I applied online through the SunTrust website on a Saturday afternoon, where I filled out the required information and completed the online testing, which consisted of a series of tests similar to those I'd be handling in the position. I wasn't expecting to hear anything back until at least Monday, but I received an email from the recruiter within a few hours, stating that they'd like to arrange for a phone interview. I returned the email that evening and had a preliminary phone interview scheduled for Monday morning.
On Monday morning, I had my phone interview with the recruiter which lasted approximately 30 minutes. She was very professional, and made me feel at ease with the process. Although I didn't have a lot of on-the-job experience with handling calls from a call center, she informed me that due to my previous employment and experience, she offered an in-person interview with staff members from the call center for the following day.
I arrived at the Orlando Call Center on Tuesday afternoon for my in-person interview. The person I met with at the center was also very professional and, almost immediately, we struck up a conversation. The entire interview lasted nearly 2 hours, which included a 40 minute session with current SunTrust employee where I was able to observe how the position was handled on the floor. Between the interview and the observation period, I felt I had a great understanding of what the position would entail.
At the end of the in-person interview, I was told that I should hear something within 24-48 hours regarding the status of the position. On Wednesday morning, not even 24 hours from my in-person interview, I was called by the recruiter to be offered the position. All the rest of the information came via email, which was very thorough, and explained everything I'd need to know before my training period started.
What I learned worked for me was to just be relaxed and give the most honest answers you can, even if it's not exactly what the interviewer wants to hear. They'll appreciate the honesty and you'll be able to walk out of the interview with your head held high. I knew that regardless of the outcome, I was pleased with the process and how things were handled by both myself and the SunTrust organization.
Another thing to keep an eye on: both the phone interview and in-person interview are based on the same set of questions. As long as you've been honest in both interviews, you shouldn't have a problem. I know the in-person interview had my answers from the phone interview, and they were double checking my answers to make sure they lined up. A great way to weed out the potentially negative employees!