair offer that's in line with your skills and experience.

Always let them state the number…it likely won't happen until they make an offer.

Be prepared for awkward silence … They will move on eventually to a new topic.

[Anonymous]

thanks thats great advice, she referred me to her friend who is another recruiter for a firm downtown here, and i already e-mailed her my resume including salary requirements since the company website specifically asked for it lol (which i gave a range about the local average salary)

but you're right, it makes sense to just ask for a fair offer, thanks

[Anonymous]

This may not be relevant to your area, but just to give some perspective… It is not un-common for a respectable CPA firm in a small town to offer a new hire straight out of college less than 37K. So, 50-55k sounds pretty high to me unless you are in LA or NYC or something.

Super friendly environment, corner office with windows, medical/dental, simple ira. Athletically active and philanthropic coworkers. Great place to work, reasonable hours, enough comp time during busy season to have time to relax during the summer. All depends on what kind of lifestyle you are looking for and cost of living in your state.

Best of luck to you in your job search! It looks like you have some good prospects 🙂

[MeaDebitum]

@ceepa

What region are you located in? 37k is way below average. I think that, nationwide, the average is 45k-50k, probably higher on the east coast though.

[Anonymous]

Hi Medebitum,

You're right. I agree that nationwide it's closer to 45K start, but maybe not in rural areas…

Our town is less than 15,000 in population. Approx 10 employees (including receptionist and payroll).

My impression is the firm has to be 20+ in a metro area to see anything in the 40s first out of college with a BA. Once you get your CPA license, things are different, I'm sure. (…or a couple years of COLA and bonuses).

Got a little down time… back to studying for me.

[MeaDebitum]

Ahh, a rural area would make much more sense.

[Author]

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