10/05/2006
Don't Take That Job!!!
Obviously any time you interview for a new job, one of the key things you ask yourself is, “Will I like it here?” and, “Will I fit in?” I know one big thing on my mind when I went on interviews was, “What is this potential future boss going to be like?”
Forget about things like skill and talent. There are other things that you pick up during an interview that help determine the likelihood that you will choose THEM, let alone them choosing YOU.
What kind of vibe do you get when you meet your interviewers? I’ve been on plenty of interviews to know that some scenarios will not work out. However, I also know that when you’re totally desperate you’ll accept almost any job offer. You need to be careful of this: you could be jumping from the frying pan into the fire. I was completely desperate to get out of my job. I don’t just mean desperate: I mean D.E.S.P.E.R.A.T.E.
Interestingly though, I did not jump at every single bite. Of course I wanted to get out… but I knew deep down that some companies would have been a bad fit. There’s so much to consider. One job I was offered I had to turn down because the salary was too low; I could only take so much of a cut. That was a real shame too, because the hiring manager was someone I truly would have enjoyed working with; there was a real connection when I met with this person.
Although, I had a very different experience on another occasion - at another company. I had had an interview scheduled at lunch. It was on the west side of Manhattan and I worked on the east side (I always worked on the east side). I’d been trying to get an appointment with this particular individual for months. I finally got a shot and off I went to meet with them. After an hour of waiting (right outside this person’s office – it’s not like I was waiting at reception and they forgot about me), I had to go to an assistant and find out if I needed to reschedule because I had to get back to work. As it turned out, they called me in right after that. But I then only had fifteen minutes for the interview because I was in a rush to split and the interviewer knew it. Even after keeping me for so long, I didn’t receive so much as an acknowledgement of the delay, let alone an apology for it.
So I walked out of there completely pissed. Desperate as I was, I basically scratched them right off my list. If they couldn’t honor an appointment time, what else were they not going to honor or show respect for? They knew I was on my lunch hour. This is a popular time for people schedule to interviews!
I am not completely innocent on this account though. One time I scheduled an interview for a candidate. Turned out, I swallowed an Idiot Pill that morning and I went into a meeting with my own manager. I totally forgot about the appointment. This poor candidate waited for an hour!!! I felt so terrible about it and was convinced that I’d never hear from them again. I did exactly that which I despised. Luckily, the person wanted the job and came back for subsequent meetings (I never overlooked another appointment!). We eventually hired them.
All I’m saying is; don’t get so ahead of yourself that you fail to consider your interviewer’s personality or habits before accepting a job with them. You could be grateful for it later.
Forget about things like skill and talent. There are other things that you pick up during an interview that help determine the likelihood that you will choose THEM, let alone them choosing YOU.
What kind of vibe do you get when you meet your interviewers? I’ve been on plenty of interviews to know that some scenarios will not work out. However, I also know that when you’re totally desperate you’ll accept almost any job offer. You need to be careful of this: you could be jumping from the frying pan into the fire. I was completely desperate to get out of my job. I don’t just mean desperate: I mean D.E.S.P.E.R.A.T.E.
Interestingly though, I did not jump at every single bite. Of course I wanted to get out… but I knew deep down that some companies would have been a bad fit. There’s so much to consider. One job I was offered I had to turn down because the salary was too low; I could only take so much of a cut. That was a real shame too, because the hiring manager was someone I truly would have enjoyed working with; there was a real connection when I met with this person.
Although, I had a very different experience on another occasion - at another company. I had had an interview scheduled at lunch. It was on the west side of Manhattan and I worked on the east side (I always worked on the east side). I’d been trying to get an appointment with this particular individual for months. I finally got a shot and off I went to meet with them. After an hour of waiting (right outside this person’s office – it’s not like I was waiting at reception and they forgot about me), I had to go to an assistant and find out if I needed to reschedule because I had to get back to work. As it turned out, they called me in right after that. But I then only had fifteen minutes for the interview because I was in a rush to split and the interviewer knew it. Even after keeping me for so long, I didn’t receive so much as an acknowledgement of the delay, let alone an apology for it.
So I walked out of there completely pissed. Desperate as I was, I basically scratched them right off my list. If they couldn’t honor an appointment time, what else were they not going to honor or show respect for? They knew I was on my lunch hour. This is a popular time for people schedule to interviews!
I am not completely innocent on this account though. One time I scheduled an interview for a candidate. Turned out, I swallowed an Idiot Pill that morning and I went into a meeting with my own manager. I totally forgot about the appointment. This poor candidate waited for an hour!!! I felt so terrible about it and was convinced that I’d never hear from them again. I did exactly that which I despised. Luckily, the person wanted the job and came back for subsequent meetings (I never overlooked another appointment!). We eventually hired them.
All I’m saying is; don’t get so ahead of yourself that you fail to consider your interviewer’s personality or habits before accepting a job with them. You could be grateful for it later.
