I actually have a very detailed description, of a four person interview. However, there are simply not enough characters to write the entire thing. I will only address the worst portion.
The most catastrophic portion of the entire process was encountered at about 10 minutes into the very first person I met with. This was not the initial person I was scheduled to meet with, but other circumstances led to this being changed. No problem, this happens, and I was planning to meet with all of the people anyway. The order was not relevant to me.
HR then leads me into this individual's office (not a conference room, his office, this is always a red flag to me, especially at larger firms). Door is closed, introductions commence, I then wait to be invited to sit down, and then it starts.
This so-called "project manager" begins to grill me with questions. However, the questions are incredibly vague, and open-ended type questions. I have certainly been on his side of the table, and I quickly realize that these types of vague questions can often be evaluation type questions. Ask a broad question, then evaluate my response and how I answer. However, assuming that this specific individual possessed the ability to pose these types of evaluation type questions, is giving him far too much credit. He simply did not know what he was doing, and was basically gauging whether or not he "liked" me by asking me vague questions. This became obvious, due to what happened next. At about ten minutes in, the individual became visibly irritated and perturbed to my broad answers, to his vague questions. He was becoming angry that I was not providing "details" to his questions. Well sir, when you ask vague, un-confined questions, expect similar answers. At this point, I became shocked at what then happened. He literally puffed out his chest, in an attempt to either intimidate me or establish his authority. He indicated the following to me. "I like you, you came dressed professional (referring to my suit, which to me is standard), but I would never hire you for this position. I suggest that if you do not like that, that you should get up and leave now." I was absolutely stunned. I mean, I simply did not know what to say next and I LITERALLY began to stammer a bit as I search for a response. I had just read an article in a legitimate business magazine, indicating that it was perfectly acceptable to get up and leave an interview if things were made clear that it wasn't going to work. At this point, I literally DID start to collect my things and prepare to leave, then my conscience spoke to me and said, SIT DOWN. You cannot walk out of an interview. So I made the decision to stay. At this point, I tried to muster up something, anything, relatively intelligent to say. Which I did. He then continued to push and press. Almost daring me to leave. Again, this rattled me to an extent However, I hung in there and managed to make it through the rest of the conversation, which basically consisted of him telling me that I was not qualified and talking about my golf game. Now, as I left his office, I was in fact visibly shook up (a harbinger for the rest of the meetings), but I was also angry. This was an individual who did not have my depth or length of experience or education. He also did not possess anywhere CLOSE to the level of credentials or registrations that I possess. Sorry, but the PE registration sort of IS the defining standard in our profession. This individual admitted he never even attempted the exam due to its difficulty.
Now, for the disclaimer alert. In no way, none whatsoever, do I consider myself superior, more intelligent, or better in any way whatsoever because he didn't not have the credentials that I do. He is a project manager at this firm, so he knows a thing or two. He very well could be better at what he does, than what I do. But when you are literally berated by someone who has not endured the training and preparation that it takes to obtain everything I obtained, like it or not, it does sting a little. I was incredibly insulted, and felt the entire thing as unprofessional as unprofessional can get. If you do not like me, or feel I am a good fit...that's perfectly fine. I can live with that. But almost daring me to walk out and physically attempting to achieve a physical dominance over me as is laughable as it is stupid and unprofessional. It certainly has no place in the business world in which we exist.
This firm should be embarrassed to even employ an individual of this type. Truly shameful.