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2.5 Wasted Months Interviewing

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Anonymous

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2.5 Wasted Months Interviewing

To say this job market is brutal is seriously understating things. Spent 2.5 months in the interview process with a "dream job" for a "great" company. Jumped through all the hoops including an ever-changing interview process, personality test, acuity test, added last minute interviewers, AND phoned recent professional references! Did EVERYTHING! Negotiated and received approval for the salary and start date.

I received an email on a Saturday that the hiring manager was happy and the written job offer was FINALLY coming on the following Monday!

Instead, of an offer that Monday, however, I received an odd request claiming that the SVP of talent management at the 3000+ company PERSONALLY reviewed the notes from each of my references which had been done by phone and decided that he wanted an additional reference from a direct people manager. Note that I never interviewed with, or met the SVP.

Even though I've never had that type of request in my 25-year career, I provided that as well.

The written offer never came. Two days before the negotiated start date, the recruiter called and claimed that the company suddenly decided to go in a different direction.

Saw the "new direction" job come up on LinkedIn with the EXACT same requirements!

I've got my suspicions about what happened especially in this political climate and job market. One of my senior references confided that the reference phone call questions were "odd." But it doesn't matter what my suspicions are. Just moving on. Keep your head up, everyone. There's a lot of ugliness that matches the politics of this country right now that have definitely bled over to the job market.

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  1. Anonymous

    Agh! I’ve been hearing this sort of story a lot. How these companies have this kind of time and resources to spend on this is amazing to me. I would just say no. Just like I will not submit to tests or any of that before I’ve had a first interview. If they want me that badly they will put some

    of their skin in the game. I like your attitude and believe you were certainly too good for that company

  2. Anonymous

    Thank you! I actually had to take the tests AFTER I completed what I was initially told was the final interview. Of course, after I passed the tests, another last minute exec interview was added

  3. Anonymous

    Yes! The hiring manager with whom I had literally been planning day one work didn't have the decency to call me himself. The recruiter claimed that she didn't really know anything except leadership decided to go in a different direction. It is crushing on the right but we get up and we go on. Their loss!

  4. Aaliyah Serianna Olson

    Oh my goodness I'm so sorry that you went through that.

  5. Anonymous

    Strange that you reduced this to a political climate issue.

  6. Anonymous

    Actually, it's not "strange" at all. The only way you could consider it to be "strange" is if you have absolutely no awareness of the overt attacks on women and minority workers in this country starting in the White House. It is definitely cascading out into the private sector. Hopefully you're not in HR with that lack of awareness.

  7. Anonymous

    Strange you felt the need to make this comment.

  8. Anonymous

    It's not strange at all. It's a reality of life in America right now.

  9. Ayian

    Strange that you made this comment and specifically took the time to click the "Post anonymously" button. Not sus at all!

  10. Anonymous

    It isn't for nothing. Try taking away some positives. You made it to the final round (BIG plus). A hiring manager wanted to hire you (BIGGER plus). You got the experience of interviewing to this end/level. All of these will help you with the next round of interviews with the next company. After seeing how they treated you during this part of the hiring process, I wondered if this is a company you would have wanted to work for. I suspect that you would be subjected to ingrained sexism, as it sounds like it was the tipping point in their "direction." Yes, the political climate right now is changing the hiring processes. Yes, we will all have to work harder and present better than we had to previously. Don't let this be your brick wall. Use it to propel you into your next interview.

  11. Anonymous

    Thank you for the inspiration! I really do appreciate it because I was truly crushed. It's NEVER taken me more than a couple of months to find a job, and now I'm in month 6. I have impeccable qualifications and the job was an absolute perfect fit for work I've been doing for the last several years. There are actually very few candidates that have my particular mix of skills in my job area. You're absolutely right in that in spite of this being a temporary setback, I'm glad I found out before I started working there because it definitely was not going to be a good environment.

  12. Anonymous

    You're welcome. Good luck, and go get 'em.

  13. Anonymous

    Please make sure you post that under the company on Glassdoor to warn others!

  14. Angela Organizes

    I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm upset that they wasted that much of your time, and had the audacity to make a last-minute decision of BS is atrocious. Hang in there! I'm looking for my next gig, but if you want me to send job leads your way when I'm looking, please hit me up on LI at https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelawells/

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