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interview situation
I did an interview over the phone in new york with a financial company.I did 2 rounds of interviews, and they want to interview me in person.But the catch is the manager's manager feels that they can't fly me in, but they would gladly interview me if I were in the New York area.
I am thinking of going down to NY close to a weekend, I'm around 2 hours by plane from NY.
Has anybody ever encountered this kind of situation before for interviews?
Anon
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
If they're too cheap to fly you in, that's a bad sign. A ticket to NYC from any major city in the country runs from $200-$300. Either they don't really like you and are just jerking you around or they have their sh*t so untogether that they are willing to lose a top-notch prospect over a cheap plane ticket. Either way, run like hell in the other direction.
IANAL
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
....or your future manager has a bad relationship with your manager's manager, leaving you with a ticking time bomb of a job....
Flamebait Sr.
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
No comments. Just facts.
My brother was in that situation about 4 years ago. He paid for his tickets, did the interview and works there happily since then. It's a major telecom in Ireland.
Of course, it was an international flight (about $800 I believe). But job market was also, well, different back then.
Dmitri Chatokhine
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
They want you and you've already given them two interviews. They have travel budgets. Really, they should be paying. The fact that they're not is a warning sign.
Inside Job
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
"If they're too cheap to fly you in, that's a bad sign. "
"ticking time bomb of a job.... "
I went through a similar situation 18 months ago and have been regretting it ever since. The prior quotes sums up my feelings.
I was 1 hour away by plane but had to drive 8 hours for my 3rd interview. I got the job and I have been in a world of hurt ever since. Position was nothing like it was supposed to be, hostile work environment, unbearable politics etc. Course I had been out of the job for 5 months at the time. I was just happy to have a paycheck coming in.
Good Luck, Your experiences may vary.
buspro_40@hotmail.com
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
It could also be they found other qualified applicants who just haven't gotten there yet, and they've exhausted their travel budget and don't feel they need to make an exception.
It's not good in any case... don't waste your money.
Ron
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
No, it's not necessairly a bad sign. Many NY financial services companies (including my employer, Morgan Stanley) currently have a firm corporate policy preventing them from paying for your airfare. Hell, if you look at most of the job listings for New York on monster.com, nearly all of them say "local candidates only".
If you've truly, truly knocked the socks off the interviewer, they can might find airfare money out of some discretionary fund or something. But it's very common in NY for companies to have a firm policy saying their recruiting department can't pay for it.
Sexist
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
I side with those who say it sounds bad. They knew in the phone interview that you're not a local candidate, right? So they knew that at some point you'd have to come up there if they were interested. Suppose they have 5 strong candidates, and that they're paying high airfare rates; perhaps they'll pay $5000 in airfare. How much is that, really, next to what they'll be paying the person they end up hiring? (If the answer is "a lot" then obviously this isn't a job you want!)
I was flown to another city for an interview with a company that had mixed feelings about me (and ended up not hiring me). If this is a place that has no such ambivalence, they'll definitely fly you. If they won't, then either (a) they don't want you, and you're wasting your own time and money, or (b) they can't afford to fly you, which is a very bad sign indeed.
Kyralessa
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
The bottom line is that if they're keen and want to confirm you're good, they will fly you there.
If they think you're not a fit, but want to make sure they're not making a mistake, they will make you pay for the travel.
Tell them to stop wasting your time.
Inside Job
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
It may be the case that someone decided based on the current job market that they should not spend money money flying in prospective employees. They may not pay relocation also. It could be just simple supply and demand.
The question is how much do you want the job and will you move yourself to get it?
JOhn
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
No John. Corporates, especially financial institutions have budgets for things they want and need.
You can bet your bottom dollar the interviewers would get their travel and hotel costs if they had to go somewhere. All the professional staff would get book allowances, and probably some training.
If these guys wanted someone from interstate, paying the travel costs would be nothing.
Inside Job
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Some companies do have a policy about only interviewing local people. But this company knew you were far away when they interviewed you by phone, which means they don't have such a policy.
If they're considering distant candidates but expect the candidates to spend their own $300, either they're too cheap to work for, or they're not really impressed with you.
At most, I would ask if they'd be willing to do a videoconference interview. But it would be a waste of time to travel to NY for them.
T. Norman
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
It's not just the $300 for the ticket. Your total cost for
30-40 minutes of face time with them will be two hours flight time each way, plus getting to the airport two hours in advance each way, plus time (and cost) to get from the airport to the interview site, plus possible lodging and meal costs, plus lost billable time due to travel, etc etc etc. Plus the air ticket.
Put that in terms of what you currently make per hour. Maybe their point is to see what you're willing to put up with, and hire the candidate who'll absorb the most abuse.
unemployable
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
"I am thinking of going down to NY close to a
weekend, I'm around 2 hours by plane from NY."
If the idea of a weekend in NYC is appealing anyway, then I'd say go, and just view the interview as a sort of sideline - as others have pointed out before, extra practice undergoing job interviews is usually a good thing, and there's always the possibility that the people and/or the place might knock your socks off. (OK, a slim chance, admittedly, but a chance)
So, if you set your expectations for the interview so low as to expect nothing from it, and the idea of a few days in NYC is still appealing just for its own sake, then why not? Just my $.02...
- former car owner in Queens
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
If they are not willing to pay your airfare/travel arrangements dont go. As others have said- they knew going into the interview that you werent local- so they should have been considering the expense. If they are going to nickel-and-dime you over this- they will on other things (i.e. salary). A company has budgets for this kind of thing.
Even bigger- By them not paying it shows lack of committment- you have no way of really knowing how serious they are. I've seen many companies interview for a position that turns out not-to-exist/not get funding for after going thru the process. They may be hedging their bets.
Make 'em pay or dont go.
Mike
MikeG
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
New York is overrated - don't bother.
Too many people, too expensive, not enough trees.
5v3n
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Make them pay or don't go. Even if you are happening to go to NY that day to visit your aunt, still make them pay.
If you pay, I guarantee you will regret it.
Dennis Atkins
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Dmitri's brother paid airfare from Russia to Ireland and got a better job than he could in Russia. That's a good set up and good for the brother. It's a different situation than the one mentioned -- I would be reluctant to pay international airfare and visa hassles to hire someone overseas unless they were a known superstar in some specialty and no one local was available.
Sexist says its common in the financial services industry. That is bullshit and sexist is an idiot. Reputable banks and brokerages always pay for airfare for final interviews for new brokers and other talent they can't find locally. They also pay moving expenses, signing bonuses and 6 figure salaries. If they don't, then you know its a fly by night operation, about to go under, or has 'special' procedures in place for developers, which is stupid because from a liability standpoint financial services have to hire the best because computing errors, corrupt databases and downed servers can cost billions of dollars of loss per incident.
Dennis Atkins
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
By the way sexist, based on your post, I today liquidated my morgan Stanley account. What a bunch of imbeciles. I'm taking my investments to a brokerage that isn't staffed by dumbasses.
Dennis Atkins
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
And another thing -- they should have told you of this policy before wasting several hours of your time with bogus phone interviews. if I were you, I would send them a bill for your time, and then send them overdue notices and 30, 60 and 90 before turning it over to a collection agency.
Dennis Atkins
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Car owner says extra practice with interviews is a good thing. Perhaps it is for a college student who has never had a job.
If you want practice, there are many local employers who can accomodate you. You may also try with the satet unemployment office to see if they have practice interviews they give once a month and they usually come with useful feedback afterwards in case you don't realize you have bad breath or need to wear an italian suit for a financial sevices interview.
Dennis Atkins
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Just for some more details, this is what the recruiter told me, the interviews were through a recruiter, should I send them a bill for 2 hours of my time at the interview?
Anon
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
> Car owner says extra practice with interviews
> is a good thing. Perhaps it is for a college student
> who has never had a job.
Or for anyone who hasn't been on an interview for several years. Interviewing is like any other skill: disuse = rust; practice (with feedback) = improvement.
And I'll stand by my original response, though it definitely puts me in the minority here (and is in contrast to certain opinionated generalizations re: NYC): if you want an excuse to come to the city anyway, this isn't a bad one. If your only reason for coming would be in hopes of getting an offer from this employer who's already coming off a bit dodgy, stay home.
- former car owner in Queens
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
I have been in this situation. The company that wanted to hire me paid for my airfare - this indicated that they were serious about hiring me and that it wouldn't be the type of place where you have to fight hammer-and-tongs to get expenses reimbursed. I got the job and relocated.
If I were you, I would make them pay or I wouldn't bother interviewing with them. They're either being downright stingy (which probably means the pay is crap) or aren't really sure if you're the right person and are only willing to take a punt if you assume all the risk.
Best of luck.
Anon
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
The recruiter won't ask the employer because he doesn't want to impose on them. He is prepared to impose on you though.
I had a situation like this once and contacted the employer directly to confirm the interview, to make sure I wasn't wasting my time. It turns out I was. The recruiter was pushing me on them, and they weren't particularly interested.
.
Thursday, May 27, 2004
If you applied to a position that was for local applicants only it would be fair for them to expect you to pay your own way. After all you will be moving their if you accept their job. But if it was an open position and they had no problem with your distance over the phone then you should think long and hard about spending the money and time. Now having said that if you can deduct the trip as a reasonable and customary business expense and get a weekend in NY make sure to take that into account.
David F.
Sunday, May 30, 2004
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