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12 June 2008

OMFG I WANT TO STRANGLE THIS WOMAN!!! [More:]April 5: I apply for a job. It's an organization to which I've applied before. They had previously stated they were impressed with my qualifications and that they'd keep me in mind for future jobs, so I have a reasonable expectation of getting an interview with them THIS time. (Last time, they hired an internal candidate.)

I wait. I hear nothing back from them until May 20. In an email, the liaison, Crystal, wants to schedule an interview for June 13 (almost a month later). I reply that I look forward to interviewing for the position, that the date and time are fine. I also told her that I had several other interviews lined up during the upcoming month, and that if anything in my job status changed, I'd let them know.

Three days later, May 23, 7 p.m. on a Friday night: I get a voicemail from Crystal saying "I haven't heard back from you. I really need to know if you're still interested in interviewing." I return her call immediately, leave a voicemail saying that I had sent an email several days before, that it must have gotten lost, and that the date and time were fine, but that it was a long ways off, and that I'd let them know if anything changed.

One hour later: Crystal returns my call. The call goes like this:

Me: This is mudpuppie.
Crystal: Hi, mudpuppie. This is Crystal. I just got your message regarding the interview on June 13. You're right, you did send me an email, I just forgot. But you know what, I got your message saying you'd let us know if anything changed and that is just NOT GOING TO WORK FOR US. I need you to commit to a TIME, and I need to commit to BEING THERE. There are people driving in from HOURS away to participate in this interview and I need you to COMMIT so that they are not left HANGING. Now, if that 11:00 a.m. doesn't work for you, I can change the time. I can schedule it for 1:00, or 2:00, or 3:00 if that's ----
Me [seething]: 3:00 is preferable for me. Thank you.
Crystal: Okay, I'll send you a confirmation email for the rescheduled time.
Me [biting tongue painfully]: I'd appreciate that. Thank you. *click*

*** Deep Breaths ***

Several days pass. No confirmation email. I finally get one, and it says: "Hi. This will confirm your in-person interview at 1:45 PM on Friday June 13th. Please come to the XXX Office at XXX L Street, Suite 350, by 3:15 PM."

WTF??

I email her to confirm that the time we had initially talked about, 3:00, was the real time. She apologized, sent me a corrected email.

So, after being scolded for being noncommittal, and secretly really not wanting to go, I'm preparing for this interview tomorrow.

Last night: She left a voicemail for me (at 8:00 p.m.).

Crystal: Hi, mudpuppie. I'm calling about your interview on the 13th. It's still on, but I was wondering if we could change the time. There are people driving in from HOURS away for this, and they'd really like to be able to leave before traffic gets bad. Please let me know if you can come any earlier.

I seethe some more. Apparently, THEY can't COMMIT to a time. But hey, I need the interview, so I suck it up.

At 9:30 this morning, I leave her a voicemail at the number she gave me.

Me: Hi Crystal. This is mudpuppie returning your call. I'm happy to reschedule the interview. Unfortunately, I have other commitments on Friday morning, and I can't be there before 2:00. If that works for you, that's great. Please call me or email to confirm. Thanks very much.

Didn't hear from her all day. No call, no email. Nothing. So at 6:15, I call again.

Me: Hi Crystal. It's mudpuppie again. I just want to double-check the interview time for tomorrow. Please get back to me ASAP with the new time. Thanks very much.

6:30 p.m.: I receive an email from Crystal that says: "I left you a message yesterday and haven't heard back. We need to reschedule your interview time."

My response: Crystal, I've left you two messages today at the number you gave me. As I stated in my messages, I can't be there before 2:00. Any time after that is fine. Please confirm.


I swear to god, I am so fed up. I don't even WANT to work for them at this point, but I don't have the luxury of saying, "Fuck you, you unprofessional ninny."

And to make my attitude worse, I applied for a job today at a place I really WANT to work for. How am I supposed to go into the nightmare interview tomorrow with a good attitude after all this?

Still haven't heard back from her. She owes me one hell of a mea culpa.
She just emailed me back: "I've been traveling all day. I guess I gave you my home number in case you called back last night."

Am I being hypersensitive, or is she being passive aggressive?

[Note that I am incredibly PMS-y, and any question about my hypersensitivity was rhetorical. Anyone who answers in the affirmative is likely to meet with physical injury.]
posted by mudpuppie 12 June | 21:19
Crazy person alert!!! I can't imagine you'd want to work for her!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero 12 June | 21:19
Ouch. I totally sympathize with you, because her attitude towards you is clearly pretty egregious and unprofessional. It sounds a little bit like this woman is beholden to the whims of these "people" who are driving in from "hours" away, and she's taking her frustration with them and her inability to do anything about their seeming inconsiderateness out on you. (Just to be clear, her behavior is still totally ridiculous.) I don't know how to explain all the whole not seeing emails and voicemails thing, though - stress or incompetence, I guess.

Maybe it would help if you treat the interview tomorrow as a preparation or practice for the interview for the job you really want. It might be easier to maintain a good attitude if you know it's helping you get to your ultimate goal.
posted by unsurprising 12 June | 21:21
OK I want to strangle her now too.
posted by gaspode 12 June | 21:21
Yeah, unsurprising has it - use it as a warm-up for the job you really want. And then, on your way out, firebomb the office. Sweet, cleansing fire... It's really the only way.
posted by bmarkey 12 June | 21:37
Oh, and Crystal is a fucking dingbat. Giving her credit for passive-agressiveness is too charitable.
posted by bmarkey 12 June | 21:39
The problem with using it as a practice interview is that I have a really, really hard time being phony. And I think I'd have to be (at least, given how I feel right now), in order to show any enthusiasm at all.

But I've decided that the attitude I'm going to try to cultivate is that this woman is batshitinsane, but not necessarily representative of the other people in the room. Maybe she's the crazy one, and the rest will be okay. And I know that I've got a lot of experience that they're looking for -- probably more than most interviewees -- so I'll have to keep reminding myself of that.

I swear, though, I came really close to cancelling.

Oh god, please let the other people call me back. And soon.
posted by mudpuppie 12 June | 21:39
Crystal is crazy. I think we have enough for a group strangle.

Good luck on the interview, mudpuppie.
posted by LoriFLA 12 June | 21:57
Another vote for strangling.

Also a write-in vote for going and finding some dachshunds running. I walked past one in the park just now and it was an immediate frustration-dispeller.

Dachshunds! Running! Galumph galumph!
posted by occhiblu 12 June | 22:05
Major incompetence or major chain yanking by la Crystal. I hate her already.
posted by arse_hat 12 June | 22:35
Oh goodness. I'd vote for a little more than just a strangling.

I'd say leave a note with the interviewer about how unprofessional Crystal was about the whole thing. You may not be the only person she's dicking around with, and it really does not reflect well on the company.
posted by divabat 12 June | 22:45
I will drive all the way down I-5 to strangle her for you. Just let me know.
posted by danf 12 June | 22:59
Wow, that is incredible. It's horrible how one person can make something so simple so fucked up. This is obviously something that gets compounded with each person she deals with. It's hard to put on a good face when you're a volcano inside, but the high road is the right one in ths instance.

Good luck and I hope you make the best of it. And afterwards, I think you have a Strangulation Posse waiting to go over there.
posted by Slack-a-gogo 12 June | 23:09
Thanks for the backup, y'all.

Even my mother, who always seems to think that I'm the one who should have done something differently, thought this was out of line. (Meaning she laughed hysterically when I told her about it.)

Glad it's not just my perception. So, thanks.

Divabat, there's nothing more I'd like to do than leave a message with the other interviewers somehow. I don't know how to do that, though, without seeming ungracious, and without immediately writing off the job. (Which I pretty much don't want. So maybe I'll get someone's card and give it until Monday.)
posted by mudpuppie 12 June | 23:18
I hate Crystal. Like, a lot.
posted by Claudia_SF 12 June | 23:35
Oh, shuddering memories. I'd run from it if this Crystal person is anywhere in the proposed chain of command. Can't acknowledge reality unless forced, and wishy washy quisling with people "above" her, but perfectly willing to abuse a "nobody".

Don't buy into it. Those people are driving in from HOURS away to see you. They're the ones to impress and cultivate. She's an errand-runner.
posted by lysdexic 12 June | 23:55
Certified mail and read receipts on email are made for people like Crystal.
posted by By the Grace of God 13 June | 03:19
i hate her i hate her i hate her.
posted by dabitch 13 June | 03:35
If you really don't want the job, maybe you should send Olena to the interview in your stead.

P.S. I hate Crystal, and I hate her ass face.
posted by Atom Eyes 13 June | 10:18
Here's what you do. Print or write "Crystal's professionalism" largely on an otherwise blank sheet of paper. When you're both near a shredder, accidentally lose the paper to it, and respond with "huh, kinda metaphorical, init?" Let us know how this goes.

Also, feel free to pass along to Crystal that I hope she gets hit by a bus while leaving you a post-interview voicemail, creating yet another employment opportunity. If this actually happens, be sure to follow-up by posting the audio file.

Cheers!
posted by Hellbient 13 June | 10:41
Seriously nuts. You do no not want to work for an organization where something like that passes for acceptable behavior.

Good luck on the new interview!
posted by me3dia 13 June | 11:07
The nice thing is that you're totally going to get this job, and then you can fire her.
posted by mdonley 13 June | 11:36
That's all kinds of messed up mups.

I really like Atom's idea - do the interview as Olena!!1! LOL!!
posted by deborah 13 June | 12:50
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