Interview again

Yesterday I went to yet another well respected and trusted company for interview as a Project Planning Specialist. Sounds big deal eh?

The JD was everything about PMO and project management related functions. Perfect match but one of the pre-requisites that the candidate must have is good web programming, strong financial numerical skills & enjoys working with numbers.

I told the agency that I have absolute no hands-on experience on web programming and do not have financial numerical skills although I do not mind working with numbers despite my number disorder.

According to the agency, they relayed the message to the recruiting company but they still requested for an interview.

During the interview, I also made it clear to the interviewers that I have no web programming and financial numerical skills. At one point, one of the interviewers mentioned that I wrote something in my resume that I have web programming skills.

I mean, if you are hyperopic please put on your reading glasses else please read my resume clearly and come prepared for the interview. Oh did I mention that he was late?

No questions were asked regarding my PMO or project management skills cos he sees that I have no problem in those areas. As for financial numerical skills, as long as the candidate has no adverse reaction to figures, he is acceptable.

Their priority is to find a web programmer; who hopefully at the same time can do other superman function. It is also to fill their headcount for the year before head office issue instruction to freeze headcount cos the group didn’t make but lose money in the recent financial report.

Crap. Web programmer is a Project Planning Specialist? I fail to see the linkage.

They have no issue with my expected salary and even mentioned that the agency will charge them double the figure that I quote. Than why go through the agency? Uncle continued mumbling about his objective for this recruitment exercise and didn’t answer to my question.

Apparently I was the number 13 candidate that they have interviewed and there will be more. They will shortlist candidates next week and if selected, will have to go through 2nd interview with his bosses.

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Back tracking...

The previous job (2nd interview) offer fell through. The manager who interviewed me accepted my asking but his higher management suddenly decided that they should exercise year end headcount freeze!

I was really shocked and mad about their unprofessional way of handling this.

To begin with, they realized they should freeze headcount immediately to mitigate further monetary losses after spending time and resources to conduct the interviews.

Afterwards, it took them 2 weeks (I was informed on 22 Oct) to break the news to me. Well, according to the agency, the manager was trying to fight for his headcount & recruitment.

How is it possible that a well respected and trusted company imposed headcount freeze out of a sudden? I mean, there should be budgeted headcount for the whole year. And yet that manager can still tell me that there are plenty of jobs available in his shop?

Looking it from another angle, the credibility & authority of the manager is questionable. His is a VP and head of the shop; he can't even fight for a headcount?

Maybe this is all but a lame excuse to reject me.

Both the manager and the agency were very apologetic but what the hack, the entire episode was so dramatic.