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

[yeahyeahwhatever]

Lots of interesting thoughts, thanks guys.

I agree about the current climate, and it is something to bear in mind, but i wouldnt say im so so concerned about the jumping through the loops to get a job, initially i was actually quite excited by the prospect when the agent told me over the phone, i thoght it was a great way to pitch some great ideas, though, the more i thought about it, especially after i actually got the brief mentioning the approach, the techincal options etc, the more it just didnt really add up . . . if it was a real project, with real facts, real figures and real access to people to ask them questions then fair enough, i could justify the effort, but a fictional brief which is just that . . .brief. . .wanting 'technical' options . . . urr . . . . like there is so much more to be done . . . they may well have other motives for asking the questions. . .but to me it just makes them look stupid and if they cant work out if im the man for the job by my CV and a face to face interview then they really have it backward. . . .still havnt been asked for a behavioral profile yet though. .you know. . the ones where you can just pick the best answers to make you seem more sane. . .so i guess thats one thing

I just dont want it to be XXmonths of hell there are plenty of permie positions i coudl take for 12-18months while the market uncertainty passes, cant say its that appealling though

D

[SandyDown]

When I went for an interview for my present contract, they also asked me to prepare a presentation on a project I’ve done which is similar to the project they are undertaken, after the presentation and the Q&A session I had to go through 5 interviews with various departments’ representatives. If you won’t the truth I normally don’t bother with so much work for an interview, and never attend interviews that entails tests etc, but I really wanted this contract, and totally think it was worth the effort. I think they just had too many applicants and didn’t really know how to select one, so a presentation plus Q&A session about a real life example project sounds a good and very fair way to determine the most suitable candidate.

However, if you don’t want to go through the effort then that’s understandable, I also have cancelled interviews that I thought weren’t worth the effort. But I really do think such interviews are a really good experience, while written tests are stupid, a presentationis a good way for you to find out more about the company just as its a way for the company to find out about you.

[Fred Bloggs]

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.

That's actually happened to me. Never again.

[Liability]

Even if you do have to do a presentation big deal? I mean as a contractor you should know your stuff and be able to knock something up within 2 hours max - if you cant you arent no where as good as you should be.

As others have said - if you dont like it - dont take it

[TheGoat]

Not sure about this one, I actually will do techincal tests but I would never for example at the interview stage say 'attend an interview where you have 6 hours to write a peice of code using their machines'.

But this is different ... a presentation for a 'fictional system' ... it does sound to me like they probably are being lazy with their own thoughts and ideas and are just picking other peoples' brains out there. I mean if you have nothing else on and its either that or Richard And Judy on the TV you have to weigh up whether its really worth spending the time and effort pursuing it.

I had the same thing with people in interviews during the last 2001 recession, lots of candidates out there and lots of managers with few ideas and no real jobs... they got bored and decided to get ideas from candidates in rival companies that were on the bench in real need of work. I even heard one manager interviewing me say to his young "familiar" who was just about to enter the interviewing room "Get out of him the way that they are making money" (heard it through the door) ... I even heard the same thing in a completely different end client site during the same rough time.

Its not personal .. its just business and business is about survival even at your expense and inconvinience.

[blacjac]

if you cant you arent no where as good as you should be.

[DiscoStu]

I think I may use that quote as my signature

[Turion]

I think I may use that quote as my signature

No way!....that priceless snippet is intellectual property, you'll have to pay to use it. Could become a Liability if you're not careful

[AlfredJPruffock]

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

I did a similar thing for a Euro- Investment bank.

Got the gig - altough perhaps I did screw up a wee bit as Investment Banking
has never been the same.

Somebody didnt like the way I had synched the FTSE to the Grey Slate Index.

But thats Investment Banking for you.

Not a lot of laughs.

[DS23]

how long is the presentation for?