"Cruellest Form of Phishing" Topic

As some of you might know, I was made redundant some months ago and have been applying for jobs for all that time.

You can thus imagine my disgust at these people who send you emials that promise you a well-paid job, assuming that you do some humiliating action for it, liek dress in a suit, turn up at some stranbge place and have a complete stranger ask you all sorts of prying personal questions . . . Only to finish with some mealy-mouthed statement about how there was no chnace that you would ever have gotten the job as the company has a policy of hiring based on features other than experience, qualifications or ability to do the job.

So these days, whenever an email comes in offering me such, I just recall the old Mark Twain saying " If it sounds goood, it can't be true."

That's utterly rotten! Smacks of "we know who we want to hire, but we have to pretend it's an open search" to me.

I hope you find another, better job soon, Covert Walrus.

"Clothes make the man".

If you want a part in the play, one had best dress for the part.

Kind of like an NFL team interviewing Dennis Green…

Good luck man… I gave up 8 years ago trying to find a job working for someone else.

If your that qualified can you hang out your hat and start a consulting firm in your field?

or have you tried a temp agency that might be able to use your tallents?

Neotacha 27 Nov 2008 7:47 a.m. PST
That's utterly rotten! Smacks of "we know who we want to hire, but we have to pretend it's an open search" to me.

Happens all the time. The company wants to hire someone from inside but has to advertise the job for some HR reason. So they screw over the 20 or so people they interview and hire who they wanted anyway. It follows the letter of the HR rules but not the intent. Hell I was told I wasn't as qualified as the guy they hired for a job a while back and it turns out I had more education, no criminal record and more actual career field experience. They called recently because the guy they selected over me was just arrested for stealing from them. I declined to be re-interviewed…..frankly karma is a bitch and they got what they deserved. I am much happier with the job I have now even if it pays a bit less.

Gregory, I always wear a jacket and shoes to interviews. Sometimes a collar and tie, but only if the interview is with HR personnel and not the head of department.

The last interview I attended, the interviewers wore jandals ( sorry, flip-flops) and t-shirts. Who's playing wiht who? And how can anyone tell what I'm wearing when I am applying on-line?

To everyone else, thank you for the kind words.

Worth thinking about from the other side as well. If you know who you want, then stupid rules force you to advertise (or even, in some case, recruit) outside……

Not good for anyone, but that happens as well.

Equally, of course, if you think that is the case then you could always – before being turned down – say 'sorry, I'm withdrawing from this interview as I feel that the dress code shown does not reflect sufficient respect for the post' :)

Garrison, nice thought. I however am applying for science jobs in New Zealand – That *is* the sort of respect commonly shown for such positions in this country.

Example; From last year's newzealandherald.co.nz survey of median salaries;

Head Scientist at Crown Research Institute ( Government semi-private bodies, in one case a Nobel Laureate ): NZ$84 000 p.a.

Senior Accountant in Civil Service: NZ$210 000 p.a.

Rugby League Player; Between NZ$120 000 – NZ$340 000