Interviewing Etiquette

Appearance wise I'm a white male in his 40s. Reality is I'm 40% Native American.

 

then you definitely are not on the top of the list with a big company or the government.

it's literally fucking racism. I'm Armenian and 40. but i just look like a tan white guy. White people usually think I'm Mexican, but that's just stupid, my nose should give it away...

white middle aged men are definitely not what is being looked for today. skill, experience, talent, etc doesn't matter much.

i only get the jobs i get because I'm in a very, very limited pool of people that can do all the things i do.

in fact, I've applied for a job several times that i should have gotten a decade ago.... after being denied for a decade, i gave up.

guess what, after a dozen people got canned for being shitty and useless, the fkin contract company CALLS ME ! LMFAO, they knew the entire time that they should have hired me, but I'm not diverse enough, even though I'm technically Asian.

oh well ‍♀️

 

Strange how that works isn't it, especially when the entity loves to beat their chests about being equal opportunity for everyone regardless of age, race, sex, etc.

 

Unfortunately that is a major error on the part of those doing the interview. A candidate shouldn't really have any direct feedback on their answers or being thrilled the candidate had applied.

It sets expectations that they may not be able to meet.

I was 1 of 2 finalists for a role once. The interviewer told each of us we were great, and one of us would get the job. (we were coworkers and discussed it post interviews)

Turns out a VP dropped in candidate #3. That candidate had not sought the job, but was pushed for his 'growth'. The hiring Division Manager had no real option.

Not saying this happened to you, but you never know all the behind the scenes stuff.

If I were you, I'd have a quiet, polite conversation with someone you have some confidence in and ask if they can share a status. And be deciding if you want to push on or move on.

In my case in a few months I wound up with a better role that ultimately set me up for several good things that I would have never predicted. Maybe yours will too.

 

I've got an interview for a job I feel is a perfect fit for me on Friday. I was super stoked about it until I read this thread. Thanks guys. lol

 

https://youtu.be/w4Zg1jX75m0

 

Sounds like BS as they just invalidated the stated reason for not picking you. In short, whatever the reason was, they are not comfortable stating it. Meaning they are either pathetically incapable of being honest or the reason is not above board. Reasons that are not above board could range from 'dirty indian' to your current manager said something bad about your performance (either to keep you because they don't want to loose you, or because they don't like you for some reason).

Regardless of the reason behind it, BS is BS and while it might be worth tolerating for a host of personal reasons, I would strongly considering finding a new company to work for.

 

Pretty much feels that way, agreed. The current manager I sadly wouldn't be shocked if they made sure I was not going anywhere, several of my colleagues have suggested that recently unsolicited.

I'd have to find out what happens to my pension there now, as I have the service time but not the age to begin collecting it. If it just vanishes into thin air if I leave prior to the age 55 that would force some tough thinking.

 

That is a powerful reason to stay, especially if you don't have that many years left. You should look into it though, always good to understand your options and consequences, even if you don't end up exercising them.

 

I've spent most of my career on the other side of the table as the hiring manager for big companies. The smallest was 20K employees and they got bigger from there. The only time I was forced to hire an EEO candidate was in the early 90's. In the end she was one of my better hires. Since that one time I've never once been told to hire an EEO candidate and I'm in the traditionally male dominated field of IT. I wonder how much of that EEO stuff is still being used?

So I wrote this:
> "IMHO the OP should find a new company. It will still be as bad as his current company. But at least the shit will smell a little bit different, before it starts smelling like the same old shit."

And then I read your comment about the pension. Hmmm, that could be a hard choice, potentially. It should be a simple matter to look the pension up online and see what the vesting rules are. I have 2 pensions one private and one public and they both work pretty much the same. If you leave after vesting you get to keep what you've got and the longer you wait to draw the bigger the payment gets. My bet is you've been there long enough to vest, so leaving isn't going to necessarily hurt your retirement. (what your next employer offers is important to the overall outlook)

Remember, companies have no loyalty to any employee at any level. Showing loyalty to them is a fools game that will never be repaid. I bailed from one company just before they laid-off the entire IT staff. I loved that place, but they thought they could outsource the IT department and save money.

As a director I'm nice to people, do what I can to keep them and what I'm about to say isn't directed at you personally. There are people on my team will never get promoted. The reasons are as different as the people. I can't tell them specifics, like the "the other directors all think you are a jerk and don't want you." (true) Or, "you pissed off the entire management team of the department you support." These are not bad people, and a fresh start somewhere else would do wonders for their paycheck and career.

 

jsi, I've been on promotion boards for the government and specifically given quotas based on the boxes checked for ethnicity (there are usually only about 5 boxes).


I've worked for many government contract companies that absolutely must have x amount of this and that color or gender inorder to even bid. it's fking sick.

 

Wow. You just can't make this shit up.

Logged in this morning (had a scheduled day off yesterday, kinda last minute (funeral for someone close)) and had a meeting scheduled with my manager and supervisor in 15 minutes. I hit into the room and am told that the team I spoke of in this thread is in need of more hands for the next few months and I'll be satelliting for them exclusively under the same manager who ghosted me and then gave me a phony reason. This was known by both my leaders on the call prior as I followed up with them and explained what happened.

So basically I'm good enough to be the pack mule when needed. I'm not good enough for the role and pay increase.

WOW. JUST. WOW.

I had half a mind to say not happening and I'll resign first but I'm not able to just leave at the drop of a hat.

 

I’m closing in on 30 years of corporate America. I won’t miss it one bit.

 

Man, people suck. Maybe not everyone, but in general, this kind of stupid shit happens all the time. Incompetence, ignorance, and self-centeredness abounds.

 

Funny how this thread popped up again.

A job opening (a couple of slots above my position) has invited a flurry of internal applicants over here. One of my colleagues threw his hat in. He's sharp, he has the education, but he's also young and is lacking a little bit on the experience front, and also a little on the interpersonal skills to be honest. I keep telling him that his application was a smart move, but don't expect to get the job. He should have seen it for what it was, which was an opportunity to meet the senior leadership and little else. It should have been a key to open a future door down his path. Instead he made it clear how personally he was taking it and that he truly thinks that he is the best candidate in the ring (lol no), and unfortunately for him everyone noticed. Rumor has it that the final decision was made this week, but won't be announced publicly for a long while. They are hoping that certain people cool down and won't rage-quit over the announcement. He probably still will.

 

Very true for so many people. This thread is really just a great reminder about perspective. There are so many different realities existing together in OP's environment, and we've only heard his. We'd all like to sympathize and agree OP is the best for the position, but the reality is he might not be. He may obviously be qualified and able to do it, hence they throw him into it in emergency situations, but doesn't mean they want him there permanently. Or he may be the best, and they made a mistake; maybe they're questioning their decisions, want to throw him into it to prove himself, yet he might quit. Only thing to do is keep on keeping on, find your worth outside your work, or move on. Hard to weigh those options when you have other factors like benefits/retirement, but this happens everyday in nearly every business. Hold your head up OP, and only thing I'd encourage is to communicate, very clearly and purposefully. Do you fear losing your job if you ask hard questions? Will it matter if you're trying to slowly ease out the door anyways?

 

Upside is, if you had any doubts on your new temp manager's competence and capability, now's the time to see it for yourself without the long term effects.

Had an interview a few years ago that I was really bummed didn't quite pan out the way I had hoped. Took a job down the street and run into people I would have worked with fairly often. Everyone tells me how much of a disaster the section I would have worked for is and how most of them asked to get reassigned or quit not long after.

 

Looking forward to you getting appointed to the Credit Suisse C-Suite. Couldn't do a more bang-up job than the last guy!

Seriously, good luck on the interview and I hope you get it!

 

Yup, literally just got hit with this baseball bat 2 days ago. I know in the application and denial process I had kept my manager and supervisor in the loop and they both agreed that this person wasn't being too professional, one had even said "maybe it's best, you probably don't want to work for someone like that". A little miffed they have no issue sending me there though, although maybe it wasn't a decision they made or could veto.

Your approach is a good one, at the bare minimum it's good to get face time and those people know who he is. Plus if he at least gets honest feedback from the process, he'll know what he needs to be a better candidate.

Good point. TBH it's already not very good in my book. And yes, sometimes things do work for the best in terms of not getting something.