I think I just tanked an interview
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This is like interview Round 5, so it was just supposed to be formality stuff, but then we got onto the topic of remote work.
Seems that the head of the company in the DC office is really looking forward to seeing everyone face-to-face in the office again. He really likes in-person collaboration and it puts a smile on his face when he can meet and catch up with his team.
My would-be boss agreed, that she really liked collaborating in-person with her team members and there's a lot of value in that. My would-be boss's boss said the same on the conference call. They asked me if I was comfortable with the possibility of re-opening soon.
I said it would depend somewhat on the particulars of the re-opening vs. the layout of the office.
So then there was a lot of back-and-forth about this; they could tell I was concerned about it so they tried to cover themselves. Here's the thing, though. These details came out during the rest of our conversation unrelated to reopening:
Head of the company? Lives in Florida. Doesn't come into the DC office. My would-be boss? Lives in Illinois. Works 100% remotely. My would-be boss's boss? Lives in Buffalo. Works 100% remotely. So I gotta ask you, what in the actual fuck was all that crazy bullshit about how much they really appreciate in-person collaboration?
Things seemed to be getting a little defensive on their end, so I said one of the reasons I'm a bit concerned is that in my last meeting with my current boss, he informed me that he tested positive for the virus. And his wife is 2 months pregnant, so now they're playing the game of how much he should quarantine himself from her and for how long. (Which is true, it just happened on Monday.)
"Wait, what? Your boss has it? How did that happen? How did he know? Has he been out?"
No, he's been as strict about social distancing as I have been. No, he has no idea how he got infected. But oh by the way, the only place he's been outside of his home has been our office, because he was told that he had to pick up some events packages there. It's been there about six times in the past couple months. Otherwise he's been at home.
They couldn't believe it. None of this shit is real to them because it hasn't hit their area yet.
The interview got just a little frosty after this, so I probably tanked it. Which, fine, because how in the fuck can you honestly volunteer someone to take risks you yourself don't have to make, and make up some horseshit about nonexistent "face time" to justify yourself?
I hate people.
@Aqua-Letifer said in I think I just tanked an interview:
I hate people.
I like your general sentiment.
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@Aqua-Letifer said in I think I just tanked an interview:
I hate people.
I like your general sentiment.
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If not for Covid would you go to the office? Would you agree for example to go one day a week until some all clear signal came out? Like a future commitment to the office?
@Loki said in I think I just tanked an interview:
If not for Covid would you go to the office? Would you agree for example to go one day a week until some all clear signal came out? Like a future commitment to the office?
Good questions. I don't think I have very appealing answers, though.
If not for Covid would you go to the office?
Sure, full-time. COVID's the only decider here.
Would you agree for example to go one day a week until some all clear signal came out? Like a future commitment to the office?
I've never been into that building, so I don't know the layout, what safety measures the building management, office staff, or cleaning crew are taking and more to the point, I have no idea what kind of enforcement exists, if any. If they asked me to do that, they'd be asking me to place blind faith in people I've never met, putting my and my family's health on the line just so they can maintain an absurd office policy.
I have a better idea: weekly (or daily, I don't care) mandatory check-ins with my boss. I don't meet any of my deadlines, fire me immediately. How's that.
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Never offer to give up money. They really don't care about that anyway. Just stand firm that what you are looking for is a remote position, that you are accustomed to working that way and they will find your participation and steady availability satisfactory. Otherwise you will find yourself right back where you are today.
“I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill
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Never offer to give up money. They really don't care about that anyway. Just stand firm that what you are looking for is a remote position, that you are accustomed to working that way and they will find your participation and steady availability satisfactory. Otherwise you will find yourself right back where you are today.
@Mik said in I think I just tanked an interview:
Never offer to give up money. They really don't care about that anyway. Just stand firm that what you are looking for is a remote position, that you are accustomed to working that way and they will find your participation and steady availability satisfactory. Otherwise you will find yourself right back where you are today.
Good points. This is one of these things that I just do not know how to couch properly.
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Never offer to give up money. They really don't care about that anyway. Just stand firm that what you are looking for is a remote position, that you are accustomed to working that way and they will find your participation and steady availability satisfactory. Otherwise you will find yourself right back where you are today.
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@Mik said in I think I just tanked an interview:
Never offer to give up money. They really don't care about that anyway.
Yep.
I still don’t know why the CFO is on the call? It’s interesting.
Like he is going to suss out whether they should move forward with Aqua?
Heck maybe he wants the office closed and go full remote to save money.
Or he’s the closer that will talk Aqua into something.
Or he’s a shaman who can divine stuff we can’t see.
Or he’s like for Christ sake you wusses who can’t make a decision let me handle it.
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@Catseye3 said in I think I just tanked an interview:
And you start off by giving up power.
Well as a side note, I don't give any kind of a crap about this position. At all. I would not be there long if I got hired; I'm just in an "any port in the storm" type situation with my current job. I'd quit right this second if this was any kind of a normal year.
So, I don't really care about the money. Whatever they think the bottom might be, I could go lower.
As for the CFO thing, all I can figure is, we'll talk salary? I'm also apparently talking to the CRO right after on Skype. (What the hell is a CRO?)
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@Catseye3 said in I think I just tanked an interview:
And you start off by giving up power.
Well as a side note, I don't give any kind of a crap about this position. At all. I would not be there long if I got hired; I'm just in an "any port in the storm" type situation with my current job. I'd quit right this second if this was any kind of a normal year.
So, I don't really care about the money. Whatever they think the bottom might be, I could go lower.
As for the CFO thing, all I can figure is, we'll talk salary? I'm also apparently talking to the CRO right after on Skype. (What the hell is a CRO?)
@Aqua-Letifer said in I think I just tanked an interview:
(What the hell is a CRO?)
You gotta ask??? Chief Racial Officer, of course.
It should have been Chief Race Relations Officer, but that would've screwed up the symmetry on the letterhead.
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Is this a nonprofit that relies on fundraising? That's the only situation I could see where these financial guys would be interested.
@Mik said in I think I just tanked an interview:
Is this a nonprofit that relies on fundraising? That's the only situation I could see where these financial guys would be interested.
Nope, private company. Apparently they sell SaaS crap to hospitals?
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@Mik said in I think I just tanked an interview:
Is this a nonprofit that relies on fundraising? That's the only situation I could see where these financial guys would be interested.
Nope, private company. Apparently they sell SaaS crap to hospitals?
@Aqua-Letifer said in I think I just tanked an interview:
@Mik said in I think I just tanked an interview:
Is this a nonprofit that relies on fundraising? That's the only situation I could see where these financial guys would be interested.
Nope, private company. Apparently they sell SaaS crap to hospitals?
Interesting ... does that company actually develop the SaaS crap the sell, does it play more of a "system integrator" role, or does it merely "resell" some one else's SaaS products then maybe fulfill some service contracts later?
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@Aqua-Letifer said in I think I just tanked an interview:
@Mik said in I think I just tanked an interview:
Is this a nonprofit that relies on fundraising? That's the only situation I could see where these financial guys would be interested.
Nope, private company. Apparently they sell SaaS crap to hospitals?
Interesting ... does that company actually develop the SaaS crap the sell, does it play more of a "system integrator" role, or does it merely "resell" some one else's SaaS products then maybe fulfill some service contracts later?
@Axtremus said in I think I just tanked an interview:
Interesting ... does that company actually develop the SaaS crap the sell, does it play more of a "system integrator" role, or does it merely "resell" some one else's SaaS products then maybe fulfill some service contracts later?
Development and at least a little bit of "system integrator" is how it currently sounds.
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Chief Revenue Officer
Don’t go there. I can tell there is no motivational fit. Not good for either of you.
@Loki said in I think I just tanked an interview:
Don’t go there. I can tell there is no motivational fit. Not good for either of you.
It's not even 10AM and this morning I've had to cover for my boss and do his job with front-end development. I had to cover for him because he was in an unscheduled meeting. And by meeting, I mean that he was told that he has to keep calling the department head because he lost his phone, either in his bed or the couch cushions, and he wanted my boss to keep calling him until he found it. My boss keeps getting emails like, "Haven't found it." "Keep calling, I can't hear it." "Are you still calling?" "Keep calling." This has been going on for an hour.
It's 2020. Another Great Depression is highly probable if not imminent. My motivation right now is getting the fuck out in a way that doesn't put me in financial trouble. That's going to have to be motivation enough.
Please love yourself.
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@Loki said in I think I just tanked an interview:
Don’t go there. I can tell there is no motivational fit. Not good for either of you.
It's not even 10AM and this morning I've had to cover for my boss and do his job with front-end development. I had to cover for him because he was in an unscheduled meeting. And by meeting, I mean that he was told that he has to keep calling the department head because he lost his phone, either in his bed or the couch cushions, and he wanted my boss to keep calling him until he found it. My boss keeps getting emails like, "Haven't found it." "Keep calling, I can't hear it." "Are you still calling?" "Keep calling." This has been going on for an hour.
It's 2020. Another Great Depression is highly probable if not imminent. My motivation right now is getting the fuck out in a way that doesn't put me in financial trouble. That's going to have to be motivation enough.
@Aqua-Letifer said in I think I just tanked an interview:
@Loki said in I think I just tanked an interview:
Don’t go there. I can tell there is no motivational fit. Not good for either of you.
And by meeting, I mean that he was told that he has to keep calling the department head because he lost his phone, either in his bed or the couch cushions, and he wanted my boss to keep calling him until he found it.
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@Loki said in I think I just tanked an interview:
Don’t go there. I can tell there is no motivational fit. Not good for either of you.
It's not even 10AM and this morning I've had to cover for my boss and do his job with front-end development. I had to cover for him because he was in an unscheduled meeting. And by meeting, I mean that he was told that he has to keep calling the department head because he lost his phone, either in his bed or the couch cushions, and he wanted my boss to keep calling him until he found it. My boss keeps getting emails like, "Haven't found it." "Keep calling, I can't hear it." "Are you still calling?" "Keep calling." This has been going on for an hour.
It's 2020. Another Great Depression is highly probable if not imminent. My motivation right now is getting the fuck out in a way that doesn't put me in financial trouble. That's going to have to be motivation enough.
@Aqua-Letifer said in I think I just tanked an interview:
My boss keeps getting emails like, "Haven't found it." "Keep calling, I can't hear it." "Are you still calling?" "Keep calling."
That is absolutely . . . forget it; there are no words for what that is. In an adult.
