Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi everyone! I'm currently on the job hunt. I had an in-person interview last week at a big corporate company in my city. Prior to the interview, I was excited about the prospect of working there. I'd already completed two phone interviews -- one with a recruiter and another with the guy who'd be my direct manager -- and both went really well. The company has exceptional employee benefits, ample PTO, and a seemingly fun/casual culture.
The in-person interview consisted of five mini-interviews with various managers in the department (which has probably 100-200 people). Everything was going seemingly well until I had a mini-interview with the head president of the department. As soon as we start, he asks me for a printed copy of my resume. I didn't have one. I'd applied online and inputted all my information into their online application and literally just didn't think to bring one. Each of the other four managers had my information pulled up onto their computer or printed out.
So I tell him "I'm sorry I don't have one" and he sort of fakes a reaction of shock and being offended and says, "OK... well I guess you'll need to tell me about yourself then because I don't have it written down." So that tripped me up a bit. During the interview he also was eating a cookie or something as I was talking, it just felt like he wasn't taking it very seriously or trying to give off an air of superiority, maybe because I was applying for an entry-level position and so considered somewhat expendable. And as the interview continued, he interrupted me at one point to correct my usage of a word, so mid-way through I felt like it really wasn't going well. At one point he asked point blank "Are you nervous?" I replied yes, I was a little nervous and he says "You seem extremely nervous and unsure of yourself." Finally, toward the end, he asked me a random question "Have you always been this smart? I think you're really smart and it'd be great to have someone with your intelligence on the team but you need to get it together when talking to the rest of the interviewers." I know that seems like a compliment but it just felt somewhat condescending after sort of belittling me prior.
So I left the interview feeling embarrassed for not bringing a resume and for being nervous and honestly much less excited about the job. But then two days later, I got an offer from the company. The salary offer was very good -- much higher than estimates online showed. I'm still hedging though, mostly because of that bad experience. I've had a number of job interviews and I've never been treated like that, though I've also never interviewed at a large corporation. Also, I don't think I'd be working under this guy directly, though he's the boss of everyone and I feel I'd interact with him often enough.
I ended up reaching out to a former employee at the company via LinkedIn (who had the same role I applied for until a few months ago) and she didn't have good things to say -- she described the culture in that department overall as somewhat toxic -- though I know it's not wise to judge based on one person's experience.
Do you think this interviewer's behavior was overtly rude or am I being too sensitive? Should I go with my gut feeling and decline, or give it a chance? I applied for an entry-level position and I see it's often filled by recent college graduates. I have about five years of professional work experience in this industry already but the specific role is somewhat of a career transition and would give me a chance to learn some different skills. I also don't want to pass up a good job over one bad experience. On the flip side, I've only been on the job hunt a few weeks and have gotten several bites, it seems like a pretty good economy to be looking for a job.
Last edited by xxthinkpinkxo; 08-27-2018 at 06:54 PM..
You didn't bring in a resume, but say HE didn't take it seriously?
Certainly a fair comment. I honestly have never brought in a resume for any interview in the past and I've been continuously employed for about 10 years. It's never been requested so I've literally never thought to. My mistake and if I could change it, I would, and I won't do it again. But I felt his behavior was out of line, resume or not.
Honestly I would be more nervous about what the employee said than the interviewer. Many people get persnickety if you don’t have a resume with you. This guy obviously did and he acted like an ass.
Honestly I would be more nervous about what the employee said than the interviewer. Many people get persnickety if you don’t have a resume with you. This guy obviously did and he acted like an ass.
What does Glassdoor say about the company?
Thanks, and yep I'll bring a resume from now on. I realize most of my jobs I've interviewed for in the past have happened via Skype or by phone since they've largely required cross-country moves, so there's never been a thought to print a resume, I literally just didn't realize. As far as the company, it has pretty positive Glassdoor reviews but it's hard to say with 7,000+ employees what it'd be like in this specific department. I agree this employees comments were alarming. She said the turnover is pretty high too. It would make sense if it's a toxic place since this interviewer runs the ship essentially and thus, sets the tone.
Thanks, and yep I'll bring a resume from now on. I realize most of my jobs I've interviewed for in the past have happened via Skype or by phone since they've largely required cross-country moves, so there's never been a thought to print a resume, I literally just didn't realize. As far as the company, it has pretty positive Glassdoor reviews but it's hard to say with 7,000+ employees what it'd be like in this specific department. I agree this employees comments were alarming. She said the turnover is pretty high too. It would make sense if it's a toxic place since this interviewer runs the ship essentially and thus, sets the tone.
Bingo! You are marketable, why settle? You were wrong about the resume but I find his behavior alarming. I would check Glassdoor and narrow search based on location.
I would not take the job because he was verbally abusive. Unfortunately, this type of behavior trickles down.
The interviewer was unprofessional. The company should also understand that they are under scrutiny by the job candidate as well.
That said, there are a lot of rude people everywhere and it is impossible to get away from them. You just have to develop a thick skin and not let them bother you. Take the job if you want. Get your experience, and if the rudeness becomes just too much, flip this guy the bird and go work somewhere else.
Thanks for your responses, after thinking about it I decided to decline. I figure two bad signs (the interviewer and the bad review from a previous employee) are too much to ignore. I am sure I'll regret turning it down if nothing else comes up but I figure it's best to go with my gut. In the mean time I'll work on thickening up my skin. If anything, that manager is not someone I'd work well under if he tripped me up that much just in the brief interview.
Bingo! You are marketable, why settle? You were wrong about the resume but I find his behavior alarming. I would check Glassdoor and narrow search based on location.
I would not take the job because he was verbally abusive. Unfortunately, this type of behavior trickles down.
Dear God. Abusive?
People seriously overuse/misuse the term "abuse". Everyone "abuses" everyone at this point. Ridiculous.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
