Post by: Sylvilagus Aquaticus on January 22, 2007, 09:21:08 PM
Turns out the job I took that paid better was dull. Dull, like a sponge. Fixing stuck remote print queues and resetting locked account passwords and clearing full file systems in the middle of the night dull.
Hence, the resume fishing...and the nibble on the bait. We'll call him Ralph, with Third World Contractors Group, for purposes of discussion. Ralph emails me about his client, who I'll call Huge Predatory Company. Now HPC has a project in the works, and they've purchased about a hundred servers from the company I used to work for in support. Might be temp to perm, might be perm, who knows. No specifics on terms in the email, and to be honest, it's one of about 5 come-ons I get in any given week.
I don't respond to the email.
A couple of days later, he calls my cellphone, as the number is on my resume, posted on the search site. Ralph gives me his pitch, sounds halfway decent, so I send him my formatted resume. Still no mention of money, term of duration status.
A month passes. Mid December. Ralph calls; client wants to see me that week for an interview with 'the team' at Huge Predatory Company. I arrange a time when I can drive out and meet them that does not interfere with my current obligation. Meeting goes well, for my part, although I get that odd feeling of something being amiss. Ralph follows up that afternoon- no feedback from HPC, but he'll let me know as soon as he knows something.
Forward to Late December. I take a nice offer on a more prestigious team back 'home' at Old Reliable. Start seamlessly, after giving proper notice, early in January.
Last Friday, Ralph calls back. HPC wants to make me an offer: title, so-so money, fair benefits. That strange feeling I got from HPC comes back. I thank him for the extension of the offer, but regretfully, I state, he's too late, that I've already accepted one that had come available in the absence of anything from TWCG and HPC.
Then it gets weird...
The phone line clicks and another party joins the call. The third party is 'HR Director at HPC', who evidently had been monitoring the conversation so far. It seems I have offended them by not jumping at the opportunity to accept the position. I explain that I've taken my current posiition and I'm quite content, and that there was no indication of a pending offer at any time until then. I thank them for their consideration and for the opportunity to interview, being that I am gracious and grateful as my Granmaw taught me to be, but that I have an obligation I must honor where I have none to them at this time. The telephone conversation ends shortly thereafter and I follow up with a brief email to Ralph restating my flattery and appreciation, along with my regrets.
Today I received an email from Ralph in response. Names, as always and previously, are changed and/or redacted.
----
Mr. Aquaticus:
Thanks but always remember not to burn any bridges.
You were so unprofessional & unresponsive and it turned out to be so costly for you.
TWCG & HPC has decided they will never work with you in future as they chose to blacklist candidates who cannot respect their time.
I hope this will be a good beginning for you in 2007.
Good Luck.
Ralph
Sr. Technical Recruiter
Third World Contractors Group
-----------
Sorry for being long-winded, but the whole play struck me as amusing. Of course, I do tend to have an odd sense of humor.
Oh, but I love working in I.T.
Regards,
Rabbit.
Post by: mtnbkr on January 23, 2007, 02:06:04 AM
Chris
Post by: Harold Tuttle on January 23, 2007, 02:11:39 AM
that was going to feed the whole family,
but the fish rabbited,
dang, that fish was a wise fox
Post by: Waitone on January 23, 2007, 03:01:34 AM
Go with your guts. You don't need to be associated with that kind of ethic.
Post by: RocketMan on January 23, 2007, 03:53:45 AM
Post by: roo_ster on January 23, 2007, 05:22:09 AM
Post by: HankB on January 23, 2007, 07:33:08 AM
And then he got upset that I didn't JUMP at the chance to join his organization.
Post by: Sindawe on January 23, 2007, 07:57:55 AM
Quote
Please share the names of TWCG and HPC so we can all be sure to avoid them ourselves.
2nd that. Though if I were a betting man, I'd place wagers that HPC is a company in the Northwest, or goes by the moniker that denotes an EXTREMELY large number.On the issue of unprofessionalism, TWCG is pretty bad, and the HR Drone at HPC listening in on your conversation without your knowledge and consent is unacceptable.
Post by: Bogie on January 23, 2007, 09:12:17 AM
Next morning, instead of driving to the job, I drove to the shop, walked in, told the head honcho that I didn't like being lied to, and that I was outta there. Got the whole "you'll never work in this town again" bit... Yeah, right...
Post by: client32 on January 23, 2007, 10:47:24 AM
I am working on getting a new job, and having to talk to recruiters. Today I got an email about a job. They asked for my resume and some other info (relocate, citizen status, that type of thing). I've exchanged emails a couple of times then I am sent a form requesting info so that they can fill out for the employer.
I had two big problems with the form. One was that I have already given him every ounce of info that was requested on that form. The second, and most disturbing, the form wants an SSN. So now I am supposed to simply email my SSN to someone I have never met and cannot verify is actually looking to hire a person?
I sent a polite response that he already has my information aside from the SSN and I will not be emailing that seeing as it would be quite irresponsible.
Post by: BrokenPaw on January 23, 2007, 11:09:11 AM
So I took the job.
Which turned out to be maintaining existing software that was written in FORTRAN IV, running on VAXen under VMS. Also, the project was run by an...interesting chap who believed that "good software design" meant "reusing variables as much as possible so that any and all changes are brown-trousers risky". Also there was no development or QA systems; all changes were live in the production system the very moment they were compiled. Also they required that I attend three weeks' worth of classes (the classes cost about $3k per week) immediately upon starting, and then once I was done, tried to claim that unless I stayed with the company for a full year, I'd be billed for the tuition of those classes.
But the money was awesome while it lasted.
-BP
Post by: Brad Johnson on January 23, 2007, 11:11:15 AM
I'm just stubborn enough that I'd call his bluff. Call HPC and see if "Name Here" really is the HR director. Then get them to transfer you. You will probably get his/her assistant. Let the assistant know who you are, what has transpired, and that you are concerned you were being mislead and could they please verify that the HR director was actually part of the call. Of course, do so in a coversational manner, not accusatory or confrontational. I'd bet a hamburger that they've never heard of you.
Brad
Post by: BozemanMT on January 23, 2007, 03:15:27 PM
Unbelievable
I really do hate tech
and if I wasn't so addicted to the money and lack of hard physical labor, I'd........................
Post by: Sylvilagus Aquaticus on January 23, 2007, 06:24:59 PM
I received an employment offer packet by UPS courier today. Weighs about 2 pounds- maybe 80 sheets of the usual forms, legalese, I-9, fingerprint cards (!), background check authorization, drug testing. Just like nothing had ever happened. Came from HPC's corporate office, on the letterhead of the corp HR guy, with his signature and business card. This was the guy who 'Ralph' brought on the phone. Enclosed is a UPS Courier envelope back-addressed to HPC and HR Guy's attention.
I wonder if a roadkilled skunk will fit in that bag? I know a couple of pounds of bricks would.
Nah, I don't think I want to make a poor UPS drone's day miserable. At least it wouldn't be sitting in his truck in the summer, though.
Yes, I'm highly amused. No, I'm not mad.
On an even funnier note, I had 3 emails today from different people associated with my *former* contract management company I contracted through at Old Reliable. Recall that I left Old Reliable on excellent terms (with them) when the contract manager wouldn't discuss pay with me. 3 weeks after I left O.R., a drone for Contract Manager called and asked if I'd consider working for O.R. (on the same team I left) for less than I was making when I took the higher paying job. After I regained my composure and quit giggling, I be 'splained what had caused my departure. and gave them my terms to return. They countered at about a dollar per hour more than I left there making, which was really enough to have kept me in the first place- what I was after then was a show of good faith. They 'presented me' back to my former team manager at Old Relaible, who, according to the drone, was "excited to have me back". Later that week, the drone emailed and said they 'had no further interest in me'.
Harrrumph.
Harken back to early January in the spiel above. I'm back at Old Reliable on the Advanced Support team, among other Elder Statesmen of the company, and, of course, loving every instant of it. My old team is glad I'm back, as they can look again to me to back them up.
Guess who called and emailed me today? Yep. Former Drone, who didn't want to pony up that dollar... and two other associates with the same contractor in different offices. Seems they need someone for my old team at Old Reliable.
Ol' Br'er Rabbit, he be's in his Laffin' Place.
Regards,
Rabbit.
Post by: Sindawe on January 23, 2007, 06:32:58 PM
Post by: Brad Johnson on January 24, 2007, 08:31:03 AM
Brad
Post by: BozemanMT on January 24, 2007, 03:40:25 PM
You know
Name: Hillary Clinton
SS #: 123-45-6789
etc
Would be worth it.