Waste of time interview

[dang65]

Had an interview today. I matched the job description/requirements pretty much perfectly. Went along for a face-to-face, got on well with the people, didn't get stuck on any questions, was comfortable that I knew what I was talking about... but the whole way through I had this constant feeling that something was wrong. It just went way too smoothly. There was a technical guy in on the interview but he only asked one question and just nodded meekly at my answer. It soon became obvious that they were just going through the motions, but I had to keep up the concentration to the end, of course.

Final stupidity was that they gave me a written technical test (multiple choice) right at the end of the interview and told me to leave it with the HR lady when I'd finished and she would show me out! FFS.

I told the agent on the phone as soon as I came out that it was obvious they had someone else in mind already. But what a waste of four people's time - project manager, lead designer, lead developer and candidate, plus candidate's travel time etc.

Sure enough, couple of hours later the agent calls and says they had interviewed an "outstanding candidate" yesterday. Said I did well and came across strongly, but they had already decided on this other guy.

Well, it's all par for the course, I know, but I thought I'd have a moan on here anyway. I suppose I might have been an even more outstanding candidate and maybe they just wanted to be sure, but they were all rubbish actors, I can tell you that.

[nomadd]

Well, it's all par for the course, I know, but I thought I'd have a moan on here anyway. I suppose I might have been an even more outstanding candidate and maybe they just wanted to be sure, but they were all rubbish actors, I can tell you that.

Went for an interview with a Pharma-co. a few years back. I'd actually just finished one project with them, and the PM of my project gave me an outstanding reference. Interview went just like yours - a very weird one.

Agent phoned me within 30 minutes of the interview finishing to say: "The PM of the new project had offered the contract to a mate of his...who accepted it this morning. Sorry."

Life, eh. But as contractors, we know the score when we get into this "game."

Nomadd

[northernrampage]

Yup, same thing happened to me. For a permanent job.

Went for interview, the guy who was interviewing me had been in since 8am for meetings, and seemed to be very hungover. And the HR woman seemed really friendly in strange way.

They ran through some questions, took half an hour, but didn't ask me anything about project processes, stakeholder mgt, all the usual things, or anything from a long-list of questions the agent had told me about.

I got on the phone to agent, to say it was the quickest interview I'd had for permanent PM role, but perhaps interviewer was just tired as he'd been at work early in meetings. He said "well, maybe you answered what they wanted, and if he was busy it could be that". I thought I was just being paranoid. Got call after the weekend to say they'd interviewed someone who took their breathe away the day before etc etc.

I'd travelled 200 miles... but guess as you say, they may not know until they've met you.

[Solent]

Similar thing happended to me last week. Telephone interview (conference call). Grilled solidly for 40 minutes. Feedback from Agency, "they were impressed blah blah, v technically strong etc etc", you were the strongest and then call, they have recruited internally. What is the point of us going through the process, if they have other people in mind or internal candidates.

[BolshieBastard]

Yeah, yeah, we've all had the sob stories about interviews.

I've had interviews where I've been told I've got the job and 'we'll get it sorted with the agent right after the interview.'

One client I'd just finished a contract for only 2 months previous even showed me where I'd be sitting in my old room only to contact me about a week later to say they'd taken someone else on who'd also worked there previous.

But, I've had more interviews where the process was a breeze and got the job so it cuts both ways.

[NickFitz]

Biggest waste of time I had was back in 1999 when I turned up and they started asking me in-depth questions about stuff that I'd never claimed to have anything more than a passing acquaintance with. Turned out the agent had rewritten my CV to suit the role without telling me; because I'd admitted to said passing acquaintance with these technologies, he'd somehow assumed that I would just play his game and bulltulip my way in

The worthless **** then had the unmitigated cheek to start slagging me off for failing the interview, saying that the client had complained that I was a "very weak candidate" - hardly surprising given that he'd sold them a pack of lies, but in his warped little Weltschmerz it was all my fault

Ah well, I was just getting into contracting then; to quote Jerome K Jerome (see the final sentence of the chapter above the chapter that link leads to), I "learned experience, and they say that is always cheap at any price"

[norrahe]

I think we've all had instances whereby you sit in an interview and realise what a waste of time it is.

I think the worst is where they clearly haven't read your CV and then the feddback from the pimp is they were looking for someone with "insert skill here" which if they had read your CV they would have noticed that you didn't have said skillset required for the gig

or the other one is where the pimp insists on meeting you for a face to face , I fell for that once and never again.
i do get a lot in my market of going through the interview motions and finding out afterwards they've given the job directly or internally.

[northernrampage]

or the other one is where the pimp insists on meeting you for a face to face , I fell for that once and never again.
.

why don't you like that? Do you think it's a waste of time? Am just being curious, I had it happen before, got sent for one job, but in the last 3 weeks have had 2 agents ask me to meet. One wanted 2 references, and another person to vouch for me.

Both wanted me to bring my passport (guess that's just for immigration purposes?), along with references. Are they just fishing for references? I don't mind them fishing face to face if they are genuinely sending you for roles but not if it's a wasted journey.

[norrahe]

why don't you like that? Do you think it's a waste of time? Am just being curious, I had it happen before, got sent for one job, but in the last 3 weeks have had 2 agents ask me to meet. One wanted 2 references, and another person to vouch for me.

Both wanted me to bring my passport (guess that's just for immigration purposes?), along with references. Are they just fishing for references? I don't mind them fishing face to face if they are genuinely sending you for roles but not if it's a wasted journey.

It was complete waste of time, I've never met any of the pimps who have been getting me roles for years and never been asked for ID.

The 2 references are fishing, the passport is nonsense, if you are an employee of a limited then it would fall on your company responsibility to check that you as an employee are viable to work in the EU.

I will not give references to a pimp, if I do give references then it will be to the clientco who have given me a gig.
I work in a very small market, whereby if I have c*cked up one gig then word will get around.

[northernrampage]

It was complete waste of time, I've never met any of the pimps who have been getting me roles for years and never been asked for ID.

The 2 references are fishing, the passport is nonsense, if you are an employee of a limited then it would fall on your company responsibility to check that you as an employee are viable to work in the EU.

I will not give references to a pimp, if I do give references then it will be to the clientco who have given me a gig.
I work in a very small market, whereby if I have noddyed up one gig then word will get around.

Okay thanks. I kept thinking "surely they wouldn't go to all the trouble of meeting me just to fish". But the one who wants to meet me this week I didn't get a good feeling about, especially as her colleague up north then rung me to try and work out who I'd been interviewed by. I have met others before, two who sent me for jobs, but they never mentioned references.

I have to wise-up