[Anonymous]

For the past 3-6 weeks, I have been DILIGENTLY looking for a job (just like a couple of million of Americans). I applied to AT LEAST 25 jobs and have gotten to rejections and just had 2 interviews. There is one in particular that I REALLY REALLY want because I get to do payroll *HUGE “Grinch” Smile* lol

I was the 2nd of 8 candidates that would be considered. Besides me choking during 2 interview questions (Im human, despite practicing EVERYTHING I wanted to say I flipping choked like a moron), I felt the HR manager was very nice and understanding though. But thats the thing, I m not sure if she was just being “nice” or she realizes that Im not an alien.

I had an interview that went on for an hour and my last one (the job I REALLY WANT) went on for an hour plus!!! Now I am not sure if this is standard practice(well at least not from MY own experience). To me if they like you, they “seem” interested and talk alot and those who are not interested seem to rush you out of the office.

So I am super confused!

I feel like HR managers are like justices, or better yet the gods for Greek/Roman mythology just screwing with us mere mortals. Its like they KNOW how badly people want jobs and they can just mindfuck them (sorry for my frankness).

For example, I HONESTLY felt the interview went well…she was even using “informal” dialogue with me, I kept it professional though because I was not sure if she was trying to catch me off guard. I mean I honestly felt like I had the job in the bag but then she did the infamous,what ALL hiring managers do. She said, “Well, I enjoyed your questions but I wanted to let you know that I will be interviewing 6 more candidates up until next week”. WHY?! WHY?! Why do they do this? Why cant they just say, there’s a definite possibility we will hire you or we don’t want you.

I HATE being strung along like cattle and then left to be fed to the wolves.

Its like I “CANT” be unprofessional, why can they? I mean if youre NOT going to hire me,dont make me wait 2-4 weeks or a month,just tell me.

Do they not realize that people put A LOT into their interviews, from dressing nice(suits cost effing money,HELLO) , arranging transportation (not everyone has a car, unfortunately and the metro in FL sucks balls), taking the time to write those cover letters AND thank you notes. I will go up and beyond for a job BUT I expect to be met halfway in return AT LEAST.

Anyone on her knows why HR managers like to screw with you?

Any experiences with this?

Ive been going nuts! I feel like a school girl that went on a date and wondering if the guy still likes me afterwards. Lol

Sorry for my rants! I actually want to be a productive member of society BADLY!

Being a stay at home mom does not work for me, I like to work, I like to do it all, have the family and the career and I dedicate my time very generously to both! 🙂

ALL feedback welcomed! And thank you all for reading my EXTREMELY LONG posts! As you can tell, I like to talk A LOT! xD

[MastaWang]

Based off of your original post I would say that your interview seemed pretty standard.

The reason the HR people let you know there are other options available to them is because they may make an offer to another individual who denies them and then they hire you. Or they may let you know there is other options so that you do not get a big head and walk out of there acting like you nailed it. Also it is a huge sense of accomplishment if you walk into the job beating 7 other candidates and they let you know hey we picked you because you are awesome. Now here is your own desk and all the payroll you can imagine.

I am not an HR rep so I am not sure the exact reason that is just a couple ideas I got after asking the people who hired me. I had 2 interviews, one was an hour or so and the other was about 6 hours with lunch served in the middle. Both places offered positions haha. My advice for you would be to relax during interviews. The fact that you have had so many is a great learning experience. After awhile you are just able to talk to the HR rep like they are a normal person and they see hey this person has some people skills and would be enjoyable to work with! They want to have someone to meld with their team not be a pain in the ass.

Everyone has to go through training for a new job but you cannot train someone to be a ball of excitement and energy to work with. You come in with that and your 95% of the way there.

[MastaWang]

also sorry about the big block of text 🙂

[Anonymous]

@mla

I've always admired your spirit!

However, working as a cashier with a bachelor's in accounting is grossly unfair. And it's something a big and powerful country like the U.S. should not let happen, especially when the big corporations are sitting on cash.

Regarding the salary raise: again admiration, but there are people who've gotten similar raises without doing anything, just by pure chance (and maybe good interviewing skills). It's a very chaotic environment and not always the best person to do the job gets the job.

That's why it's so upsetting. And yes, if you wanna work, you'll find something. But you didn't bust your ass (becoming a CPA, for instance) for something. You want more.

[Anonymous]

75, I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to, but here's my take. Of course, if you have a CPA, you want more. However, it's unrealistic to think that simply having a CPA will all of a sudden open up all of these fantastic opportunities. Ultimately, it is still up to the person who has the CPA to either get a good job or not. That means having a great resume in addition to having a CPA in order to get those interviews, and then, it means being personable enough to get the job once you do get those interviews.

[Mr. Mini]

The sense of entitlement swirling around some of these threads is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Mini, I don't feel entitled at all. Just disappointed.

@cardinalhoya

Obviously, we know all of that. Maybe I lack great interviewing skills.

[mla1169]

No theres nothing at all unfair about working @ Kohls. I applied, I knew the pay, I accepted the job. UNFAIR would be if they didn't pay me what we agreed to. And the US didn't “let” anything at all happen to me, I had a great full time job and took the part time gig at Kohls to go a little crazy at Christmas.

Corporations can sit on as much money as they want to (so long as they're not getting MY tax money as a bailout), its their prerogative. Corporations answer to their shareholders so they darned well better be financially conservative, save money on payroll and other expenses. I hold shares in several corporations and I had better see that they are being tight with spending!

There are people who've gotten similar raises without doing anything to deserve them? That would be an exceptionally rare minority. I think your perceptions are off base, maybe you've heard of people who have gotten great raises and just not heard the rest of the story. Besides the logic doesn't mesh up, if the corporations are so stingy and looking to take advantage of every employee, how on earth would they give a 35% raise for no reason?

FAR- 77
AUD -49, 71, 84
REG -56,75!
BEC -75

Massachusetts CPA (non reporting) since 3/12.

[jenuno01]

People need to realize that having a Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate, or even a CPA does not guarantee nor does it automatically entitle someone to a job. Education and certifications only make you look good on paper, and that's just half the battle. You need to be able to communicate, be personable, sociable, likeable, lead, inspire, add value, go the extra mile, improvise, analyze, etc. I like knowing that the job market is competitive, I strive to be the best and want to be compete among the best.

Class of 2012

[jelly]

Okay, I'm just gonna be biased and assume the HR person = female in my reply.

Use the interview time to see what you can find out about the company and its politics.How did this position become available? What kinds of particular skills is the company looking for? How long has the supervisor you will be reporting to been there? How frequently does the company promote internally? How long has the HR person been there herself? What can the HR person tell you about its history in staff turnover, management turnover, company re-organizations, outsourcing, buyouts, third party management? Even if the HR person might not reveal a lot, the expression on her face will give you an idea as to the change and drama that goes on, b/c almost everything trickles down to them.

Keep in mind a few things also:

1) The HR person might have little to zero control over what happens in the hiring process. Maybe the position gets completely slashed from the budget 24 hours later and no one gets hired. Maybe the position ends up going to the CEO's neighbor's boyfriend's niece's best friend's roommate. HR's job is to screen out crazies, protect the company from lawsuits, and really might have very little decision-making power.

2) Sometimes HR has to look busy, by scheduling interviews, and having people come in. This happens a lot with recruiting agencies.

Couldn't pass again!

[GottaGetThruThis]

I agree with jenuno01… your credentials get you in the door. YOU get yourself the job. At my firm people are weeded out based on education, grades, and experience. Once you come to the office for an interview we're looking for people that fit into our culture.

B- Passed (2nd Try)
A- Passed (2nd Try)
R- Passed (2nd Try)
F- Passed (3rd Try)

Never give up!

[Anonymous]

GottaGetThruThis, while I agree with your major premise, I think the whole “fitting into the culture” thing is an overblown, cliche statement. What that really means is that you're looking for someone who is personable and you can get along with. I guess the exception is if the company was really “nerdy” or something and they didn't want to hire a really personable yet loud “jock”? But, for the vast, vast majority of companies, they're just looking for someone who is personable.

[Anonymous]

@Mrmini

They make sense,just not to you.

And it has NOTHING to do with “entitlement”. It about being paid for what they demand. If [as an employer] are demanding me to have a BA/BS, MBA, CPA and 5-10 years of experience, I refuse to work for 45-50k. I want more,there is a fine line b/n feeling entitlement and knowing your worth.

Now if you choose to work for less, then go ahead. But I am willing to work for what I want and nothing less.

Lets say I want to make 70k.

You better believe I am going to get the Bachelors, Masters, CPA License,(another related certification) and build my experience because that is what I want.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2012/08/07/are-you-underpaid-4-ways-to-find-out/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/shenegotiates/2012/05/24/welcome-women-graduates-now-wed-like-to-teach-you-to-negotiate/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2012/02/26/why-women-dont-negotiate-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/08/06/negotiating-your-salary-in-a-bad-economy/

More people should sit back and discover your worth. If you don't become a self advocate then don't expect others do be one for you.

[Anonymous]

I agree that you should assess your worth. However, perhaps, something is missing in employers' eyes when they assess your worth relative to what you believe your worth is. Your salary desires are no where near unreasonable, so the question becomes why are YOU not getting that job with your salary requirements? I have no CPA, no MBA, and no work experience, yet I am nearly making your top-most desired salary, so clearly, it isn't just piling up designations and work experience that matters. More honest evaluation of yourself is needed.

[Mr. Mini]

@Newbie – You are only worth what someone is willing to pay for you. If you wont work for that $50k, there is someone with better credentials than you have that will work for that amount.

Do you even have any work experience? Do you expect to make that kind of money just by padding your resume with degrees and designations? Even with all of the degrees and designations, you are still an entry-level hire.

[MeaDebitum]

Mr. Mini nailed it, couldn't have said it better myself. Its an employer's market right now.

[Author]

Replies