A couple of weeks ago I got a call from a company asking if I was interested in a position. I suppose I must have touted for their business at some point and they kept me on file. I was completely off guard and after they asked me for salary expectations and the standard of my Polish, I never expected to hear from them again.
Then I got a call saying someone from HR at the head office in the US would call me tonight and interview me over the phone. This forum seems to excel at this kind of advice, so, what are they going to ask me and what should I be asking them? Any other tips?
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It sounds like a scam. I'd be very suspicious. Ask for a contact name and then look up the company's phone number yourself and ask to be put through.
If it's genuine they ought to be impressed that you have a sense of security and are not going to divulge company information over the phone to someone you don't know.
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No it's legit, it's a huge company and I've been in touch with them a couple of times now, they've sent a job description etc. It's good. Probably beyond me. I was just giving bare bones, I don't want to name them in case they go googling.
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OK - Don't reject it out of hand. This is not such an unusual approach these days. Obvious checks include looking them up on the web. Get some names of key people in their business and check their profiles on "Linkedin" some of them will be on there. If genuine they are definitely interested in you so show willing but set your price highish without being silly. You can use phrases like "would expect at least the upper end of industry norm as I'd be giving up my own established business were I to return to an employed position"
Ask directly how they got your name. it may be / probably is from someone you know. Call the contact.
Networking is everything now. Even if this goes nowhere it will raise your profile if you play it cleverly. As others have said, don't give too much away yet until you're sure of them but remain polite and easy going. If they are genuine they'll soon give you the info you need if you ask properly.
How exciting !
Never know, it could be very interesting and just think, you might not have to drive around in that pimp wagon much longer...
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I've a good idea where they got me from, it happens from time to time but there has never been anything that has interested me.
Humph I'll email the company to you to see what you think, I just want to keep it off the public domain for now.
Cheers H.
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If you need to exchange e-mail addresses let me know good idea to leave company names off here in case they Gooogle themselves now and again. Census do these telephone interviews, I reckoned on it being the sifting process...
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You need to
1/ have all the details of your previous contracts to hand
2/ be prepared to explain how busy and popular you have been.
3/ explain that you have built up such a good circle of clients
4/ tell them how excited you are to be approached by such a prestigious and successful firm
5/ have an idea how much you are prepared to jump ship for,
Be open, honest, curious, excited.
The trick with telephone interviews is to imagine you are talking to the person face to face.
Have a picture in your mind of them. This makes you give the same facial expressions that you would when talking to someone face to face, and adds character and honesty to your voice.
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I had a phone interview a few years ago, with an insurance comapny re a claim. I understand that the calls are sometimes analysed for sign of stres ie Lying. Not suggesting you will, of course, but be aware of the capability.
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>> Then I got a call saying someone from HR at the head office in the
Interview with HR person should be a doddle.
If a technical expert in your field joins in, again if you are good at your job, it will be a doddle.
Whether you get the job will then depend on what the competing candidates (if any) are like, and crucially on how well the local Polish contact knows you.
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Życzę powodzenia i wielu sukcesów. Jestem pewien, że na to zasługują.
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...It's good. Probably beyond me...
There can't be many English/Polish speaking graphic design-type fellows, established in Poland with contacts in the business.
In other words, you are in a unique and strong position, there is something about your skills or circumstances which appeals to them.
Do I get the impression Mrs BBD works in your business?
If there's a lot involved in the new job, I would asking if she could bring anything to the table.
You are not desperate for an offer from them, but you are interested.
This should make you both keen and relaxed on the telephone, which is ideal.
Good luck.
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When I was looking for a job I used to get calls from agencies all the time. They'd invariably end with
"Have you any other interviews that I should know about, just so we don't send you for the same job?"
They were just trawling for information so that they could send their own candidates to compete with me. I used to make-up fictitious companies just to give them the trouble of Googling it!
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I agree pretty much with Zero, having done a few phone interviews this year. One advantage of a phone interview is that you can stick a few post it notes / bits of paper up with important stuff to mention / ask on. I wouldn't be tempted to use a notepad or similar as they might hear the papers rustling.
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...I agree pretty much with Zero...
So do I, it's corny, but a smile can be heard at the other end of a telephone.
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Phew. It's over and boy was it gruelling. An hour-long bombardment of questions. I was led to believe it would be with HR but it was actually the emperor Dalek of global design.
Many thanks for all the advice. Genuinely very grateful.
As Spamcan suggested, I laid out 5 A4 sheets of notes with headings - Career so far, What can I offer, Client list, Why do I want this job, Questions etc. - and that was fantastic for keeping me focussed and on point.
We did have a couple of laughs as Zero said (interviewer was female and will be the person that the successful applicant works for) and I generally get on better when I'm working with women.
She invited me to the next stage - video interview with them next week at their offices. Iffy's probably spot on the my unique situation drew me to their attention but I fear they may quickly cotton on that I'm an average designer that only succeeds by working twice as hard as everyone else.
I'm a nervous wreck and I'm going to have a drink.
Oh, in reply to Dulwich Estate - she told me she was 17...
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I thought you were a designer who managed to get things done in a tenth of the time of anybody else because you're VERY, VERY Bright - leaving the rest of the day for drinking coffee and posting on silly internet forums. ;)
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Good luck. You might even be able to wear cowboy boots in the office :-)
John
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...but I fear they may quickly cotton on that I'm an average designer that only succeeds by working twice as hard as everyone else...
Nowt wrong with that, the following three people did OK through hard work:
Kevin Keegan said when he was trying to get a start in the professional game, he quickly realised the only way he could compete with more talented footballers was to train harder.
Gary Player and Nick Faldo both said they were average golfers but noticed the more they practised, the 'luckier' they became in tournaments.
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Phone interview - Cliff Pope
