o2 - named and shamed!

**MarillionFan** · 5 December 2006, 23:48

Didn't you offer to show them your Oracle moves?

**SallyAnne** · 5 December 2006, 23:50

Originally posted by MarillionFan

Didn't you offer to show them your Oracle moves?

I've only got 5, and I dont think it would have swung the vote somehow

**Denny** · 6 December 2006, 00:09

Originally posted by SallyAnne

Had an interview with them today, and all the way through the interview it seemed they were simply bleeding me for information - "exactly how do you do this", "exactly how do you do that". None of the usual "tell me about the gigs you've worked on".

10 minutes after the interview they mailed my agent saying I was tulipe and didn't have enough experience for the rate I demanded.

For the record, i have 6 years experience of being the only developer in each of my projects who did ALL of the stuff they were asking for! And the agent had advised me on the rate in the first place!

Grrrrrr

ok, I've sat on my arse for the last 4/5 weeks doing nothing, so I may not have been at my communicative best, but the whole thing was very fishy indeed!

Knackers

I've got asked a lot of info' hacking information too - you know, the usual, we're in deep tulip solve our problem here and now free of charge masquerading as 'here's a fake scenario let's see how well you know your stuff questions.'

The best way of handling these types of questions is to welcome them with relish - but answer them on your own terms. Don't ever answer the question directly and never look annoyed if you don't like what you are being asked and then give them the answers they are looking for in the hope they will take pity on you for boxing you into this free consultation and hire you - they won't.

Instead, assume that the interviewer is asking you for similar scenarios on other projects you've worked on. After all, they have your CV, so you assume for the interviewer that's what they are asking. Take control of the interview, ask them to refer to page 2 of your CV etc. and look very confident before doing this.

Of course, you know darned well that's not what they're after, but it works. When asked 'how would you go about....etc. questions, talk about your attitude and approach to working out specific scenario problems - your ones, that is, not their's - and then draw on past examples to give the interviewer the impression you're being specific.

If you're boxed into a corner, and it's bottom line time, then the best strategy to pull yourself out of that is to tell them that you would need to work with the team, work out the company culture, talk about costings, project timelines etc. to demonstrate that each project is unique to solving problems and that no company is the same. So what went down in one project wouldn't necessarily apply to this and it would be irresponsible to give a blanket view to problem solving. Give the interviewer the impression that you would do them a disservice by being specific and giving solutions to problems, based on such limited information (the type of information that can't be given at any interview). Make it clear to the interviewer that you would need a lot more information. Then finish on a positive by drawing on a fake or even real similar scenario of your own choice and nothing like the present interviewer's on another project you've worked on, drawing on some fake similarities to give the impression that your example is highly relevant to the interviewer.

This is a brilliant way of answering all their questions, without answering any of their questions.

I've bluffed my way into many roles using this approach- even though I could be more specific that I pretend - it works every single time and interviewers are left flabbagasted at my breadth and knowledge of my field without deriving one teeny weeny scrap of value-adding information they can poach and use on their own project free of charge before hiring me.

**Troll** · 6 December 2006, 09:03

If you were slim & pretty you would have got the gig... guaranteed

**BoredBloke** · 6 December 2006, 09:17

Which O2 site was it - I worked there for a bit and it was rubbish with a rubbish rate. I got the distict impression that they were somewhat short of cash and that not only did the left arm know that the right was doing, the left arm was unaware of the existance of a right arm.

These lot tried to have a clause put in my contract that if for any reason in the first 4 weeks I was canned by the client, then I would have to refund all money paid to my company. I told them where to go with that one. Also they wanted £5million in Indemnity insurance.

**DodgyAgent** · 6 December 2006, 09:44

Originally posted by Denny

I've got asked a lot of info' hacking information too - you know, the usual, we're in deep tulip solve our problem here and now free of charge masquerading as 'here's a fake scenario let's see how well you know your stuff questions.'

The best way of handling these types of questions is to welcome them with relish - but answer them on your own terms. Don't ever answer the question directly and never look annoyed if you don't like what you are being asked and then give them the answers they are looking for in the hope they will take pity on you for boxing you into this free consultation and hire you - they won't.

Instead, assume that the interviewer is asking you for similar scenarios on other projects you've worked on. After all, they have your CV, so you assume for the interviewer that's what they are asking. Take control of the interview, ask them to refer to page 2 of your CV etc. and look very confident before doing this.

Of course, you know darned well that's not what they're after, but it works. When asked 'how would you go about....etc. questions, talk about your attitude and approach to working out specific scenario problems - your ones, that is, not their's - and then draw on past examples to give the interviewer the impression you're being specific.

If you're boxed into a corner, and it's bottom line time, then the best strategy to pull yourself out of that is to tell them that you would need to work with the team, work out the company culture, talk about costings, project timelines etc. to demonstrate that each project is unique to solving problems and that no company is the same. So what went down in one project wouldn't necessarily apply to this and it would be irresponsible to give a blanket view to problem solving. Give the interviewer the impression that you would do them a disservice by being specific and giving solutions to problems, based on such limited information (the type of information that can't be given at any interview). Make it clear to the interviewer that you would need a lot more information. Then finish on a positive by drawing on a fake or even real similar scenario of your own choice and nothing like the present interviewer's on another project you've worked on, drawing on some fake similarities to give the impression that your example is highly relevant to the interviewer.

This is a brilliant way of answering all their questions, without answering any of their questions.

I've bluffed my way into many roles using this approach- even though I could be more specific that I pretend - it works every single time and interviewers are left flabbagasted at my breadth and knowledge of my field without deriving one teeny weeny scrap of value-adding information they can poach and use on their own project free of charge before hiring me.

She only had three hours

**To BI or not to BI?** · 6 December 2006, 09:46

Originally posted by DodgyAgent

She only had three hours

**SallyAnne** · 6 December 2006, 10:27

Originally posted by TonyEnglish

Which O2 site was it - I worked there for a bit and it was rubbish with a rubbish rate. I got the distict impression that they were somewhat short of cash and that not only did the left arm know that the right was doing, the left arm was unaware of the existance of a right arm.

These lot tried to have a clause put in my contract that if for any reason in the first 4 weeks I was canned by the client, then I would have to refund all money paid to my company. I told them where to go with that one. Also they wanted £5million in Indemnity insurance.

It was the Slough site - aparently they just kicked Fujitsu off site and are now doing the project in house.

**SallyAnne** · 6 December 2006, 10:28

Originally posted by Troll

If you were slim & pretty you would have got the gig... guaranteed

It was a phone interview you nobba, and I am pretty thanks very much!

o2 - named and shamed!