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Re: Iggy's plan to ask HR "to please contact me when they are ready to
conduct a proper interview."
Other than registering your displeasure, that would serve no purpose.
Obviously you're not willing to go through that admittedly unorthodox
process. Fair enough.
But where is it written that all interviews MUST follow some set of rules
that the candidate is familiar and comfortable with? We're the ones that
are trying to win jobs, so why are we entitled to so much advance warning
and protocol briefings?
When I go into an interview, I try to be prepared for ANYTHING. I've been
through writing tests, been interviewed by a committee of strangers all
staring at me from their side of the table, and even been through one
"stress" interview, where the interviewer tried to make me angry (and
succeeded, I'll admit). In none of these cases was I told in advance what
to expect.
While I'll give some weight to the idea that the interview gives the
candidate some idea of what it would be like to work at the company, I
don't think the employer is under any obligation to hold the candidate's
hand and ensure that the candidate is completely prepared for all aspects
of the interview.
Actually, the "firing squad" committee interview that I went through gave
me a good idea of the various personalities I'd be encountering, and I
LIKED them. I took the job, and was quite happy.
Along the same lines, I also was surprised when I posted a query to the
TECHWR-L list last year how VEHEMENTLY some people opposed the idea of
taking a writing test, particularly if they were not warned in advance.
What's so important about knowing what to expect at an interview? No two
jobs are the same, so no two interviews should be either, IMO. There are
plenty of good books that can prepare you for MOST of what you might
encounter - some research can be a lifesaver. But you should always expect
the unexpected.
Whatever happens, just go in and show them what you can do!
- Keith Cronin
_____________________________________
If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?
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