Since my graduation in October I have had both the pleasure and the frustration of interviewing at a variety of firms and in a variety of industries. In these difficult economic times the number of jobs available has decreased and the number of applicants has increased – making it far more difficult for individuals like myself.
Before I get into what experiences I have enjoyed and those that have made the hunt difficult, let me first describe a little about where I am looking for work. I have a handful of cities (Toronto, Vancouver and San Francisco) where I focus my search for positions relating to analysis, Internet marketing, general marketing, and business development. At this time I have applied to over 200 jobs, managed 6 interviews and a single job offer.
Okay, time to move on to the focus of this article. If you an employer or hiring manager you will probably think these are logical, but it is shocking how many firms make the process difficult.
What I like
Accommodation. Living three hours away from Toronto does not make the in-person interview an easy feat, but fortunately all organizations, thus far, have allowed me to choose afternoon interviews with one company even meeting me between Sarnia and Toronto, in a neutral city.
Casual conversation. Starting the interview off with a substantial amount of casual conversation really makes me feel more comfortable and open throughout the interview. This is conversation beyond asking about how my drive was and where I stopped for lunch.
Email applications. There is nothing, repeat NOTHING, worse than dealing with different application systems across different companies – there are only so many drop-down boxes that I can handle. While integrating into Monster.ca works well, I much prefer applying to careers@companyname.com with the email body as the cover letter and attached resume. It is always a pleasure when I find such a method.
What I dislike
Job fairs. There is nothing worse than standing in a crowded arena with pushy job hunters and overwhelmed corporate representatives. It is not unusual to stand at a booth for thirty minutes in hopes of talking to a representative. Small and single-company meet and greets could be far more effective and comfortable.
Contact months after applying. I applied to your company four months ago, why are you contacting me now? I have forgotten about that position already so just repost it – frankly you are lucky that I am still unemployed!
Job description removed. This occurs surprisingly often – once the company has their list of candidates the job description is removed from the website. How are we supposed to study for the interview without such information? I have since learned to save the text after applying – something that has saved me twice so far.
Surprise tests. So the job involves some SQL, database work and basic HTML – I know all of these, but often use resources for syntax help. Why do you need to give me an impromptu test at the end of the interview? Ask about my experience or how I would approach the problem – there is no need to stand over me while I struggle under the stress of an interview!
No email contact or business card. Now this is just bizarre and it involves one of the largest companies in Canada. I was in contact, via phone only, with the HR department who arranged a phone interview and then an in-person interview. All I knew, from the phone conversation, was the first name of the individual I was meeting, the time and the location. During the interview, which went extremely well, I was never provided with a business card or contact information of the hiring manager that interviewed me. I would normally have thanked them for their time, but instead the only other contact I had from the organization was an automated rejection voice mail – JOY!
Well, there you go! I do not feel that I am asking for treatment beyond what should be expected so if you are involved on the hiring side of the process I encourage you to take these thoughts to heart. The best hiring experience is one with open communication during all stages – including rejection.
