Rude job interviewers
UPDATE: I got an official rejection for the job. And it's an entry level clerk/admin job in operations. I didn't want to work for him anyways.
A classmate from my $2,000 course emailed me out of nowhere asking if I wanted to interview with her company. It was an entry level job in operations, similar to the one I interviewed and turned down multiple times even when they asked me again a few months ago(I referred one of the temps in my office there because her contract wasn't going to be renewed. She asked me if I wanted to work there).
She emailed me Thursday and I interviewed on Friday. It wasn't far but my morning was so rushed and hectic. I woke up early so I could shower and feel prepared but my second roommate and her boyfriend both beat me to the bathroom by mere seconds. I had an hour before catching the train and I still had to go to work, send my boss a quick email to explain I had a doctor's appt all morning only to realize after the interview my boss was taking the day off, grab my shoes and catch the bus to the train station with 10 minutes to relax.
I didn't have time for breakfast so I spent $2.40 on a bran muffin at the station. I caught the express train and the free peninsula shuttle. Unfortunately it meant arriving an hour and a half early, really tired, hungry and semi-frustrated. I was also partially dressed (wore a black skirt and a tank top so I could wear my button-up shirt after leaving the office). So while I was making sure my hair and appearance was neat in a dark corner with a glass door and empty building, some Mexican construction workers came over and looked at me lascivious, asking me "what's up sweetie."
When my appointment time slot came up, the interviewee didn't seem interested. He asked me to share my strengths and my current responsibilities. When asked if I work with government agencies in my job and I replied not directly, but on the customer side, he started to get up and wanted to show me the door! He also wanted to know my salary expectations and I wanted him to give me a range. He wouldn't so I gave the highest amount I'd take - $40,000. He was rude and awfully critical that I didn't pass the test saying my life would be better and the light at the end of my tunnel would be brighter if I passed. A lot of people don't pass on their first attempt. Can people just move on and get past the fact? He was also disappointed to hear I wasn't retaking the test in October.
Career credentials are important financially. But I'm running the 1/2 marathon in October and trying to figure out what I want. And studying for the test would hog up another 4 months of my time. I know 4 months isn't a big deal considering I did it earlier this year. But I don't want to put my life on hold lately for a test the government gives twice a year full of loaded and terrible questions that aren't even relevant in real-life situations. And the license doesn't mean diddly squat if you don't work in the actual business. My area of interest isn't relevant to getting the license.
I'm going to be selfish and put my needs first, temporarily.
I traveled an hour and a half and didn't get up so I could ask my questions. But after each question, he said "thanks," and started to get up.
The interview went for 20 minutes before he said "thanks for your time," and got up before I could open with another question. I was really frustrated and angry but thanked him for the time.
It was an entry-level job and he was looking for someone with a certain amount of experience. The interview was a dud, just like another one referred to me by a recruiter where I took BART then proceeded to walk 45 minutes in an industrial area.
Tip for people job searching without a car, Google Maps doesn't provide the most/efficient transit options. Your best bet is to call the various agencies and ask.
After the interview I found a little supermarket and taqueria so I grabbed a quick lunch ($2.69), a taco and a bottle of water because it was really hot outside while waiting for the shuttle bus. It was the same lady that dropped me off earlier in the morning and it was nice to see a friendly face after what seemed like a really long morning.
But the entire trip was expensive - total $14,$11.50 for Caltrain and $2.50 for MUNI for a 20 minute interview that took up half my day. That puts me behind at work but I'm lucky to be working on a project that will take a few more weeks.
A classmate from my $2,000 course emailed me out of nowhere asking if I wanted to interview with her company. It was an entry level job in operations, similar to the one I interviewed and turned down multiple times even when they asked me again a few months ago(I referred one of the temps in my office there because her contract wasn't going to be renewed. She asked me if I wanted to work there).
She emailed me Thursday and I interviewed on Friday. It wasn't far but my morning was so rushed and hectic. I woke up early so I could shower and feel prepared but my second roommate and her boyfriend both beat me to the bathroom by mere seconds. I had an hour before catching the train and I still had to go to work, send my boss a quick email to explain I had a doctor's appt all morning only to realize after the interview my boss was taking the day off, grab my shoes and catch the bus to the train station with 10 minutes to relax.
I didn't have time for breakfast so I spent $2.40 on a bran muffin at the station. I caught the express train and the free peninsula shuttle. Unfortunately it meant arriving an hour and a half early, really tired, hungry and semi-frustrated. I was also partially dressed (wore a black skirt and a tank top so I could wear my button-up shirt after leaving the office). So while I was making sure my hair and appearance was neat in a dark corner with a glass door and empty building, some Mexican construction workers came over and looked at me lascivious, asking me "what's up sweetie."
When my appointment time slot came up, the interviewee didn't seem interested. He asked me to share my strengths and my current responsibilities. When asked if I work with government agencies in my job and I replied not directly, but on the customer side, he started to get up and wanted to show me the door! He also wanted to know my salary expectations and I wanted him to give me a range. He wouldn't so I gave the highest amount I'd take - $40,000. He was rude and awfully critical that I didn't pass the test saying my life would be better and the light at the end of my tunnel would be brighter if I passed. A lot of people don't pass on their first attempt. Can people just move on and get past the fact? He was also disappointed to hear I wasn't retaking the test in October.
Career credentials are important financially. But I'm running the 1/2 marathon in October and trying to figure out what I want. And studying for the test would hog up another 4 months of my time. I know 4 months isn't a big deal considering I did it earlier this year. But I don't want to put my life on hold lately for a test the government gives twice a year full of loaded and terrible questions that aren't even relevant in real-life situations. And the license doesn't mean diddly squat if you don't work in the actual business. My area of interest isn't relevant to getting the license.
I'm going to be selfish and put my needs first, temporarily.
I traveled an hour and a half and didn't get up so I could ask my questions. But after each question, he said "thanks," and started to get up.
The interview went for 20 minutes before he said "thanks for your time," and got up before I could open with another question. I was really frustrated and angry but thanked him for the time.
It was an entry-level job and he was looking for someone with a certain amount of experience. The interview was a dud, just like another one referred to me by a recruiter where I took BART then proceeded to walk 45 minutes in an industrial area.
Tip for people job searching without a car, Google Maps doesn't provide the most/efficient transit options. Your best bet is to call the various agencies and ask.
After the interview I found a little supermarket and taqueria so I grabbed a quick lunch ($2.69), a taco and a bottle of water because it was really hot outside while waiting for the shuttle bus. It was the same lady that dropped me off earlier in the morning and it was nice to see a friendly face after what seemed like a really long morning.
But the entire trip was expensive - total $14,$11.50 for Caltrain and $2.50 for MUNI for a 20 minute interview that took up half my day. That puts me behind at work but I'm lucky to be working on a project that will take a few more weeks.
posted by SF Money Musings at
11:00 AM
5 Comments:
Yikes, the least he could have done was gracefully concluded the interview if he didn't want to give you the time to complete a full one. I wonder what led him to interview you in the first place, didn't he read your resume?
What a jerk. At least you know you don't want to work for him.
Yeesh. Have you considered renting a car for the day if you are travelling for an interview? For $20, the increase in price is offset by the time and convenience savings of getting there!
Revanche: My classmate gave him my resume and said I was interested. She gave him a brief background of my work and we scheduled an appointment. She copied him in her email with my resume. So I was pretty confused.
Karen: He was definitely a jerk and well I least I won't be working for him, thankfully.
La Femme: I'm a nervous wreck if I have to drive a car in places I'm not familiar. The Peninsula is one of those places where it's easy to get lost because some streets stretch for miles and you see nothing. And I'm very accident prone *knock on wood*. So it's less stressful for me to take the train and shuttle than to drive.
I had that happen to me before! And apparently the same thing happened to my younger sister, except more conclusively: "We're not hiring seasonal workers." My poor little sister cried. Do perhaps rude interviewers not remember how it feels to squirm in the chair? Good luck with your future interviews; may they be very jerk-free!
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