# Job hunt/application/interview bullshit **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 17, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunt-application-interview-bullshit/589303 "2011-07-17T01:28:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunt-application-interview-bullshit/589303/41 "2011-07-21T03:22:50Z")
> [@Scuba\_Ben](#): > > You’ve done Evil Overlord grade home security?! Wow man, that’s awesome. I’d LOVE to see you do an Ask The… thread, just to hear about your work. FUCK, yeah! Mobster level. Computer mogul level. For the latter Mr Mogul decided he didn’t need the Blofeld-level automated screens on his conference room. I tried to argue, "But he can no longer say, “I suppose you are wondering why I brought you here, Mr Gates,” while they closed. Geeks have no imaginations. Mafiosi do. He put a 15’ x 30’ [Dale Chihuly](http://www.chihuly.com/) chandelier in his theater. I took it as my duty as an audio engineer to cause it to explode the first time Mr Mogul’s kids cranked the system. Mogul’s kids were not blinded and I have failed. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunt-application-interview-bullshit/589303/42 "2011-07-21T03:33:49Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > I’ve been trying to find graduate work in my degree field for over a year now, and besides the usual Catch-22 of being “Overqualified” for entry-level stuff and “Not experienced enough\*” or “not being familiar enough with [organisation’s] processes”… > Except I have plenty of practical experience Countered a “You are too experienced” with a “But not in YOUR industry” email and have the interview tomorrow. Give it a try. Try to not be insulted by their offer, noting that you know they would not offer something beyond what is appropriate for someone with your experience and ability. It’s a line item and those can be changed as conditions improve. You are an improvement and even if they low-ball you it still beats what you were making. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunt-application-interview-bullshit/589303/43 "2011-07-21T08:20:32Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Countered a “You are too experienced” with a “But not in YOUR industry” email and have the interview tomorrow. Give it a try. Try to not be insulted by their offer, noting that you know they would not offer something beyond what is appropriate for someone with your experience and ability. It’s a line item and those can be changed as conditions improve. You are an improvement and even if they low-ball you it still beats what you were making. I don’t think you quite understand the dilemma: I’m not getting past the “initial application” or maybe “1st/Phone interview stage”; when I nicely ask “Why the hell not?”, those are the sort of responses I’m getting. Government Departments (where I’ve been focusing a lot of my efforts) are generally obliged to provide feedback on unsuccessful applications. Some of it has been _extremely_ useful, some of it hasn’t been. Pretty much any full-time Government or Corporate job would be an improvement over what I’m currently doing. Money isn’t the issue- actually getting to the “seriousl consideration” (especially when there’s quite literally a thousand other candiates) and/or actually getting a job is. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunt-application-interview-bullshit/589303/44 "2011-07-21T17:25:56Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > I just got a job by contacting the CEO of a company and sending him over 20 errors on his website. He asked if I was free to do copy editing, then after I said yes and sent him my resume, he didn’t respond for over a week. So I sent him a snarky email telling him that if he wasn’t serious about offering a paying job, he should at least hire an intern, because he seriously needed someone, to which he immediately responded with a firm offer. I don’t recommend this approach, however. I’m still embarrassed by my unprofessional behavior. I know this is the Pit and all, but this is one of the reasons I still remember and adore you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunt-application-interview-bullshit/589303/45 "2011-07-21T17:49:46Z")
A friend of mine went for an interveiw with a major Canadian Retailer (Position Dept Manager), seemingly did very well on the interview, and then found out, by a slip of the tongue from one of the interveiwers that the position wasn’t actually available. They were actually training a new HR person by having them condict interviews for positions at various store levels that were not actually available. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunt-application-interview-bullshit/589303/46 "2011-07-21T18:35:59Z")
> [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](#): > > A friend of mine went for an interveiw with a major Canadian Retailer (Position Dept Manager), seemingly did very well on the interview, and then found out, by a slip of the tongue from one of the interveiwers that the position wasn’t actually available. They were actually training a new HR person by having them condict interviews for positions at various store levels that were not actually available. See, now that shit should be illegal. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunt-application-interview-bullshit/589303/47 "2011-07-21T19:27:00Z")
> [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](#): > > A friend of mine went for an interveiw with a major Canadian Retailer (Position Dept Manager), seemingly did very well on the interview, and then found out, by a slip of the tongue from one of the interveiwers that the position wasn’t actually available. They were actually training a new HR person by having them condict interviews for positions at various store levels that were not actually available. That’s a hell of a slip of the tongue. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunt-application-interview-bullshit/589303/48 "2011-07-22T03:24:02Z")
> [@ladyfoxfyre](#): > > See, now that shit should be illegal. It is, in several places… ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunt-application-interview-bullshit/589303/49 "2011-07-23T22:55:50Z")
> [@Sierra\_Indigo](#): > > It’s an easy way to see how old you are, without having to ask how old you are or what your birthdate is. I’m pretty sure that info is already requested on the application, as well as the years when I got my degrees. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunt-application-interview-bullshit/589303/50 "2011-07-23T23:00:16Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > …I am very hopeful about an interview this Thursday – I’ve already made it through a phone interview so I am now a “finalist” and the director of the agency is going to personally interview me. Mostly I get in on these cattle calls and don’t make it past that, so this is pretty unusual. … I can almost taste this job. I know they’ve contacted at least one of my references; however, they did tell me they’d be contacting references of all three finalists. 18 months now without a job… My new retirement plan is just to kill myself if I have to stop working. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2011, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunt-application-interview-bullshit/589303/51 "2011-07-24T19:03:06Z")
> [@Mauvaise](#): > > I know this is the Pit and all, but this is one of the reasons I still remember and adore you. 🙂 Aw! that is so sweet of you to say! I’ve MISSED seeing you around, girlfriend! And I adore you, too. Seriously much. Okay, y’all may commence the puking now. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunt-application-interview-bullshit/589303.md?page=2)