How not to conduct an interview
Recently I was contacted by a headhunter for a local interactive agency. While I am currently working full time as a contractor, my contract expired a while ago and it's being extended from week to week. So I figured that it might be prudent to check out some other options, just in case. Well, I set up a time to tour the offices of this company and meet with the main dude. Perhaps my attitude was wrong, but I went in to the whole arrangement feeling like they had to sell me on the position. I mean, I'm losing money by driving to their offices (when I could be billing my current client), so I felt like I had already shown my commitment.
To start things off, I announce myself to the receptionist, and then have to wait for 20 minutes. Started to get real frustrated. I almost just got up and left, but the receptionist told me that "they were coming," plus I didn't want to feel like I had totally wasted my time driving out there.
After I finally meet with the guy, instead of giving me an overview of his company and telling me why I would want to work there, he tries to conduct some sort of interview, asking bizarre psuedo-technical questions. He talks almost constantly, giving me no chance to ask my own questions. At this point I had been in their offices for about an hour, and was frustrated and ready to leave. On my way out the guy mentions that he'll look into setting up some contract work for me, but I got the feeling that he was as unimpressed with me as I was with him. I haven't heard back, and even if I do, I think I'll have to decline.
So, great waste of time for everyone involved. I guess I learned that I should first exchange emails or talk on the phone with a "real person" (not a headhunter) before taking time out of my life to go to what may be a waste-of-time meeting.
Comments
Tyler wrote on :
Seems like the current state of the market. They get so many e-mails, applicants, and interviews they always feel like they are the one doing you a favor. Every interview/e-mail I've sent they take this sort of attitude and I have to put up with it since I'm unemployed. GL on the search.