Interview for contract requires a Presentation on a fictional project!?

[yeahyeahwhatever]

Hi there

I just thought i would share with you some concerns i have about this situation and wonder if this is 'normal', as personally i have a number of concerns.


Basically i have been successful securing an interview with a smallish public sector body which is based around security infrastructure, i applied for this role over 2 weeks ago, and only just recieved confirmation for an interview, in 2 weeks time. . .which in itself is frustrating and makes me worry about the lack of concern/professionalism of the client.

What i have been asked to do also, is prepare a presentation based around a project that will basically allow partner access to certain applications. All well and good one might say, but what is concerning me is the detail of which they want the presentation done,approach resources, technical options and support infomation and they have even specified a 'pretend' time-frame for this.

What infuriates me is their apparent ignorance to the intricacies of such a project, and the lack of detail in their 'brief' leaves me asking more questions that providing answers.

There are so many considerations from a governance security point of view (regulations, legal obligations, exsisting policies), technical point of view (what is thier exsisting infrastructure?, support team skill) to consider far beyond the scope of the brief, and for them to expect anyone to invest such time and effort preparing such a presentation i feel speaks volumes about the client, thier expectations and basically i think they would be a pain in the ass to work with,and how can they even put a timeframe on something like this without even consulting the supposed 'expert' to see if its even possible.

If your gonna do it at all, do it properly, with all the infomation. . . . . .it seems very unprofessional

Has anyone else ever been asked to do this for a contract? It almost feels like a bid submission for god sakes. . and to make matters worse they are paying about a 1/3 below the market rate!

Help me guys what should i do. . .?


D

[Badger]

Decline gracefully and find the next one, your not a permie! Or do it and charge them for a day's consultancy.

Sounds like they want a load of ideas from candidates and will then just try it themselves anyway.

[blacjac]

In my dealings with public sector projects, they allways give you less information than you actually need. It's part of the test, to see if you can actually find the information you need yourself (by phoning the relevant people and asking them) rather than having to be spoonfed.


However this has allways been for project tenders, and not for interviews.....

[bellymonster]

Screw that.

[thunderlizard]

It almost feels like a bid submission for god sakes.

um...isn't that because it is one?

[yeahyeahwhatever]

In my dealings with public sector projects, they allways give you less information than you actually need. It's part of the test, to see if you can actually find the information you need yourself (by phoning the relevant people and asking them) rather than having to be spoonfed.


However this has allways been for project tenders, and not for interviews.....

exactly. . . . its odd

[BrilloPad]

Sounds like they want a load of ideas from candidates and will then just try it themselves anyway.

I agree - I had a bank try it on this summer - luckily it was just an hour interview. I gave little away.

[NotAllThere]

When I was interviewing for a permie team-lead role, I asked each candidate to give a brief presentation of their current employers organisational structure as it related to their job - so the formal structure and the "dotted line". I wasn't in the least interested in how their company was organised, but rather how they responded.

It may simply be a similar type of test. At least they gave you notice. I didn't.

[Turion]

MOVE AWAY FROM THE PHONEY INTERVIEW......REPEAT - MOVE AWAY FROM THE PHONEY INTERVIEW

Seriously, this is trash I wouldn't even waste time thinking about. If you've got time go and give them a bit of this

[TheBigYinJames]

In more normal times, I would say that any single contract is not worth jumping though particular hoops to get. If one contract wants me "to do an online test", or "answer a few multiple choice questions over the phone" I would tell them to swivel, plenty more contracts out there.

But, being realistic, it's not so easy out there, there are fewer contracts and you can't be so choosy about the ones you go for and the ones you knock back. I know there are Boomed stories on here (I am one of them at the moment) but I suspect it was more luck than anything, and for every boomed contractor out there, there will probably be several doomed ones.

Take a look at yourself and your skills with regard to how marketable you are in the current climate. Be realistic. If this job is a good one, then there's no harm or shame in going for it with all your energy. As someone else said - this IS a tender for work - if you show you can come up with a good presentation, then that's equivalent to laying out your wares. It's a sales job, all business have to market themselves, all of them have to present themsevels, pitch their wares, it's business.

In a bear market like this, eb very careful about being too choosy, or you may find yourself with a very austere Christmas indeed.

Good luck.