Reply to: Face to face interview

[expat]

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That's why my posts are full of typos. They're raw.

[expat]

Some contracts are practically in the bag by the time they phone: the phone interview is just to give you a chance to screw it up, and sometimes it's kept short to minimise tht chance.

[Board Game Geek]

I was in Berlin a few years back (Behave ! Not that far back !) when I got a call from an agent I'd never heard of.

Essentially, they were looking for people asap for a government project and he wanted to do an interview straight away, so we chatted for a while and he offered me the job.

Easy peasy !

[Zippy]

I've secured two contracts with phone interviews and one with no kind of interview.

I'm not a 'support monkey'.

Oook

[tim123]

No one is disputing your personal experience, but how you jump from that to

'It's perfectly normal in the UK.

:

Because I've worked with 100s of contractors who have the same experience.

tim

[Dow Jones]

Beg to differ

Not true at all. It's the low level BOS types that are more likely to get the F2F interview treatment. This is because they can then compare several candidates more easily (beauty contest). I'm a senior level niche player and they will happliy pay £600+ /day with only 15 min TI. And why not, after all, contractors can easily be binned. F2F interviews - just say no

And why should someone waste their time on seeing half a dozen so-called 'low-level' candidates if all they need is eg a support monkey? As opposed to a 'high-profile' PM?
You are seeing things purely from your own point of view and as much as you don't want to be 'inconvenienced' by attending a formal interview, you are suggesting to others that if they are offered one, they should turn it down. That is completely ludicrous, you sound like a shop steward.
Finally, you are also completely wrong in saying that 'it doesn't matter about who you get, as you can bin them easily'. You obviously have not been involved in planning any project where time (4 week notice) and money (several £ 000's) can be lost to the project's detriment. Last but not least, if anyone involved in a selection process happens to choose the wrong candidate it means that you are not capable of making fairly easy decisions and your carreer and prospects will be affected.

[EternalOptimist]

Then IME you've been really lucky.

Apart from my current gig (which is only 3 weeks log and I would have refused to do if it required a fact to face), I have never in 25 years had anyone be prepared to offer a job on the basis of a phone call. And as as I said earlier, severel clients have activly refused even to allow a phone call as an initial filter.

tim

No one is disputing your personal experience, but how you jump from that to

'It's perfectly normal in the UK.

Almost no UK client will give you an offer on the basis of a Phone call, and I have some point blank refuse to offer an initial phone interview at all.'

is beyond me. Can you not accept that other people might have had a different experience ?

you are starting to sound like a fool

[Turion]

I agree with tim, more-or-less same experience. Again, depends on the contract: for a PM/BA/Snr Architect or any other with 'high visibility' let's face it, you are not likely to be offered it on a plate. If you do a BOS support/testing/etc , you can be taken on the basis of a TI or even a recommendation, As I have stated before, whether offered or not, I would prefer a F2F so that I can find out more about what is expected of me and what the project/team is like, thereby avoiding usual 'cries-for-help' we so often get here afterwards.

Not true at all. It's the low level BOS types that are more likely to get the F2F interview treatment. This is because they can then compare several candidates more easily (beauty contest). I'm a senior level niche player and they will happliy pay £600+ /day with only 15 min TI. And why not, after all, contractors can easily be binned. F2F interviews - just say no

[Bagpuss]

Face to Face, wearing a tie?

I prefer to turn up in my pyjamas and always face the other way, if they don't like it, then it's not the kind of place I would want to work

[Dow Jones]

All depends...

I agree with tim, more-or-less same experience. Again, depends on the contract: for a PM/BA/Snr Architect or any other with 'high visibility' let's face it, you are not likely to be offered it on a plate. If you do a BOS support/testing/etc , you can be taken on the basis of a TI or even a recommendation, As I have stated before, whether offered or not, I would prefer a F2F so that I can find out more about what is expected of me and what the project/team is like, thereby avoiding usual 'cries-for-help' we so often get here afterwards.

[tim123]

Really?

I've had several phone interviews & one contract with no interview at all...

Then IME you've been really lucky.

Apart from my current gig (which is only 3 weeks log and I would have refused to do if it required a fact to face), I have never in 25 years had anyone be prepared to offer a job on the basis of a phone call. And as as I said earlier, severel clients have activly refused even to allow a phone call as an initial filter.

tim

[expat]

A phone interview is OK if is going to be the only interview, but this is uncommon.

An 'initial' telephone interview hints at permie-style interview and all the problems that go with it. It means there are multiple stake-holders who are not authorised on their own to make a hiring decision.

Not necessarilt. A phone interview can be a good way for you and the contract to qualify each other. Neither side should bet on the agent having done that right.

[Moscow Mule]

Pimp: Want to go to Russia?
Me: Who's there already?
Pimp: A few folk you know.
Me: Ok, send the contracts.

[Turion]

Absolute nonsense. About half my jobs are from TI only, I even got a six month job as a SQL DBA without ANY interview. (Agent rings me up on friday at 4pm, hows things ?, ah , its my last day I'm on my way home. Great, be in Windsor monday morning 10am. address to follow)

This is true as well. Based on CV or personal recommedation, I've just been asked to go to a client site. In those cases I would normally call the client myself to get a few more details about what they want.

[EternalOptimist]

It's perfectly normal in the UK.

Almost no UK client will give you an offer on the basis of a Phone call, and I have some point blank refuse to offer an initial phone interview at all.

tim

Absolute nonsense. About half my jobs are from TI only, I even got a six month job as a SQL DBA without ANY interview. (Agent rings me up on friday at 4pm, hows things ?, ah , its my last day I'm on my way home. Great, be in Windsor monday morning 10am. address to follow)