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Are you SURE you know what you are getting into here?
YOU stated that the head hunter told you the position you expressed interest in is no longer available, but would you like to come talk about a position at 'our' company---meaning the recruiting firm.
Before I go on, could you please tell us that you know the name of the company for which you are being recruited; you know the name of the hiring manager (the boss!), and you know the exact position for which you are being recruited. Executive Assistant to whom?
I am probably being dumb, but I don't trust recruiters any further than I can throw them, and it sounds to me like you are being played.
Just got the call to confirm my flights. She actually told me she'd be sending me an itinerary of whom I'm meeting. And then proceeded to name them off. Very cool. Looks like I'll be meeting with two people who would be my bosses and two more dept heads and a few other exec assists. Wow! Maybe I can take a nap at the club house. LOL. Gonna call the leasing agent to see if I can relax there for a bit. Gonna be a long day. 7am flight and coming home at 10pm.
I always tell them I'd like to travel with an overnight stay so I can be fresh and prepared for our meeting the following day; most companies won't fault you for that.
And the company will usually pay for the rental for the day. They don't care where else you're going; it's the same price. If it's somewhere I've never been, I always go touristing, and most interviewers appreciate that you are interested enough in where you might be living to at least check out the place. It shows confidence.
If I am serious about the move to the location regardless of the position, I might have already lined up a tentative place to live, and I usually bounce the neighborhood off the interviewer too, as a conversation point. That also shows preparedness.
If you decide not to stay overnight, I know it sounds uncomfortable, but wear what you will wear to the interview. I don't carry a suit or anything to change into because it will wrinkle, and because lugging around a carry-on seems high-maintenance to me. Yes, it would be tacky to bring a backpack to an interview. You don't want to project the image that you are still a college kid.
Make sure you've worn your interview outfit very recently, and that your shoes are well broken in! There is nothing worse than limping around the airport with a painful blister. Also, pack an extra pair of hose & some small (carry-on size) deodorant, hairspray, makeup, whatever, in your purse. When you get to the airport, FIRST go find your rental car or your ground transportation counter, take care of that, THEN go to the bathroom and freshen up, then get in the air-conditioned car. Otherwise you've freshened up, only to sweat again walking around the airport.
Always negotiate for the most you can get! I was contracting for myself for the first time and I was quoting prices per page. I accidentally did the math wrong and they came back with my number and said that $220k was a little steep, could I come down a little? I about peed myself. I had meant to ask for $60k. I wound up settling for $120k, AND they flew me back home first-class! LOL
Due to the heat that's going on right now, I'd rather lug the carry on garment bag. 90+ next week. Yikes. I'll be sweating away in a suit. Great advice about all the extra's and small's stuff. 3oz or less though, lol. Darn airlines.
OMG. Love the $220k. That's awesome about the $120k though.
I was thinking....maybe I'll just go to my apartment complex and ask to use the workout room restrooms, or their restrooms in the clubhouse. I can also relax there if I need to. It's not close to the work site, but if I change a bit early on and take my time, I can get in the car and go. Then relax again when I get there. Hopefully I won't melt. Definitely not a lot of makeup going on, that's for sure.
What I did on one interview where a bunch of candidates were being tested on their travelability(?), They flew me from the Southern tip of Florida to Seattle WA and back the same day, with an interview in Seattle. I packed a carry-on with my suit jacket, skirt & shoes. I wore the blouse with comfy pants & shoes. I had already mapped out the place I would be going to, so I found the closest upscale hotel to my interview and called ahead, and they gladly let me use their lobby restroom. It was very well appointed with mirrors and chairs, and I was able to rest, calm down, and get composed. They even gave me a bottle of water and wished me good luck. I had the cab drop me off there, with the request that they come back in half an hour or so.
Then after the cab came back & dropped me off at the interview, I took my carry-on with me in to the interview but the receptionist kept it behind her desk for the day.
Are you SURE you know what you are getting into here?
YOU stated that the head hunter told you the position you expressed interest in is no longer available, but would you like to come talk about a position at 'our' company---meaning the recruiting firm.
Before I go on, could you please tell us that you know the name of the company for which you are being recruited; you know the name of the hiring manager (the boss!), and you know the exact position for which you are being recruited. Executive Assistant to whom?
I am probably being dumb, but I don't trust recruiters any further than I can throw them, and it sounds to me like you are being played.
I hope I am wrong.
Sorry to be confusing. I called the person a recruiter because I don't know if they're HR or what (their titles are weird). The person works for said company (which I'm not going to name). She told me right away who I'd be working for (and I'll be interviewing with the two managers also) and talked about their divisions and who they manage, what they do, etc.
I totally understand what you're saying and me using the word recruiter probably threw you off. I will call them HR from now on. Like I said, just weird titles. I know with larger companies they have internal recruiters that aren't really HR. No clue if this is the case, or what. But yes, same company. Thanks for asking.
And to make it interesting, now I'm trying to schedule another interview on the same day with a different company (or maybe we can Skype). At least I know I'm somewhat marketable. Yay!
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Looks like I'll be meeting with two people who would be my bosses and two more dept heads and a few other exec assists. Wow! Maybe I can take a nap at the club house. LOL. Gonna call the leasing agent to see if I can relax there for a bit. Gonna be a long day. 7am flight and coming home at 10pm.
