Almost a month passed from my online application to being called to an interview. The first interview was with two HR people and lasted for a full hour. I was asked the regular interview questions, such as Tell us about a time when you showed initiative / solved a complex problem / worked under pressure, etc. They were textbook interview questions and I was prepared for all of them. I heard from them within a week with the invitation to come for a second interview in 10 days' time. This interview was held with two senior members of the team I was to join and again lasted an hour. It opened with questions about my skills, experience and why I wanted to join their specific team. Surprisingly I was not asked about the competitors market, nor was I asked to complete a task or a test. I was not prepared, however for the last two of their 'Competency-Based Questions' -- Tell us how you interpreted numeric data, and another question along these lines. I was not given a short case study on which to demonstrate my answer and struggled to remember one from my own experience. After taking some uncomfortable time to think, I eventually told them about my dealing with funding and managing expenses on a project, which did not answer the question directly. Had I been prepared for such questions, I could have given a more closely related answer from my experience. Given my hesitation and partial answers to the last two questions, I was not expecting an offer, and was surprised to receive one less than three days later.