Hello all,
today I've got a different challenge:
I've been contacted by a recruiter. And so far I'm a bit advanced in the process - being invited to an interview. However said interview is in a rather remote place - which would cost my at least a whole day (more likely two) and quiet a bit of money.
Now I'm wondering what to do, as I find the process a bit strange. It's certainly not by the book presented by Manager Tools ;-) That is - I've not been able to get who refered me to them (found out another way - but they wouldn't say), the payment discussion was a little akward and now said recruitment agency wants me to interview with them - but not at my place (where also the prospective place of employment would be) but at their site, which is quiet a distance from me.
Now, I am very secptical about this job. By the book it sounds almost perfect - but there are a few points that make me suspicious, if this would be the right position for me.
Further on I'm sceptical if I'm the right person for the job. I've not had much experience as a manager yet - and I do feel that it might be advantageous to stay in the company I grew up in for a little while longer, at least until I get a couple more years as a manager under my belt. Besides, I'm a bit young with 29 - so I'm not sure how I'd accertain my authority over a team that would most likely be older and with more life-experience then I have. I've seen a new manager at our company join from outside,who is about my age - and he did fail rather hard at this task.
So - what should I do now? Follow through with the interview, spend some money to get there and then, if they offer me the job, decide on whether they convinced me that the job is sound or not?
Try to negotiate with the recruiter for a different interview place?
Politely say thank you - but not accept the invitation?
I don't need that job - but I don't want to burn the recruiter. Even if he didn't follow the book I heard at manager tools - it would be the first recruiter that actually took the effort to contact me and at least look at my resumee (though he asked for a longer one with all the data MT said shouldn't be on there...)
seems a bit odd..
Seems odd to me that the recruiter would be asking you to pay your own expenses to the interview. Is this common? My only experience with a recruiter was for the job I currently hold. I had to fly across country for the interview (with the employer, not the recruiter), and my expenses were covered. Are you interviewing with the recruiter or with the hiring company? In my case, which I think was fairly normal, I was selected for a face to face interview after a phone interview with the hiring executive, not the recruiter. If you are not interviewing with the company that is using the recruiter, and are asked to pay your own expenses to the interview, it sounds fishy to me.
I'd pass...
From your description, it sounds like a recruiter trying to get a good candidate on file by calling up recommended names and inviting them for 'an interview' with the promise of a great job. By not paying expenses, there's no risk to the recruiter and she doesn't even need to have a real job lined up.
Personally, there are enough negatives in your description that I wouldn't go, but I understand you don't want to blow off the recruiter. Perhaps you could shift the issues onto the 'client', something like "I understand that your client has asked you not to reveal their name and is not prepared to cover expenses. That's not usual in my experience and must make things pretty hard for you. It doesn't sound like somewhere I'd be comfortable working, so I think I'll pass on this occasion. But let's keep in touch'.
Of course, you need to be mentally prepared for the recruiter to end the relationship there and then.... but if they do that, then you can be pretty sure there was something not quite right.
Good luck
MK