Reply to: Teams interview for local on-site contract

[ladymuck]

I respect that move. Myself I probably would have been thinking 6 months, 500 quid a day, yesss... i could probably hack this... don't run away when its already in the bag..!

It was early in my contracting career and gigs were far easier to come by.

[willendure]

I remember, many many moons ago, getting a gig on the basis of a telephone interview and then quitting after my first day in the office once I'd had the tour and saw what a tulip-hole it was, and the personalities I'd have to put up with.

I respect that move. Myself I probably would have been thinking 6 months, 500 quid a day, yesss... i could probably hack this... don't run away when its already in the bag..!

[willendure]

HMRC just sent me a £600 rebate, I've no idea what for, but ta! So I bought a Mac Mini, as I need to be able to build some code on Mac now. But it will make a top class video conferencing box, where OBS runs nicely instead of crashing like it does on Linux. OBS doesn't cut it ? there is better software you can buy.

So I am thinking, instead of hating video interviews and being bad at them, go the other way, create a nice scene, carefully chosen and real background or a green screen even, and be able to switch quickly from full screen of my handsome mug, to picture-in-picture my talking head in a screen share, and so on. Get the camera set up so I can make "eye contact", I would even consider a teleprompter for that. I've got a DSLR and ok microphone, maybe consider spending a bit on a half-decent mike and a little bit of lighting. Get it all set up and looking quality.

Last interview I mostly saw the top of the interviewers slightly balding head, and came away thinking he was a right twat. So being prepared to meet with that and not be put off by it is important for me too.

[edison]

And there's lots of tools that can record and transcribe Teams (and other) meetings without anyone actually knowing about it. I would actually recommend getting a free trial of one so you have your own record of the interview as you won't have access to the Teams generated output.

I use a tool called Krisp and the product manager at my client uses Granola. Both work in similar ways to record meetings without joining them and then they can create a summary afterwards. It's always worth spending 10 minutes after each meeting making sure the participants are correctly identified and sense checking the transcript.

It goes even further than transcription or searching for keywords.

One company I interviewed with earlier in the year used an AI note taker integrated with Teams. It could do things like analyse your CV and LinkedIn profile, produce complete insight summaries of each candidate based against the questions asked and JD etc.

Personally I always prefer to do interviews face to face but it's just a reality that you can't be too picky in this market.

[sadkingbilly]

some transcripts are hilarious
especially when regional accents/transatlantic/european english is in play.

[ladymuck]

And even if the Teams call isn't recorded (video & audio), many enterprises have the necessary subscription with MS in place that all Teams calls will be transcribed with AI.

Makes for a significantly easier time for your interviewers to search through that transcription (and those of all the other interviewees) looking for keywords etc. and to document the interview outcomes.

And there's lots of tools that can record and transcribe Teams (and other) meetings without anyone actually knowing about it. I would actually recommend getting a free trial of one so you have your own record of the interview as you won't have access to the Teams generated output.

I use a tool called Krisp and the product manager at my client uses Granola. Both work in similar ways to record meetings without joining them and then they can create a summary afterwards. It's always worth spending 10 minutes after each meeting making sure the participants are correctly identified and sense checking the transcript.

[billybiro]

Recording Teams calls very much is a thing. Doesn't matter who the call is with, many will record that call - normally they will ask if everyone is OK for the call to be recorded. This makes life a lot easier for others who can't join the call, to confirm what was said, or in the case of interviews, to reduce the number of call backs to be interviewed by someone else.

And even if the Teams call isn't recorded (video & audio), many enterprises have the necessary subscription with MS in place that all Teams calls will be transcribed with AI.

Makes for a significantly easier time for your interviewers to search through that transcription (and those of all the other interviewees) looking for keywords etc. and to document the interview outcomes.

[ladymuck]

The Teams call could well be a first round, weed out the numpties that the agency failed to filter, type affair. Saves time and effort. They may then follow up with an in-person site visit.

I remember, many many moons ago, getting a gig on the basis of a telephone interview and then quitting after my first day in the office once I'd had the tour and saw what a tulip-hole it was, and the personalities I'd have to put up with.

[PerfectStorm]

You find out what the role is after you've been doing it for 2 months, not in the interview or job description.

Real contractors go all-in (and can connect to a Teams meeting)

[Contreras]

Thanks for the reality check.

Yes I was simply unprepared. I'm mostly not in contract. I have a couple of clients close by that feed me work. One of them mainly relies on phone calls, the other requires me to use their laptop, and for both in-person meetings are easily arranged. Linux traditionally needs a certain amount of hoop jumping to get proprietary stuff working that I just haven't bothered since moving to new kit. In the past I have done this sort of thing in a VM, with varying degrees of success.

The other thing, for me, would have been accepting 6 month ON SITE without having at least caught a glimpse of the place. A ten minute wait in reception and a visit to the bogs can be telling about what it's going to be like, let alone actually meeting some of the people you'll be sat with for half a year.

Most (all) hiring managers I know prefer contractors to be local, often very explicitly. So I imagine they would be pleased to have someone so close by and find it a little odd for an offer to go in to be rejected without even the most basic explanation - though from the comments here it seems not so unexpected.

[fatJock]

Yes I've done plenty of Teams/Zoom calls, usually on client supplied IT kit. I still hate it.

I think this is the real issue - for me, spending half my day on Teams is better than adding 2 1/2 hours commuting to either side of the day. Personally, I think if you express reluctance for interview someone who doesn't is going to nip in and get the role.

[Protagoras]

Face to face, Teams, Zoom, Amstrad Emailer +, Asda toilets…. If someone wants to pay me thousands of pounds a week to do not very difficult work then i’ll meet them wherever.

Last interview was 15 minutes Zoom while on holiday in Majorca, shirt on the top half and swimming shorts/flip flops on the bottom while the kids drank a slushie.

That's so mean, making your kids share one slushie. Does allow saving of the thousands of pounds a week income though!

[Ketto]

Face to face, Teams, Zoom, Amstrad Emailer +, Asda toilets…. If someone wants to pay me thousands of pounds a week to do not very difficult work then i’ll meet them wherever.

Last interview was 15 minutes Zoom while on holiday in Majorca, shirt on the top half and swimming shorts/flip flops on the bottom while the kids drank a slushie.

[TheDude]

They want to see inside your house and check you are not an obsessive hoarder

[sadkingbilly]

I know some people like to have face to face because they like to shake the hand of the person interviewing them, and if that person recognises the handshake, maybe it will help.

this. - especially in Scotland