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Now I Fear Exploratory Interviewing While Employed

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Re: Now I Fear Exploratory Interviewing While Employed

#51

Post by someone7x »

roflc0ptic wrote: post #10

The recruiter guilting you is the recruiter acting out their anger that you didn't earn them their $25k or whatever. They get whatever exorbitant cut they do specifically because of the risk that they assume. I backed out of a new job on a Thursday when I was scheduled to start on Monday. Recruiter was super nasty to me. It was unfortunate to back out when I did, but that's when the offer came in, and they were offer…

Yes exactly this. I had the same experience a few months ago.

I interviewed and got a great offer. My company countered with "how about we match the offer AND you get to work on whatever you want". I decided to decline the offer (and stay put) and the recruiter's boss actually called me and tried to pressure and guilt me into taking the offer.

I kept saying to him that it's unreasonable for him to expect me to take offers just because they exist and that he should know better than most that this is a possible outcome when recruiting.

I get the argument that there's money on the line, but there was money on the line for everyone involved. A recruiter should be mindful of the risks so they aren't devastated by the inevitable unwanted outcomes.

Re: Now I Fear Exploratory Interviewing While Employed

#52

Post by Domenic_S »

altcognito wrote: post #17
JoeAltmaier wrote: post #4

Funny: the recruiter was annoyed at his declination email - a phone call was apparently expected. But how does a company decline? "We do not see a fit at this time, but we'll keep your resume on file". Lol

The recruiter was upset he didn't get a chance to browbeat him into changing his mind. The author should stick up for himself because recruiters are not highly incentivized to care about your happiness. If you don't upset future business, that's all that matters to them.

Or the recruiter had tools at his disposal he wasn't even able to employ against a brick-wall "no". The recruiter didn't even have the chance to address the applicant's concerns, which is a bummer. Maybe they liked the applicant so much the recruiter got told "do whatever it takes" and he didn't even get a chance?

Re: Now I Fear Exploratory Interviewing While Employed

#53

Post by dominotw »

pyb wrote: post #33
dominotw wrote: post #20

All my interviews in my past few months have been in this format. 1. Talking to recruiter ( 0-1 hr) 2. InterviewStreet coding challenge ( 2 hrs) 3. Phone Screen - 1 hr 4. Take home coding exercise - 4 hrs So you are spending 8 hrs just to get your resume looked at. Then comes onsite interview which is another day ( assuming you are not flying out). All recruiter did was mass email ppl on linkedin. Spending at most 1…

What country are you in?

USA

Re: Now I Fear Exploratory Interviewing While Employed

#54

Post by dionidium »

tomreece wrote: post #21
chrisabrams wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I concur - it's like the author never even attempted to get a cost of living adjustment in the offer.

The offer was 20k more than my base salary already. Asking for even more seemed crazy to me. I have controversial opinions on how much money developers make already, probably stemming from my imposter syndrome. Asking for more money did not make me comfortable. If they had offered, I would have had to reconsider. I expected more of a conversation after I declined, but it didn't happen.

> I have controversial opinions on how much money developers make already, probably stemming from my imposter syndrome.

I'd love to hear those controversial opinions.

Re: Now I Fear Exploratory Interviewing While Employed

#55

Post by beachstartup »

badmadrad wrote: post #45
beachstartup wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

if you didn't tell them how much you want to make, they're going to just guess. and it sounds like they guessed pretty well, if they came within 5% of what you currently make. amateur hour advice like "never be the first one to name a price" is nonsense. just tell them what you want and see if there's a fit, or not. it's how business gets done 99% of the time.

I did tell them what I make but I didn't tell them what would make me leave because it usually goes without saying... more money.

right, so exactly as i suspected, you didn't tell them how much you want to make.

and no, it doesn't go without saying. you need to say it. tell them your requirements. do it without them asking.

what if you wanted to buy a car, but the dealer wouldn't tell you the price? what would you do? offer them MORE than what you think the car is worth?

Re: Now I Fear Exploratory Interviewing While Employed

#56

Post by JSeymourATL »

> Maybe there is a better way to explore other opportunities without ending up on a plane.

Yes, arrange a Skype/call (30-45 mins) with the actual hiring executive, the guy you'd report to.

Have solid questions prepared. Learn some basics about what they are working on, what kinds of problems they need solved, a little about structure and the team.

Assuming there's good tonality in the conversation and you're serious about exploring further-- then move forward to meeting in-person.

Re: Now I Fear Exploratory Interviewing While Employed

#57

Post by Domenic_S »

Hydraulix989 wrote: post #49
smm2000 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Was new offer in Bay Area? For Bay Area $20k increase is inadequate if you currently live in Texas.

This. As someone currently entrenched in the Bay Area, my advice is to stay in Texas -- especially if you have dreams of owning a house someday. Here, that prospect is nil unless you win the equity lottery at some startup, but gambling in serial with your career makes this REALLY hard to pull off. A six-figure salary in the Bay Area dooms you to renting for the rest of your life, and the rental situation here, with i…

Well, let's clarify that by saying "if you want to own a house somewhere cool", because it's totally possible to buy a place on $120k. But it's going to be a condo, and in the far east/north bay if you work in SF (Pleasant Hill/Santa Rosa or further) or far south bay if you're in SV (morgan hill or gilroy).

Re: Now I Fear Exploratory Interviewing While Employed

#58

Post by tomreece »

smm2000 wrote: post #31
tomreece wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The offer was 20k more than my base salary already. Asking for even more seemed crazy to me. I have controversial opinions on how much money developers make already, probably stemming from my imposter syndrome. Asking for more money did not make me comfortable. If they had offered, I would have had to reconsider. I expected more of a conversation after I declined, but it didn't happen.

Was new offer in Bay Area? For Bay Area $20k increase is inadequate if you currently live in Texas.

Nope, south east US. Trying to be vague here for privacy.

Re: Now I Fear Exploratory Interviewing While Employed

#59

Post by goodcanadian »

tomreece wrote: post #21
chrisabrams wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I concur - it's like the author never even attempted to get a cost of living adjustment in the offer.

The offer was 20k more than my base salary already. Asking for even more seemed crazy to me. I have controversial opinions on how much money developers make already, probably stemming from my imposter syndrome. Asking for more money did not make me comfortable. If they had offered, I would have had to reconsider. I expected more of a conversation after I declined, but it didn't happen.

I know $20k seems like a lot of money, but if it wasn't enough to pay for your existing lifestyle in a new location, then it wasn't enough. The fact is that cost of living differs enough from place to place that what you can buy for 80k in one place might only cost 60k in another, but 120k in a third. Housing, of course, is the major culprit in this calculation.

Re: Now I Fear Exploratory Interviewing While Employed

#60

Post by tomreece »

pjc50 wrote: post #19

There was once a company giving out free iPads to anyone who could pass their tech screen interview. This was round about the first release of the iPad, so it was quite a big deal - they were expensive and out of stock at local retailers. I went in, passed the interview, collected my iPad, and at the second round interview had a very strange "so why are you interested in working here?" discussion. I wasn't, I was onl…

This made me laugh out loud. You're fearless!
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