Well, the small publishing firm I had a couple interviews with decided that they didn't want to pay me a living wage, so scratch that one. It's very frustrating though, since they FORCED me to give them my salary requirements up front, then proceeded to waste my time in two hour-and-a-half interviews before telling me that they couldn't match what I wanted (or even be in the ballpark). Why waste everyone's time when you could just tell me from step one that my requirements are too high for their budget? On the bright side, it was good interview practice, at least. Still, it's not like what I'm asking for is outrageous, by any means (according to the Folio magazine salary survey, it's right in line with the industry average for the position). Next....
6/16/2004
6/14/2004
Company retreat/Marginally successful job interviews
Lots to report, so bear with me.
The BCG retreat was a good time. The resort (owned by Anheuser-Busch, oddly enough) was spectacular, the food was great, and the weather was phenomenal. My golf game, alas, was not. But no worries, I still had a blast, as did Jenny. I got to meet a lot of her co-workers and all of them were super-normal and friendly. Even the officers were very down to Earth and easy to talk with. All in all a fine time!
Well, I went to my second interview at the as-yet-unnamed trade mag today (to meet with the publisher this time%97as well as the editor again). Things seemed to go pretty well, although I had to convince the publisher that I was not overqualified for the position, since in my last job I had five direct reports and in this one I wouldn't have any. I assured him that I was looking for a big fish/small pond type of situation (true) and that I wanted to get back into the writing and editing side of the business (also true) and that the direct reports thing wasn't a big deal (marginally true). They asked about salary AGAIN. What is going on nowadays? It used to be that salary was not discussed until after an offer was made. Now you are forced to begin salary negotiations way too early in the process, which can lead you to not get all they are offering or worse, be put out of contention for the job due to asking for too much. All of the interviewing technique articles say "NEVER give a number....let them do the talking." What planet are these writers on? I'm telling you, if you refuse to give a number up front, the interviewer just gets pissed off, which is not the best way to get your foot in the door of any company. Christ I hate looking for work.
The second interview I had today was really more of a sales pitch, as I'm trying to convince this custom publication printer in Rockville to hire me to start up an edit side to their business. The VP that I talked to was a big soccer fan, so the Euro 2004 results were a great ice breaker. I gave him my verbal pitch (the PowerPoint presentation was locked and loaded in my briefcase, but I never got the chance to pull it out), and he seemed to buy into the concept. I'm scheduled to go back in on Thursday of this week to meet the company president and pitch it to him. The only glitch in the proceedings occurred when he asked me to give him hard numbers of the kind of revenue they would be able to bring in should they add this department (and hire me to sell and run it). I didn't know, although I told him I'd do more research on it to present on Thursday. Now I'm screwed. I have no earthly idea how to work up those numbers. Everything is variable on the type of job, number of pages, type of editing, blah blah blah. I'm going to put SOMETHING together for them, but it may stink a little, being that it will be coming straight out of my ass and all....
On another job lead front, a woman at another turn-key, custom publishing firm (this one in DC) FINALLY got back to me after stringing me along on a job since April. Yes, April. For those of you keeping track, it's mid-June now. I'll probably go talk to her, but I'm pretty leery of a company with that kind of crap followthrough.
I'm interviewing with a famous association in D.C. tomorrow. Can't name names here, of course, but suffice it to say that should I get the job and find myself in legal trouble, I shouldn't have a hard time finding counsel. Wish me luck.
Jenny is in Boston, training for her job. She says hello to you all and will return tomorrow. I miss her, and since Jane and Marty are at their beach house, I'm all alone here. :-(
Hello, Mr. Ravenswood 2001 Zinfandel and Netflix.....
The BCG retreat was a good time. The resort (owned by Anheuser-Busch, oddly enough) was spectacular, the food was great, and the weather was phenomenal. My golf game, alas, was not. But no worries, I still had a blast, as did Jenny. I got to meet a lot of her co-workers and all of them were super-normal and friendly. Even the officers were very down to Earth and easy to talk with. All in all a fine time!
Well, I went to my second interview at the as-yet-unnamed trade mag today (to meet with the publisher this time%97as well as the editor again). Things seemed to go pretty well, although I had to convince the publisher that I was not overqualified for the position, since in my last job I had five direct reports and in this one I wouldn't have any. I assured him that I was looking for a big fish/small pond type of situation (true) and that I wanted to get back into the writing and editing side of the business (also true) and that the direct reports thing wasn't a big deal (marginally true). They asked about salary AGAIN. What is going on nowadays? It used to be that salary was not discussed until after an offer was made. Now you are forced to begin salary negotiations way too early in the process, which can lead you to not get all they are offering or worse, be put out of contention for the job due to asking for too much. All of the interviewing technique articles say "NEVER give a number....let them do the talking." What planet are these writers on? I'm telling you, if you refuse to give a number up front, the interviewer just gets pissed off, which is not the best way to get your foot in the door of any company. Christ I hate looking for work.
The second interview I had today was really more of a sales pitch, as I'm trying to convince this custom publication printer in Rockville to hire me to start up an edit side to their business. The VP that I talked to was a big soccer fan, so the Euro 2004 results were a great ice breaker. I gave him my verbal pitch (the PowerPoint presentation was locked and loaded in my briefcase, but I never got the chance to pull it out), and he seemed to buy into the concept. I'm scheduled to go back in on Thursday of this week to meet the company president and pitch it to him. The only glitch in the proceedings occurred when he asked me to give him hard numbers of the kind of revenue they would be able to bring in should they add this department (and hire me to sell and run it). I didn't know, although I told him I'd do more research on it to present on Thursday. Now I'm screwed. I have no earthly idea how to work up those numbers. Everything is variable on the type of job, number of pages, type of editing, blah blah blah. I'm going to put SOMETHING together for them, but it may stink a little, being that it will be coming straight out of my ass and all....
On another job lead front, a woman at another turn-key, custom publishing firm (this one in DC) FINALLY got back to me after stringing me along on a job since April. Yes, April. For those of you keeping track, it's mid-June now. I'll probably go talk to her, but I'm pretty leery of a company with that kind of crap followthrough.
I'm interviewing with a famous association in D.C. tomorrow. Can't name names here, of course, but suffice it to say that should I get the job and find myself in legal trouble, I shouldn't have a hard time finding counsel. Wish me luck.
Jenny is in Boston, training for her job. She says hello to you all and will return tomorrow. I miss her, and since Jane and Marty are at their beach house, I'm all alone here. :-(
Hello, Mr. Ravenswood 2001 Zinfandel and Netflix.....
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