The interview follow-up

[lizziegrace]

I had an interview today for an accounting position. I've never been in an interview quite like this one - they spent their time selling the job to me. I guess since I'm going through a temp-hire agency, they've already figured out I've been screened to do the job.

Anyway, the temp pay is very low for the responsibilities. I asked the agency after the interview what the hiring salary is. (Remember, this isn't a headhunter deal. The agency is making their money on 90days of overhead on my hourly rate.) The annual salary for hiring is $10-15k less than any job I've held in the last 5 years. And the responsibilities are much greater. I could be asked at a moment's notice to fly or drive to another city and diplomatically get information from employees who know their company is going down the tubes. I would be responsible for trying to reconstruct accounting records from incomplete data as well.

So, am I out of touch with the real world? The agency rep seemed to be confused as to why I thought this was an outrageously low salary.

My parents' reponse? "You need a job." Yes, I do. But I can't absorb a $900-1200/month pay cut. I'd have to get a second part-time job and work 90 hours a week rather than the 70 I was before November 30h.

edited for grammar - can you tell I'm tired??

[evlbstrd]

1. Wow. That's a tough one.

I've never been in that extreme a situation. If you can, I think you should try to hold out for more.

[ucmike]

2. i've had strange interviews also. confuses me.

i had two interviews with a quasi-public agency last month. i thought it all went real well, but i was asked about 10 times how far my commute was. at one point of the interviewers asked me to detail my route, what roads i took, etc. it seemed to be the only real issue they were concerned with. strangely, my commute is very average for this area. i had another interview where the two people interviewing me kept telling me how i was exactly what htey were looking for, how well i interviewed, how few qualified applicants they see, on and on. they never even called me back, but the last words the lead interviewer said to me were, "as a courtesy, we call everyone back and let them know even if we choose someone else." not getting called back wouldn't bother me, except that they made a point of saying they'd call.

i've also had my share of underpaid interviews. i was offered $13.50 an hour to manage a 5 man construction crew, including project management (budget, schedule, ordering material,etc), driving the crew to the site everyday, and working on the crew, while i was training with the company. i told the guy i made $13 carrying stuff in high school, and i thought he was kidding. he said he was embarrassed to have to offer that to me, which made me wonder how the company (a well known construction company) managed to hire anyone. i cringed to think what the guys on the crew must make if the boss makes $13.50 an hour.

i'm still looking.

[lizziegrace]

3. It appears

I'm not out of touch. Now maybe they're starting the salary low because it's tied to the rate they pay the temp agency. Just a thought, but that's not a good enough reason to invest 90 days of my time learning a complicated system, having no benefits during that time, only to find out that I can't live on the salary offered. Or hoping that they offer more later. I can't live on promises and what-ifs.

Oy!