Proper interview scheduling procedure..

I passed a phone interview and the lady I've been corresponding with (not HR, but an analyst at the firm) emailed me three days ago on Friday a little after 5 pm (near the end of her work day, I'm assuming).

Now, I had planned on calling HR at the company to schedule my interview, even though I had originally been invited by email.

Should I just stick to responding back via email to the analyst directly?

Some people say calling is better because you stand out more. Others say to stick to responding via the way you were invited. Just for an FYI, it's a small consulting firm, if that matters.

So, I have a two step question:

1. Call or email?

If Call, should I call HR or should I call the analyst directly (her contact info is in the emails?

2. Schedule later or earlier?

I was given pretty much 8 dates to choose from, with two time options per day: 10 am or 1 pm.

Should I interview earlier on in the interview schedule (i.e. Mon), middle (tues, thurs) or later (i.e friday)?

Also, should I schedule for 10 in the morning or 1 in the afternoon. The email says it should take 2 hours tops, so I'm guessing that by the end of a 10 am interview, they might be getting hungry etc. But on the flip side, if it's at 1 pm, im assuming they've just come back from lunch, so they might be full and groggy. Or they might even be in a good mood having just eaten.

I would have ideally replied to her email the same day to show enthusiasm, but I got it at 5 pm. So now it's been three days and I really dont want them to think my lack of response thus far is an indication of a lack of interest in their firm, which is why I feel inclined to call them.

Point is, I'm extremely neurotic over this and would like to get some input as to how I should go scheduling my interview lol.

Call/Email? --> If call, HR or Analyst? --> Earlier date or later date? --> In the morning or afternoon?

Thanks!

Frist reply to the email address they have sent and accept the interview.

Second take the 10am time slot on Monday.

I work in HR and the best time is the morning the panel is focused on the task at hand. Do not take the 1pm as they will be back from lunch and will be inclined to wander as the afternoon progresses.

Originally Posted by Geoffrey Firmin

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Frist reply to the email address they have sent and accept the interview.

Second take the 10am time slot on Monday.

I work in HR and the best time is the morning the panel is focused on the task at hand. Do not take the 1pm as they will be back from lunch and will be inclined to wander as the afternoon progresses.

Would my lack of instant response be interpreted as a lack of interest?

I got the email last friday at around 5 and haven't replied since on purpose since it was the weekend.

You should have replied after you got the email. Even if they don't check it or respond until monday why waste time?

Originally Posted by Jodum5

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You should have replied after you got the email. Even if they don't check it or respond until monday why waste time?

Yeah.. I know. It's just that I've been told to call them and I thought it would be weird to email them and then call them again.. so my plan was to hold off on emailing them until monday (today) and calling them up.

But now I'm starting to think that I should have just stuck to emailing them back ASAP.

Personally I think you're looking a bit too much into this.

Email or call them to let them know you're interested and get that early slot of possible.

Spend your energy on preparing for the interview, not how you will respond to the interview invite.