2nd Interview

PaulStat · 25 Apr 2013 at 13:02

So a couple of weeks ago an email from a recruitment agent landed in my inbox, the position being a Java software engineer at a software development company working in many different sectors. Now I'm not a Java developer in my day job (we use Python, Jython and our own bespoke languages) but I have a pretty good level of knowledge and it's something I've always wanted to get in to and learning how to use things like Hibernate/Spring etc. to a good level would be a dream come true and offer me so many more opportunities than my current job ever could.

It was a scary prospect sending in my CV as I've been in my current job for close to 9 years straight out of uni. It's been great here I've learnt a lot, I get on well with the people and generally it's a very relaxed environment working for a small company (there are 15 of us, compared to this new place where there are over 300).

So I sent in my CV and to my surprise they called me in for a first interview with HR. Somehow I got through that one and just yesterday I had a 2nd interview which was with a senior software engineer. That went well, I managed to solve all the problems he set me and I answered most of the technical Java trivia he gave me correctly.

Anyway cue today, I've missed a call from the recruitment agent and I can't call him back until later today thanks to work (yes it's my lunch hour but his phone is off).

So as you might imagine I'm bricking it! I'm thinking a few things

- If they turn me down I'm not any worse off as I already have a job. But I'd also be a bit gutted.
- If they offer me the job that's a very scary prospect, moving from a nice secure job in what is at the moment anyway an expanding company to a new place where I know no-one and I have no idea what the future holds (for example once this project they're currently hiring people for finishes and then they have to do redundancies for whatever reason.
- If they do offer me a job at the right salary I'd be crazy not to accept! (wouldn't I?)
- If they do offer me a job but at a lower salary than I would like, what then!

Gah too many thoughts going through my head!

PaulStat · 25 Apr 2013 at 16:54

Right well I have an offer, it's lower than I would have liked, but they have said there would be a pay review 4 months in. Hmmm lots of thinking to do tonight I have to come up with a bunch of questions as well.

Recruitment agent said he could go back and see if he could get a couple more k for me, but they would expect more out of and his advice was to go with their original offer and work my arse off to show my worth.

PaulStat · 25 Apr 2013 at 21:12

Good point, I'll probably go back and see what a pay review in a few months time would offer and what they would expect out of me in that time. If I take the offer as it is I'll be taking a 3k pay cut

PaulStat · 25 Apr 2013 at 21:41

mattx2 said:
Remember the agent works for the company not you. He gets paid to fill a job he will say whatever he can to get you to agree to work there if you think your worth more ask for more

Yes but the more I get the more be gets

PaulStat · 7 May 2013 at 18:32

Slight complication after I told my line manager about the job offer he made me aware my notice period was 3 months and not 1 month like I had told him in our initial chat. It can apparently be negotiated down though!

Of course this new company weren't particularly happy about this piece of info so under the advice of the recruitment agent (he worded it) I sent an apology email last Friday to the HR guy that interviewed me and said I would do my best to negotiate down from the 3 months it says in my contract. Didn't get a response but I also haven't received any paper work yet!

Starting to bite my nails a bit! I can't hand in my notice until it's more official and I also can't negotiate my notice period til that happens!

PaulStat · 8 May 2013 at 10:32

FutileBreadMachine said:
Woah, 9 years at the same company is nuts unless you have no interest in career progression (speaking from an IT perspective, no idea about other sectors). You should have checked your notice period before applying. If someone suddenly changed their notice period from 1 to 3 months when I made an offer to them they would have no chance. There will be no pay review, they are just saying that so you will take the job.

Like others have said, the agency don't care about you, you are a product they are trying to sell, and in order to complete the sale they will just tell you to take the money so they can get their commission.

Just my sage advice...

In fairness my pay has gone up 18k since I started here, perhaps you can now see why I've stayed so long.

As for the other stuff you're right I should have, offer has been pulled

Oh well at least I know for the future and that I can get through interviews

PaulStat · 8 May 2013 at 10:45

Telescopi said:
You'll never get another job so long as you honour that 3 month notice clause.

I'd almost call it an unfair contract condition - as its designed to make it impossible to leave.

I never intended to honour it, in fact my work have said they WILL negotiate it down, unfortunately as has been proved in the future I will have to make people aware it's officially 3 months but negotiable.

PaulStat · 8 May 2013 at 11:08

NathanE said:
That level of notice period isn't usually enforceable anyway. You'd have to be a very very core employee to make that stand up in court. The company would have to prove that finding a replacement in a shorter notice period is infeasible.

You should be able to negotiate that down to 1 month. Maybe offer some sort of out of hours support agreement where they can field questions to you via e-mail in case they miss anything out of the handover process.

I probably could yes, but it's very hard negotiate anything until my notice is handed in and I wouldn't hand in a notice until an offer is made official, it'd be silly to do otherwise.