I have been wanting to change to another job cuz I am bored with I do in my current job. By a coincidence I met a manager at one of the world’s largest consultant companies and it ended up in a job interview in a few days.
Ever since I have been called for the interview I have been thinking about the pros and cons and getting more confused.
The pros are:
Interesting job area, global company, focus on diversity in the company, good pay, potential of developing within my field, closer to hubby’s work place so we can drive all the way together.
The cons are:
Longer transport, hectic days, less time for myself when driving to and from work with hubby everyday, more responsibility, maybe less flexibility,
Actually I am just getting nervous that I might end up being more stressed in a consultant job. Now I am at least not that stressed and can easily manage to get time for myself. I m just SO bored with my current job and on top of it there is a climate problem here which is not good at all for an allergic like me…
Chameli I think you should go for it, because opportunities like that does not come that often. Its going to make your resume better, the biggest cons for you I think is allergy problem, but if you are allergic, it may effect you anywhere. The biggest pro is your hubby will be with you when u go to the job and when you come back. And above all for at least at least some time you will get out of the boredome, and can plan for some other motivating factors for your future.
Chameli, atleast go to the interview and start there. You dont have to TAKE the job, just go to teh interview and see if the company and the position is the best for you. Shouldnt this be in the C&A forum though?
quick question. Don't u have to travel to client sites for work. I worked with a major global consulting company and was only in the office on Fridays or in between projects
Ok, so I went to the interview. The job content was absolutely very interesting and at the same time very demanding and challenging. I would have to travel a lot within the country and my calender would booked with client meetings meaning that I would need time to work after the meetings also including long work hours in the evenings. Phew...
The interview went very well. I was tested through a case analysis and I did very well. First half of the interview was quiet pleasant while the other half wasnt.
The person who initially was to interview couldnt participate in the first half of the interview cuz his son got ill and he had to pick him up from the kindergarden and drive him to some relative. So his colleaguse asked me all the questions regarding my qualifications and background and it went well.
When this other guy came after 1 hour, he was just standing outside the glass door and staring at me - rather at my hijaab! Normally one would come in and say hello and introduce oneself but he was just standing outside and looking rather strangely at me and asking his collegue to come out and give him a briefing of the first part of the interview.
I found the situation very awkward so I stood up and went to him outside the meeting room and introduced myself shortly and came back to my seat once they left for the briefing.
So this bossy guy comes in, sits down and doesnt say anything to break the ice but goes directly to the case analysis. I did very well and discussed many issues relating to it and presented different solution scenarios. He seemed rather hung up in details of the company's templates for solutions.
Despite his awkward behaviour I didnt really take it personal. But then he began talking about my religion and asking whether I would leave from customer/client meetings to pray. I dont behave unproffesional at all at my current work and know that I would not do that in any new job either but the question itself was so provocative that I didnt answer it clealy. I told him that just like people need to smoke and have breaks during meetings so they can smoke, just like that I can do whatever I need to do in the breaks of any kind of meetings.
He didnt get a clear answer so he kep asking me the same question a few times and I kept saying that I would use my breaks to do whatever I need to do - answering him implicitly that I will use my breaks and not interrupt meetings but he kind of wanted me to say it directly which would have made me feel like I am excusing myself for being a Muslim. Anyways in the end I said that my religion has never been a problem for my current work place and netiher should it be now. He became speechless for some time looking around nervously and started to talk about other topics after that.
The whole experience turned outto be awkward even though the first half of the interview really went well and I am very qualified for the job.
But I have decided not to work there, mainly becuase I will loose my frredom and flexibility due to travelling and client meetings and also because of the manager's weird and awkward attitude.
I think I will stick to my current job and see how I can get out of boredom. perhaps by finding new working areas internally and talk to my boss about switching focus and work tasks with the new stuff....
what country are you in? in US he can not ask those questions.
when asked questions like that best policy is to state what you stated at the end i.e. religion is not an issue and does not impact your professioanlism.
Travelling would have been an issue as you noted, but in large consulting companies, some interviewing people dont really matter, you dont report to them, and even if you end up reporting to him on some project, he simply can not paint you in a bad light very easily. But I understand the feelings of not going to a company where someone has acted in such a manner.
They called me this morning to call for 2nd interview. This time the interview will be with the manager. even though I m not very intersted anymore, I'll still go and see what they have to offer me, what kind of clients and how much travel there will be.
I will look into all the details that matters to me and then I will take a firm decision. As it is now I am not interested in working for them if the person who interviewed me earlier is going to be my manager or mentor or something...