Worst job interview...
Everybody has their horror story. I could tell some good ones. I call this one the worst I've had because of the number of red-flags, not because any one red-flag was that severe.
Over the years, I have had an interview or two. At this point I consider myself pretty good at weeding out the positions that are really going nowhere by the email stage, if not the phone interview stage.
This one slipped through due to some pretty interesting circumstances. I won't go into detail on the circumstances, but here's the list of red flags:
1. Not in the best section of town.
2. This company was the only company in the corporate office building they called home.
3. There was carpet construction going on the entire time.
4. Too many young, attractive females worked there. This indicates that a job is not a career place - just a place for one of the managers there to find dates.
5. An interesting questionnaire about me & sales (I have never interviewed at a place that had a paper questionnaire regarding sales that turn out to be a quality employer).
6. Had to wait 30 minutes for an interviewer to show up.
7. The interviewer was not the person I had scheduled with (at this point, I knew what was coming, but I was already there, so I decided to count the red flags and post this blog update!)
8. The interviewer had a disheveled look to him - collars popping halfway up; tie the wrong size (way too small), shirt not pressed, hadn't shaved in a week, etc.
9. Interviewer does a 5-minute blurb about what they sell, then proceeds to break down commission compensation (again, decent employers don't do it this way - there's more of a game to it).
10. Have to take a $280 class to get an insurance license - on my own dime - as part of the "training cycle."
11. To be eligible for the "base salary" one must meet certain commission quotas. This is known to the rest of the world as "commission + bonus pay" whereas this company tried to label it "base salary + commission." WRONG!
12. Interviewer asks me if I have any questions. I reply "no." He then offers me the job, pending the "CEO's" approval. Folks - real interviewers want you to ask them questions and often will not hire you if you don't at least attempt to do so!
13. Two more young, attractive females are applying as I walk out.
14. I see only this business listed in the building directory. So I take a moment and verify that yes - they are the only company renting space here!
15. In the adjacent building, there is only one company renting there! These two buildings each had five floors with eight office spaces per floor!
Any one of these, and a company is still OK. Any two or more, and things get... interesting. Three or more and they are usually off my potential employer's list.
Over the years, I have had an interview or two. At this point I consider myself pretty good at weeding out the positions that are really going nowhere by the email stage, if not the phone interview stage.
This one slipped through due to some pretty interesting circumstances. I won't go into detail on the circumstances, but here's the list of red flags:
1. Not in the best section of town.
2. This company was the only company in the corporate office building they called home.
3. There was carpet construction going on the entire time.
4. Too many young, attractive females worked there. This indicates that a job is not a career place - just a place for one of the managers there to find dates.
5. An interesting questionnaire about me & sales (I have never interviewed at a place that had a paper questionnaire regarding sales that turn out to be a quality employer).
6. Had to wait 30 minutes for an interviewer to show up.
7. The interviewer was not the person I had scheduled with (at this point, I knew what was coming, but I was already there, so I decided to count the red flags and post this blog update!)
8. The interviewer had a disheveled look to him - collars popping halfway up; tie the wrong size (way too small), shirt not pressed, hadn't shaved in a week, etc.
9. Interviewer does a 5-minute blurb about what they sell, then proceeds to break down commission compensation (again, decent employers don't do it this way - there's more of a game to it).
10. Have to take a $280 class to get an insurance license - on my own dime - as part of the "training cycle."
11. To be eligible for the "base salary" one must meet certain commission quotas. This is known to the rest of the world as "commission + bonus pay" whereas this company tried to label it "base salary + commission." WRONG!
12. Interviewer asks me if I have any questions. I reply "no." He then offers me the job, pending the "CEO's" approval. Folks - real interviewers want you to ask them questions and often will not hire you if you don't at least attempt to do so!
13. Two more young, attractive females are applying as I walk out.
14. I see only this business listed in the building directory. So I take a moment and verify that yes - they are the only company renting space here!
15. In the adjacent building, there is only one company renting there! These two buildings each had five floors with eight office spaces per floor!
Any one of these, and a company is still OK. Any two or more, and things get... interesting. Three or more and they are usually off my potential employer's list.
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