Energy Future Holdings Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was very professional. The candidate can also determine whether all possible ARIMA models are estimated and compared (full enumeration) instead of using the default stepwise algorithm. The stepwise algorithm has been shown to have good performance characteristics and is much less computationally intensive, however, it is not guaranteed to find the best single model. Estimating all possible ARIMA models will find the single best model, but with a significantly greater runtime. If full enumeration is selected, the user can place some limits on the space searched by setting the maximum allowed order of the model.

The interview process involved a phone screening followed by a lengthy in-person interview that lasted 2-3 hours. This in-person stage included 4 interviewers: the hiring manager, the controller, and two other managers. The candidate inquired about the company's recent bankruptcy and stability, as well as the tenure of the interviewers, noting that most seemed new. The candidate perceived that these questions were not well-received by the interviewers, who appeared inexperienced and lacking in accounting knowledge.

So I interviewed with TXU, and honestly, it's kind of known as a revolving door for accountants and people in business. I should have maybe listened to that, but I went ahead and interviewed with a managing accountant there. Turns out, everyone there has these weird, non-standard titles, which makes it seem like they're all climbing some crazy corporate ladder. The rest of the interview was pretty rough. The "managing" accountant was really dour, no sense of humor or anything. So, if you're in business, I'd say steer clear. If you're into the energy industry, there are way better local places to check out, especially in oil & gas.

The interview process started with an initial chat with the director about the job duties. Then there was a panel interview where they asked me general questions about my motivations and future plans. They also presented me with a real-world problem that had come up with our documentation and asked me to solve it. After that, we discussed company culture. I also asked them about what they want in an ideal candidate, how they evaluate contractors, and who I'd report to. I got the job offer from my recruiter about two weeks later.