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Do you think this interview went well?


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newlywedder

I had an interview for this pretty big company last week and haven't heard anything back. I don't know if things went well or not. I'm on the fence.

 

There were 4 men who interviewed me, 3 of whom were of Middle Eastern decent. It was hard to understand their thick accents but I tried my best.

 

The director of the team, also Middle Eastern, kept looking at his phone and texting the whole interview. I thought that was a bit rude like he didn't care about me being there.

 

I put lots of thought into my answers but was honest when I didn't know something they asked about. This was the case for two questions. I wish I would have said I can learn about it since I don't know of it.

 

After I left, I felt good about the interview but the thought of the director who was texting started dragging me down. Maybe he was really busy hopefully. I would hate that he felt that I deserved no chance.

 

It is hard being a woman in software development and I sometimes feel that I'm passed over because of my gender. For instance, this one interview I had, the one who got hired was a man who had much less experience than I. He only had one job out of school for a year. True, he may have known someone in the company but I just don't know. I have worked for this company as a contractor for almost two years and this job was in another department as a direct hire.

 

I looked at the org chart and no other women are employed in their group. For the names I didn't know the gender, I looked on LinkedIn and FB to be sure.

 

Do you think I have a chance for this job?

Edited by newlywedder
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bathtub-row

It's very hard to say. As far as the guy texting during the interview, that might've been deliberate to see what your reaction would be -- if it would distract you, piss you off, annoy you, etc.

 

As far as the guys interviewing you, it may have had something to do with your gender but that seems unlikely if they chose you for the interview -- unless your name on your resume is misleading and looks like a man's name.

 

Try to get the mental turbulence out of your head. Even if they think they don't want a female for the job, think about what you can do to change their minds. You're there to show your best side, to excite them about hiring you and bringing you on board. I doubt it has much to do with gender.

 

Btw, I interviewed at a huge oil & gas company a couple of years ago and when I didn't hear back within a week or so, I figured they had hired someone else. Then, about 3 wks later, they contacted me for another interview. I was astounded but they were a huge, slow-moving company. I didn't get the job and never understood why, but they interviewed me several times with several people. I think it got narrowed down to me and maybe one or two others.

 

There was another job interview that I totally loved because it really boosted my confidence. I was way over-qualified for the job but the field it was in was a spot-on perfect fit and there was potential to grow with the company. The guys interviewing me asked great questions and I could tell they were really excited about my potential. At the end of the interview, they talked about salary and it was determined that it was just too low for me. When I left the building and headed to my car, one of the guys came rushing out of the office to catch me. He asked me what was the lowest salary I could take and I told him. He apologized for speaking so frankly about salary but said he had limits as to how much he could offer and wanted to know what he had to work with. We couldn't come to terms on salary but I will never, ever forget the guy racing out of that building to catch up with me. And you could get a similar reaction if you're confident about what you're talking about, about your knowledge and expertise. People want you to impress them and doing what you do is already very impressive. Work with that and believe in it because it's awesome.

 

The thing is, you never know why you don't get hired or what goes on behind the scenes. You just need to be professional and sound passionate about what you do. You'll make a great impression.

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newlywedder

Thanks bath tub.

 

I ended up not getting the job. Everyone I talked to said that hiring manager sounded like a jerk for texting during the interview. It came across as very rude. I spent time out of my day to get all the way over there to interview and all he could do is text. I think it wouldn't be a good job for me anyways.

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bathtub-row
Thanks bath tub.

 

I ended up not getting the job. Everyone I talked to said that hiring manager sounded like a jerk for texting during the interview. It came across as very rude. I spent time out of my day to get all the way over there to interview and all he could do is text. I think it wouldn't be a good job for me anyways.

 

You’ll never know for certain what the situation was. I personally think he was testing you. Either that, or he was there just to get a general take on you as a person, speaker, etc.

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newlywedder

Maybe. He was the highest ranking manager at the interview so I should have figured something was up.

 

My husband thinks they just didn't want to hire a woman in the position but HR made them interview me because I am so qualified. The email said that they are pursuing candidates that are more qualified so I will see who ends up getting hired.

 

I contract at this company the last 2 years so can easily check for myself if anyone new appears on the org chart and then I can look at their LinkedIn. I'm willing to bet it is a man who is less qualified than I am who ends up getting hired. I may seek legal counsel over it.

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newlywedder

Update! I have access to the org chart because I'm a contractor at the company. I see a new man was hired to the team after the job posting was removed. He only has 11 months experience as a web developer! I can't believe this. I have 17 years and was told they are going with a more experienced candidate. Should I seek legal action?

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georgia girl

Absolutely not. When you interview for a job, they have no legal obligation to you. They get to select a candidate they want. Unless someone overtly said to you in the interview, “We won’t hire you because you are a woman (or any other discriminatory factor),” trying to prove bias - particularly at the interview stage - is nearly impossible. I know you’re angry and disappointed, it think about the outcome? Would you really want to force them to hire you and then make your

life miserable?

 

In the meantime, if you took legal action you could damage your future hiring prospects. It will get out and potential employers will see you as a risky interview and those will dry up. Best to put your efforts into your job search and to find the right opportunity for you.

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