I reached the office around 10:30 a.m. and filled out a form where I mentioned everything about my current job, including my salary. After some time, I was asked to appear for a written test. I finished my test at 12:48 p.m. Another candidate was also there; however, after the receptionist got her test result, she sent her home (which was a pretty clear indicator that she didn't score enough and got rejected).
I was told I'd have an interview and was made to wait for around 2 hours! After waiting for such a long time, I was called in, and that's when my harrowing experience began.
The interviewer made me wait for 2 hours only to tell me:
1. First, the interviewer asked me my "good name."
- Nobody uses "good name" as it's an incorrect way of asking a person's name.
2. Asked me to introduce myself.
- While introducing myself, I said, "my company is based out of the UK." She said, "based out of?" and told me that it was incorrect. Since she's an experienced professional, I was shocked that she didn't even know it was correct!
You can even search it on the internet: "Based out of means that a company has a particular location as the operational base, and serves customers based in many locations."
3. After my introduction, she started telling me why she couldn't hire me. She said, "I am not impressed by your test; there are errors. This test is just a level above freshers."
- If she didn't like my test, why did she make me wait for 2 hours? Why didn't she send me home like the other candidate?
4. "I can't afford your salary. It's 44,000, and I don't see the potential. I can only offer 30.000." Also, this was not a confirmation that she would hire me. She just told me how much she would pay after I asked her.
- She had my CV and the form I had filled in the morning; why did she make me wait when she already knew I was earning 44,000, and she couldn't afford that or didn't see enough potential?
5. She had asked me to tell her about my family when I introduced myself, and I told her about my sister, who works as an English teacher. She started asking about her, saying, "we prefer teachers, and that's why I'm asking about your sister."
- If you prefer teachers, then again, what was the point of calling me in? How unprofessional it is to ask about someone's family and make them feel they're not worthy enough!
6. She said, "it'd have been better if you had a Master's degree."
- She had my CV all this time and knew I didn't have a Master's degree, then what was the point of taking my interview?
7. Lastly, she told me, "I will have to talk to my Editor in Chief to make sure if we can even work with you."
- If she was not even sure about me being a perfect fit, why did she make me wait for such a long time?
After my interview, I was on the verge of crying because she made me feel my current company is paying me for nothing and that I am completely unworthy. Nobody can force someone to hire them, but what is the point of making someone wait if you're only going to tell them you don't see the potential? You can just send them home as all the companies do.
If my test was so bad, why wasn't I sent back home like the other candidate? She had my CV and the form - why did she even call me in when she already knew how much I was being paid and that my test wasn't impressive enough?
I am highly disappointed and have never had such an experience anywhere else. She made me feel anxious and got my morale so down that I started questioning my capabilities. Please don't call candidates for an interview if the sole purpose of your company is to demean them and waste their time because we also have a working and busy schedule. The way she talked to me has left me stressed and very disturbed.
I'd never recommend this company to anyone else.
