Another funny one from the job search front lines...

I am at an interview once. I find out the recruiter who was scheduled to meet with me was out sick and a co-worker would take her place.

No problem. Or so I thought.

New Recruiter looks at my application and sees "sales" as the position I am applying for. I put that there because the first recruiter did not tell me the name of the company or the name of the position. That's common with recruiters so that candidates don't go around behind their backs.

Then the replacement interviewer looks at my reason for leaving my last job. I had written - "Position Eliminated - laid off."

Recruiter - Why were you laid off. Were your numbers not so good?

Usagi - "My numbers were fine - top five, in fact. The ENTIRE DEPARTMENT was let go in a cost-cutting measure."

*Two minutes later*

Recruiter - "Why were you the one laid off?"

Usagi - "It was nothing personal... just a whole department thing. Big companies do that sometimes. I don't like it, but the company wanted to cut costs. They let our ENTIRE DEPARTMENT go. Dozens of people."

*Three minutes  later*

Recruiter - "I need to come up with something to tell the client about why you are not with your former employer so they don't realize your numbers weren't there."

Usagi - "Did you not listen to a word I said? Seriously? It was the WHOLE DEPARTMENT. Not just me. Do the words 'cost-cutting measure' mean anything to you? Besides, I was at 140% of quota - my numbers were there."

Recruiter (blank face - you can tell she isn't listening to anything today) - "Oh."

Five minutes after arriving home, I applied with the company directly as I have no faith whatsoever in that other recruiter to do anything that resembles her job.