Bizarre interview happening

[CoolChange]

Consulting During the Job Interview

I don't know if this applies to you, but I read an advice column once where a person with an unusually long extended interview process figured out the interviewers were really just looking for free advice on how to handle some of their issues and were picking her brain, and didn't actually plan on hiring her. They just kept bringing her in and asking questions like have you come across this type of problem in the past and what did you do about it.

If you do a Google search you can find articles on interviews vs. free consulting.

My last two interviews (both well over a 10 years ago) quickly turned into these kinds of consulting engagements on my first physical interview (after one or more phone screenings). It is not always a bad thing; it worked out well for me on both occasions.

• The first was mostly just a practice interview: I had no real intention of taking the job but hadn't interviewed in several years. After the interview, I thanked the interviewing team for their time but told them I really wasn't interested in the position. I explained that I was looking for the next step in my caree and their position was exactly what I had been doing for a few years and recommended someone else who I thought would be a good fit. That evening, I got a much more lucrative offer from them for a position with more responsibility. Unfortunately, the interesting project I hired into was defunded almost immediately; so, I only stayed for about a year. But, they also hired the other gentleman I had recommended; he stayed much longer than I did.

• The second and final time (so far) was another interview that I had no real intention of taking; but, they were paying for travel to and lodging in an expensive city which I had never visited. We spent most of the interview day fixing issues and planning next steps after I met everyone. I enjoyed both the problems being tackled and the people I had met so much that I took the job even though I was already FI by some measures. It has been over 10 OMY’s since that last interview!

 

[Totoro]

Speaking from the hiring perspective: I do present actual problems we had because I want to understand whether this person will be able to deal with them, or can offer a fresh perspective our team didn't have.

Important detail: I try to stay away from immediate applicability to current problems, as I think that would be unethical. If that would happen inadvertently, I'd offer a signing bonus of some sort.

 

[brewer12345]

All for nought, since I got the dear John email today. I was having second thoughts anyway given some of the disorganization and potential for a very high hour count.