Update - job search
I have generally avoided the bad jobs this time around. Now and again, one will slip through as I push forward in the interview process. Here a few of the ones I have seen that are worthy of note:
(remember I am in sales, by trade)
Job "A"
This company had a position for "outside sales" (selling to other businesses). Unusual things:
- Possibly illegal interview question 1: "You don't have any disabilities, do you? The person for this job will need to be of able body."
- Possibly illegal interview question 2: "You aren't going to need special religious days off will you? We work Mon-Fri every week."
- This company snapped my photo. This is a great way to get sued as an employer on the basis of discrimination (regardless of whether discrimination actually happened!).
- This employer sent out a mass email to candidates that "made it through to the second round," inviting them to call for appointment times. This is not the problem. The problem was that they did not hide the email addresses. This is a violation of privacy law.
Job "B"
Interesting things:
- Interviewer (CEO of company) said that "consultative selling never accomplished anything. He needed high-intensity sales people." I am a consultative salesman. I sold over $2.6 Million in products last year on my own. His whole company sold $3.1 million - with 12 people in sales.
- Interviewer said he did not use behavioral interview questions because he did not like canned answers. Behavioral interview questions, by nature, get the candidate talking about specific times and events... not generalizations and canned responses. The man then proceeded to ask me 16 canned questions.
- Interviewer already had his mind made up on what I did at my previous employer. I was a marketing rep for an insurance company. He just knew that I was really an agent... "having sold policies to customers and now leaning toward riding my renewals." I explained it to him. And he forgot exactly 3.5 minutes later when he made another generalization of how I would not understand a certain aspect of his business because I was used to renewal revenues. Jeesh!
Job "C"
Puts me through 4 rounds of interviews. Then I get a letter saying that I did not have the qualifications for the job. When I wrote to ask why... they said I had no discernible sales experience.
- Why put me through 4 rounds of interviews?
- I guess the last 11 years of sales have all been in my head.
What's sad is that job was actually on my top 10 list.
more to come, soon!
(remember I am in sales, by trade)
Job "A"
This company had a position for "outside sales" (selling to other businesses). Unusual things:
- Possibly illegal interview question 1: "You don't have any disabilities, do you? The person for this job will need to be of able body."
- Possibly illegal interview question 2: "You aren't going to need special religious days off will you? We work Mon-Fri every week."
- This company snapped my photo. This is a great way to get sued as an employer on the basis of discrimination (regardless of whether discrimination actually happened!).
- This employer sent out a mass email to candidates that "made it through to the second round," inviting them to call for appointment times. This is not the problem. The problem was that they did not hide the email addresses. This is a violation of privacy law.
Job "B"
Interesting things:
- Interviewer (CEO of company) said that "consultative selling never accomplished anything. He needed high-intensity sales people." I am a consultative salesman. I sold over $2.6 Million in products last year on my own. His whole company sold $3.1 million - with 12 people in sales.
- Interviewer said he did not use behavioral interview questions because he did not like canned answers. Behavioral interview questions, by nature, get the candidate talking about specific times and events... not generalizations and canned responses. The man then proceeded to ask me 16 canned questions.
- Interviewer already had his mind made up on what I did at my previous employer. I was a marketing rep for an insurance company. He just knew that I was really an agent... "having sold policies to customers and now leaning toward riding my renewals." I explained it to him. And he forgot exactly 3.5 minutes later when he made another generalization of how I would not understand a certain aspect of his business because I was used to renewal revenues. Jeesh!
Job "C"
Puts me through 4 rounds of interviews. Then I get a letter saying that I did not have the qualifications for the job. When I wrote to ask why... they said I had no discernible sales experience.
- Why put me through 4 rounds of interviews?
- I guess the last 11 years of sales have all been in my head.
What's sad is that job was actually on my top 10 list.
more to come, soon!
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