Job Interview: Longview Systems

From the “Anxiety – Just like Co-op” Dept.

I have a job interview for a full-time position tomorrow.

Longview Solutions (since 1994) is based out of Markham. They make an centralized integrated product suite called Khalix—a financial analytics tool that does:

  • Analysis,
  • Budgeting,
  • Forecasting,
  • Consolidation,
  • Planning,
  • Reporting,
  • and more…

Runs off a Unix Server and supports many platforms for it clients (they have a native Win32 client and support other platforms through Java).

There competitors include: Comshare, Hyperion, Adaytum, Alcar Group, Oracle 9i, etc.

Some pretty big players in on-line analytical processing (OLAP) server technology.

The position is for a “User Interface Design Manager“.

The roles include:

  • Subject matter expert in usability, visual design, and interface development
  • Ensure consistency regarding the user experience and overall usability of the product by establishing\maintaining standards and usability conventions
  • Translate business requirements into functionalities and usable interfaces
  • Lead and coordinate the prototyping and design of the application user interface
  • Raise usability issues and work with business and technical resources to resolve them in a collaborative manner
  • Provide technical support to engineering in integrating human factors engineering principles and evaluation techniques

It gets’s more interesting when you read the requirements:

  • Advanced degree in an HCI related field or equivalent
  • Three years direct industry experience
  • Excellent communication (written and oral) skills
  • Experience with products built for international markets
  • Experience working with financial management software

Hmm…

To be honest, I’m puzzled why they would even ask me for an interview.

Granted, I think I’d be pretty successful at a position like this. It’s the role requirements that surprise me. 3 Year’s Experience? Advance Degree? Experience with Financial Management Software?

Two things come to mind:

1) They didn’t read my resume (eek..)

2) They don’t have any good applicants (which bolds well for me).

I hope this isn’t a waste of time.

Tai