I should preface this description by stating that the majority of the time between my application date and date of hire was during the 2013-14 holiday season. Had it been a different time of year it may not have taken as long in my opinion. Either way, while the interview process seemed long, I feel it was beneficial as I got many chances to see that I would fit in with the company's culture. I applied through a job posting on LinkedIn and had a phone interview the following week. That was followed by an in-person interview the next week with the Senior Manager of Credit & Collections plus the Regional Credit Manager who I would be reporting to. That was followed by another interview, this time a panel one, but a little more relaxed, with 3 employees who had the title of either Senior Credit Associate or Credit Manager (non-supervisory). It was at this interview that I really saw how much of a team the credit department is, and that cooperation is one of the keys to its success. The third interview was not for about another 4 weeks, but as previously mentioned, the time between the second and third interviews was occupied by Christmas & New Year's. The company does work during that final week of the calendar year, but I was advised that the decision regarding the next step would not be until after the first of the new year. I was offered the position of Senior Credit Associate 3 business days after my third interview, which was with the same Senior Manager, but with a different Regional Credit Manager. It was because of this long interview process that I learned the more rigorous the process is, the more satisfied your employees are, for one of the reasons behind my complete satisfaction with this employer is its strong values of teamwork and respect among others.