This was for a job requiring a few years of experience. I applied online, and I got an email request to schedule a phone interview 3-4 days after applying. I had a short phone interview with HR, where they asked me a little about my background, and then I had a chance to ask them questions general about the position and company. About a week after that I got an email from someone else in HR to schedule a phone interview with an actuary. At this time, they also had me fill out a more detailed/formal application than I had originally needed to fill out when applying. I had a 45 minute phone interview where he asked me questions about my experience, what I was looking for in a new role, and he told me about his background, what he liked about the company, and allowed me time to ask him questions. We went a little over the allotted time. The next day, I got a call from HR asking me if I could come in for an on site interview within the next day or two. We arranged a day for me to come in. I had a half day interview with five actuaries. Some of them had lists of prepared questions, which seemed odd - it was not the conversational interview structure I was used to, and some of the prepared questions didn't make sense because they were things I had already answered in response to previous questions, etc. It was hard to get a personal connection with the interviewers. Another of the interviewers asked fairly technical questions - showing me numbers on a page and asking me what my thoughts were, what patterns I saw, etc. It was difficult since I did not have experience in that specific area. The interviewers all also frequently brought up that the position was demanding at certain times of the year, and that it was hard to get study time, vacation time, etc. They all seemed nice, but it didn't feel like a good fit. The culture did not feel very innovative compared to where I worked. I also was not sure I wanted to work in that practice area after learning more about it during the interview. Soon afterwards, I got an offer. The salary was low (not much more than I was already making, and I could expect to be making that within a few months from exam raises and/or merit increases at the company where I was working). Also, the study program was not competitive with the company where I was, and the exam raises were much lower, so I would actually be expecting to be at a lower salary level after a few exams if I accepted. I decided that overall it did not feel like a good career move, and the position didn't feel right for what I was looking for, so I did not try to negotiate salary and declined the offer. Shortly after, ACE bought Chubb, so I felt I made the right decision, since I might have been on the chopping block.
