What should I take from this tele interview feedback..?

[SueEllen]

My view after seeing rates in Jobserv and for that specific role.

It's more likely the agent had a preferred candidate so sold them more.

[meridian]

My view after seeing rates in Jobserv and for that specific role.

Are you asking to be put forward at your own rates?

Or are you asking what the client rate range is, calculating whether the lower rate is acceptable to you, and then asking to be put forward at a rate within that range that would be competitive with the client?

[l35kee]

I had this feedback from agency for one of the telephone interviews I had few weeks ago - "that role required a Test manager within 12-15 Yrs experience and client felt you are too senior for that position"

I got couple of more years experience than mentioned above. How that matters for a contract role..? I had same feedback from another agency few weeks ago. Both cases rate I asked wasn't too high either.

Whenever I have given that feedback before, I gave it because I felt the person had been working the level above getting their hands dirty, which was the type of role I was looking for.

For example. Let's say I wanted a Project Manager, and a Programme Manager CV came through who last did Project Management 2 years ago. Loads of experience, but I'm taking more of a risk on that person than the other CV that got sent to me in the same email, who has never done programme management, but has been a solid Project Manager for the last 5 years.

I'm not a PM so that example may not be as relevant... But I can see the same being said for a Test Manager vs Tester. If they haven't ran through the hundreds of test scripts I want them to in the last few years, I'm picking the other guy who has.

If that is the case, and from reading your other posts.. you need to spend more time in searching and applying for the right role that fits you, your CV and your experience. That's a more valuable use of your time than applying for and being interviewed for roles you're not suited for (but I would hope I wouldn't have to tell this to someone who had been doing the job while i was still in school).

[Cirrus]

Been there; done that

" are too senior for that position"

When you first started talking about your job search, my quick gut feeling was 'too old'.

'Senior' in the world of interviewing more often than not is as in Senior Citizen.

[MrMarkyMark]

Whenever I have given that feedback before, I gave it because I felt the person had been working the level above getting their hands dirty, which was the type of role I was looking for.

For example. Let's say I wanted a Project Manager, and a Programme Manager CV came through who last did Project Management 2 years ago. Loads of experience, but I'm taking more of a risk on that person than the other CV that got sent to me in the same email, who has never done programme management, but has been a solid Project Manager for the last 5 years.

I'm not a PM so that example may not be as relevant... But I can see the same being said for a Test Manager vs Tester. If they haven't ran through the hundreds of test scripts I want them to in the last few years, I'm picking the other guy who has.

If that is the case, and from reading your other posts.. you need to spend more time in searching and applying for the right role that fits you, your CV and your experience. That's a more valuable use of your time than applying for and being interviewed for roles you're not suited for (but I would hope I wouldn't have to tell this to someone who had been doing the job while i was still in school).

That's why I like roles that may involve leading a development team, in that you provide the technical lead in the terms of choosing the right solution.

Then I may either perform the changes myself, or allocate one of the team to do it.

[northernladuk]

I see a couple of situations here.

1) OP is blindly firing his CV off to every man and his dog as we discovered in the other thread. He's got lucky and these guys have decided to interview. He doesn't match the role and they've realized this in the interview so they've politely said no thanks. The OP has made no mention whether he was a perfect match for the gig. We don't even know what the gig was.

2) He's just crap and they are giving the most polite feedback they can. We go on about agents inability to tell the truth yet for some reason we are hanging on to every word he says all of a sudden. Could be a lie, could be gentle feedback to let him down, could be the truth and he is too senior.

Bottom line is OP is using scatter gun approach so he's going to get all sorts of crap feedback and it's going not going to change what he is doing one iota anyway so just take it you didn't get the gig and go back to the other 300 applications he's got going on.

I'm starting to suspect this poster is a sockie. All this can't be coming from a professional contractor.

[Darren_Test]

Are you asking to be put forward at your own rates?

Or are you asking what the client rate range is, calculating whether the lower rate is acceptable to you, and then asking to be put forward at a rate within that range that would be competitive with the client?

I never giveaway my ideal rate, will make agency to come up with a number first. If that is acceptable for me then just add "that is similar to my last rate". If agency range is lower, then try to negotiate for an amount comfortable for that role @ that location. If not say no.

This case rate asked was within the range and @ medium level.

[Darren_Test]

When you first started talking about your job search, my quick gut feeling was 'too old'.

'Senior' in the world of interviewing more often than not is as in Senior Citizen.

This was for an outsourcer...so Senior doesn't mean Senior Citizen.

BTW my issue always been seen as too younger while attending programme meetings compared to other 'heavy weighs' there. This was a Skype/Video interview.

[Darren_Test]

Whenever I have given that feedback before, I gave it because I felt the person had been working the level above getting their hands dirty, which was the type of role I was looking for.

For example. Let's say I wanted a Project Manager, and a Programme Manager CV came through who last did Project Management 2 years ago. Loads of experience, but I'm taking more of a risk on that person than the other CV that got sent to me in the same email, who has never done programme management, but has been a solid Project Manager for the last 5 years.

I'm not a PM so that example may not be as relevant... But I can see the same being said for a Test Manager vs Tester. If they haven't ran through the hundreds of test scripts I want them to in the last few years, I'm picking the other guy who has.

If that is the case, and from reading your other posts.. you need to spend more time in searching and applying for the right role that fits you, your CV and your experience. That's a more valuable use of your time than applying for and being interviewed for roles you're not suited for (but I would hope I wouldn't have to tell this to someone who had been doing the job while i was still in school).

This one was 100% matching role and my last role was with their end client's number one competitor!

[Darren_Test]

I see a couple of situations here.

1) OP is blindly firing his CV off to every man and his dog as we discovered in the other thread. He's got lucky and these guys have decided to interview. He doesn't match the role and they've realized this in the interview so they've politely said no thanks. The OP has made no mention whether he was a perfect match for the gig. We don't even know what the gig was.

2) He's just crap and they are giving the most polite feedback they can. We go on about agents inability to tell the truth yet for some reason we are hanging on to every word he says all of a sudden. Could be a lie, could be gentle feedback to let him down, could be the truth and he is too senior.

Bottom line is OP is using scatter gun approach so he's going to get all sorts of crap feedback and it's going not going to change what he is doing one iota anyway so just take it you didn't get the gig and go back to the other 300 applications he's got going on.

I'm starting to suspect this poster is a sockie. All this can't be coming from a professional contractor.

As I said this one was 100% matching role and my last role was with their end client's number one competitor!