AEM Corporation

Application

I applied through a recruiter. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at AEM Corporation (Camarillo, CA) in April 2020.

Interview

First interview was actually a 45 minute phone screen with the hiring manager that went really well. In fact, the recruiter told me afterwards that the hiring manager really liked me and that I was one of only two candidates being considered. I began this process by describing that my dog was dying of cancer, and along with COVID, I was really just starting to reconsider my DTLA commute, as I work for the big 4. I wasn’t actually actively looking, but given the excellent online reviews the company received along with having the ideal skills set given the job description, I thought this might be a worthwhile company to work for. I had established such a rapport with the hiring manager, she would even ask me how my “fur baby” and my busted foot was in several emails which really made me believe they were invested as I was, therefore I was excited to move along in the interview process.

Next was the first interview with an accounting and writing test (in which I only missed only one question), as well as a two person interview that was a mixture of technical and personality questions. This took just over two hours. At the end of the interview, I asked the hiring manager what I was potentially lacking in the perfect person she envisioned in the role, and her exact response was “nothing I can think of”. I was invited to a second interview within 36 hours.

Second interview was with three other panelists and this time was 100% personality questions. This was another hour and honestly thought it went well. I had plenty of really positive emails with the hiring manager throughout the process and really felt confident that I was going to be receiving an offer the following week.

I received a voicemail from the hiring manager as I was putting my dog down stating that “management decided to go with another candidate that they felt was a better fit for the company in the long run” after making it all the way through the interview process and giving them 4 hours during busy season that I should have given my dying dog. I was interviewing with a family business because I thought they actually cared. I was incredibly mistaken about this company and feel that if all I was lacking was that “fit” for them, they could’ve figured it out sooner than completing the entire interview process. Long story short, these people made me believe they were invested as me. They even asked such personal personality questions, one actually made me tear up during the final interview. The lengths to which I was led on just speaks volumes about the type of company they are, in my opinion.

There’s really no excusing their behavior. Given their online reviews, I expected the interviewers to be better organized so as to not only waste their valuable time, but the candidate’s as well. I also deserved a less vague reason after such a huge time investment. Also, a week and a half after receiving the voicemail stating they were going with another candidate, the job has been relisted.

Please learn from my review and don’t waste a ton of with this company like I did. In hindsight, I should have interviewed them harder myself. However, as I alluded to earlier, I was intoxicated by their excellent online reviews. In the end, thank you AEM for saving me from a huge mistake in leaving a real company for you.