The Interview Game

I've been on so many interviews, it's almost become a hobby to me.  Some people play D&D.  For some its World of Warcraft.  For me, it's the Interview Game?  Yikes, I need to get a life.

I'm not the only one to make the comparison.  In fact, CBS decided the comparison was too good to resist.  Hence they decided the world needed a new elimination-style reality game show, The Job.  Just like every other elimination-style reality game show, The Job is degrading, artificially-constructed, overly-dramatized, with fake premises.  Oh, wait, interviews are like that, too (only without the horrible beating heart drama music).

Here's how The Job worked (past tense, because it appears the show was cancelled after two episodes.  You weren't missing much if you didn't catch it.):

1. Introducing the company and the interview panel.  Of course, for a TV show, the interview panel is made up of VPs, GMs, CEOs, and anyone high up in the company who thinks their sparkly blue eyes will look good on TV.  In reality, the candidate is expected to research the company on their own time, and (unless you're vying for some super high up position) you will be interviewed by supervisors, managers, maybe a director, and possibly even peers.  Sparkly blue eyes that will look good on TV are not expected in a real interview.
2. Introducing the candidates.  Everyone in reality-TV has to have some kind of back-story, which is mentioned in the voice-over as they walk onto the stage.  In the first episode candidates included the vegan, the widow, and the cancer survivor.  In real life, not only do you have no idea who you are competing against, you also would never even think about walking into a room announcing, "Hi, I'm Jann, and my husband died!"
3. Introducing the other companies.  This is supposed to be "the twist" to add TV drama.  There are representatives from three other companies sitting off to the side watching the proceedings.  One of those companies could decide they want to hire one of the candidates.  Gasp!  There could be a bidding war!  I don't need to tell you that in the real world, this is never going to happen.  Adidas and Nike are never going to sit in the same room and interview the same set of candidates for the same position.
4. The first elimination round.  Ah, yes, reality TV must have elimination rounds.  The candidates spend time in the work place, and are given "challenges" to occupy their time.  There is a version of this that can happen in some interviews.  I've been asked to provide my feedback of embroidery samples during an interview for a Color Designer position, follow the instructions for sewing the applique and flap of a handbag for a Production Sewer position, and take a series of color tests for a Color Analyst position. Thankfully, if you fail one of these interview tests, you do not have your foibles discussed on national TV, nor do you have Lisa Ling insincerely proclaiming, "Whew.  That was hard!"
5. The questions, another elimination round.  Each remaining candidate is brought up to the interview panel one-by-one and given a set of three questions related to the company, the position, or the industry.  You would NEVER get these pop-quiz questions in a real interview.  "What two ingredients go into Simple Syrup?" "In 2012, Brad Pitt became the first-ever male spokesman in ads for what classic brand of perfume?"  Really?
6. False drama time!  The company writes the name of their favorite candidate on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope.  Oooo, the suspense!
7. The Pressure Cooker Challenge, another elimination round, and another attempt at putting twist into the drama.  In the second episode, the Pressure Cooker Challenge was to point out the error on the cover of sample Cosmopolitan covers.  I'm of the opinion that the interview in and of itself is the Pressure Cooker Challenge.
8. More false drama!  The other companies are given the opportunity to try to snatch one of the candidates.  I would love to have multiple companies fighting over who gets to hire me, but in real life, this is never going to happen.
9. Now they get to the "interview" where they ask each of the two remaining candidates one question.  Since when does the interview only have one question?One important difference between reality and reality TV- apparently the producers of The Job do not need to obey hiring laws.  One of the contestants was asked if she was really prepared to relocate for the job since she is a single mother of six questions.  This question is illegal.
   
10. The Decision.  This does happen in real life, but not in front of a live studio audience. 

The whole interview routine drives me crazy, as does the popularity of reality TV (in case you haven't noticed).  The system is set up to reward those who are good actors, the best at hiding their flaws, and maximizing their assets. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a new hobby to pursue.  It's time to sign up for some acting lessons.

The Infernal Internal Candidate

There is a saying, "It's easier to find a job when you have a job."  It turns out that in today's job market, this cliche is ringing louder and clearer than ever before.

This is a huge problem for unemployed folk such as myself, and the problem is only getting worse.  {Cue doomsday music.}

One of the reasons behind this phenomenon is that employers are becoming increasingly prejudiced against unemployed candidates.  Some have even stated in the job advertisement that they will not accept applications from the unemployed no matter the reason.   (Great article on that here- the comments are a rather interesting read as well.)

Another reason, and the focus of my tirade today, is the increased reliance on the internal candidate. According to this article (which references a Wall Street Journal article that I can't find), in 2010, 47% of all new hires were internal candidates.  And this trend is only gaining in popularity. 

HR people LOVE internal candidates!  They're cheaper and easier to recruit.  They improve morale at the company.  You don't have to pay them as much.  Sounds like a win/win, doesn't it? 

Not so fast.  I've been burned by this internal candidate phenomena.  The scar tissue hasn't healed yet.  Here's my story:

While I was still employed at my last job (so being unemployed was not yet one of my problems), I saw an advertisement for a great opening-level-type position at a company whose product I am totally gaga over.  You could not fake my enthusiasm over this company and the position was really great, too.  Super extra bonus- I know someone who works there already! 

I sent my contact an email inquiring about the job.  Her response, "you would be a fantastic fit for this position."  I'm golden!  She gave me the name of the HR person, so I bypassed the generic "apply@company.com" as posted on the advertisement and went straight to the right person. 

Then came the phone interview.  I am starting to get really super extra excited about this.  Then came the in-person interview.  I am extra super encouraged.  My enthusiasm showed through.  They appeared very receptive to my answers to their questions.  It seemed like the best thing ever.  The feedback from my contact was very positive, as was the feedback from another contact who had been employed at the company for a long time and stayed in touch with them. 

I could not be more excited about this opportunity.  Everyone I talked to agreed, "oh, that is so perfect for you."  And it was... or so I thought.

Fast forward to my last week of employment.  My self-esteem was already wavering on unhealthy low levels, which is what happens when you spend two months working with the guy who stole your job and you've been steadily watching him being phased into your job while you are being not-so-gently phased out. 

It's Tuesday.  I had barely warmed up my seat that morning when I see a new email on my personal account.  It's the super fantastic company I'm super excited about working for.  It was one of those dreaded, "we decided to move forward with another candidate" emails. 

I spent a good day-and-a-half bawling my eyes out. 

I learned later from both my contacts that the position went to an internal candidate.  Both contacts told me that the intent from the start was for this internal person to get the job. 

I do not know why they advertised the position to the public if the job was intended to stay internal.  I do know that I spent a lot time, energy, excitement, and eventually tears going through the process.  The company also spent some time and energy getting to know me as a candidate.  I also know that I would have been a great employee.  They missed out on a great opportunity to hire someone who had enthusiasm and love to spare for their product line and would have showed it every day with passion for their work.

In the end, they decided the internal candidate was more valuable than the enthusiastic one.  And so here I sit, much less enthusiastic and a little more bitter... and unemployed.

Dear HR People;

Have you ever been unemployed?  Do you know what it is like to apply for a job?  Have you ever had to go through the process, and get excited about the opportunity- only to have your hopes slashed with no explanation?  Some say it's a process that you could benefit from:

From http://qualigence.com/infographic-recruiters-wake-up/

I would like to share with you a few of my experiences in hopes that you may learn how to think of the job application process from the other side of the interview table (actually, it is more accurate to say, the other side of the computer monitor).

First, if your company is large enough that it uses a recruiting software, please read my post about Taleo.  If you need more proof, look through the Google search results for "Taleo sucks."  Please note that there are a number of people, I mean "qualified candidates" in your terminology, who are saying they will not apply for a job if they have to use it.

The #1 complaint of job seekers is lack of response.  No matter the method of application, I never expect a response.  Never.  There is definitely a "keep your expectations low and you won't be disappointed" philosophy here.  I have a lot of history to support this philosophy.  I even get excited if I get a form email back, "Thank you for your recent application.  Due to the high number of applicants we will only contact you if...."  The automatic form email response should be the very least that a job applicant receives.  But there must be a better way.  There must be.

In an ideal world where there is no fear of litigation, as soon as my application has been rejected, I would receive a notification with explanation (how can I as an applicant learn how to improve without this information?).  If my application is being reviewed, I would also receive notification.  Since we're in an ideal world, this would all happen in a reasonable time frame, too.  Please don't leave us hanging.

Thank you for your consideration into these matters.  I know you want to find the right person for the job.  We're out there.  We are ready, willing, and excited to make some amazing contributions to your company.  But we're getting just a tad bit frustrated at the process because there seems to be some big cracks that we're falling through while trying to get through it.

Sincerely,

A Job Seeker

Unemployment Strikes Again

My five readers (thanks to everyone who peruses these pages!) may have noticed that it has been over a year since I have posted in this lovely blog.  There's a good reason for that.  I was working (!).  But, alas, I am no longer (?!?).  How did this turn of events come to be?

First, refresh yourself with this lovely piece from December, 2011.  No, I didn't get that job (but now I know who did!).  "Emma" eventually called me to give me the bad news.  At the same time, she asked if I was available for helping out with a couple little projects she had coming up.  A few days here, a week there.  Of course I'm available!  What else am I going to do?

My first day of work at Company I was Thursday, January 5, 2012.  I was tasked with what was described as a week-long data entry project.  One-and-a-half days later, I completed the "week-long" project.  Easy peasy.  I was a lab analyst.  I can do data entry in my sleep.

When I told Emma I was finished with the project, she found something else for me to do.  And when I finished that, she found me another thing to do.  This continued for several months.  I took notes at meetings, measured samples, all kinds of data entry, much-needed organization of stuff, unpacked samples, sent out wear test garments, and anything else I could do to help out the Product Development team.  I had not signed a contract and did not have any feedback about my staying-power.  I  just kept filling out time cards and they kept paying me.

Eventually I was assigned a desk.  Desks are good!  And then they gave me a computer for my desk.  Even better!  Then I got an email address.  Yahoo!  You don't give someone an email address unless you think they're going to be staying around for awhile and needing to use it.

Then something magical happened.  One of the Product Developers was being taken out of her normal role so that she could be a Super User for the new Product Line Management (PLM) system.  Company I started advertising for a six-month contract Product Developer.  That was the good news for me!  I didn't get too excited, though, because the advertisement required candidates to have 3-5 years experience.  Here's how the conversation went with my boss:

"I saw that you're looking for a Product Developer to take over for Lacey while she's working on PLM."

"Yes, we are.  You should apply."

"But I noticed that you were looking for someone with 3-5 years experience.  I don't have that."

"Yes, but you should apply."

I went home with a giant smiled on my face and applied for the job that night.

I honestly think the happiest day of my life was the day my boss pulled me aside to tell me that I was going to be offered the six-month Product Developer position.  She raved about the work I had been doing and my ability to build trust within the team so quickly.  She told me that they interviewed other candidates who did have the required 3-5 years experience, but she didn't think any of them would do as fabulous of a job as I could.  My insides were dancing for at least a week after that.

I put my all into that job.  I loved it.  The work was exactly what I wanted to do.  I loved the company and everyone I was working with.  Every day I went to work I walked in the door with excitement for the day.  

And then something happened that gave me a lot of hope.  Lacey, the PLM Super User (and whose job I was covering) decided to leave Company I.  I had another very promising conversation with my boss that led me to believe that there were possibly some very exciting opportunities for me within the company.  I felt like I had finally found my nitch in the world.  Finally I was doing the work I was meant to do and I loved it.

It turns out I was counting my chickens before they hatched.  It turns out they wanted to hire someone else for the permanent position, someone I had been working with- another contractor who had been working with the Product Development team on a completely different project.  He has more experience than I in one very particular thing and they decided they wanted that experience.  They do have someone on the staff who has this one very particular thing as her job, but no one else.  They decided this guy would be able to provide support for this particular thing and so they offered him the job.  Naturally he accepted.

They didn't kick me to the curb immediately, but allowed me to hang on for two more months (a contract extension) while Mr. Superior-to-Me transitioned into the new job and I could help them do data entry getting this new PLM system set up.  This was a miserable two months.

I had to work with the guy who stole my job for two months.

My last day of work was December 21, as in the Friday before the Christmas holiday.  Merry Christmas to me.  It was a horrible day.

And so now I am unemployed again.  And wondering again, why does this have to be so hard?