Pre-employment tests

[Digit]

I had a real joke of an interview a week ago.
It was with one of those captive insurance firms...ie, State Farm, Allstate, Nationwide, but I shall not name the company.

Okay, so I travel 20 miles to this interview to have this clown start drilling me on who I have my insurance with. I told him I use Erie, to which he snidely remarked that I had to use an 800 number to reach them. I told him no, they are only 4 miles down the road from where I live and then explained how I had met the agent at an open house and signed up with him. I mean, REALLY, what is the big deal?

The guy kept yammering about an 800 number and I changed the subject.
Then he looked down at my resume and back at me and sneered saying, "Isn't your license a Property and LIABILITY license and not a Property and Casualty license" to which I replied that the ads in the classifieds often called it a P&C license so I adopted the common useage, but yes, technically, it was a P&L license.

The entire interview was quite caustic and I realized I did not want to work for this clown.

Then he brought out the testing materials. I am told it may be a Miller Analogies Test, but I can't say for sure.

Let me remind you this is for a customer service position and it did not even require a license to begin with although I DO have the license.

Let me describe the test itself first....it was a bad copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy...if you get my drift. Very difficult to read and three pages long.
Included were geometry questions, math questions, analogies, and the strangest idioms I have ever come across in my life.
The idioms would be a group of 6-8 and you had to choose which two were similar. Not being from the south and knowing they have some strange sayings, I did not know which were real or made up.

Anyway, there were 3 pages of this crap and I was given only 12, yes TWELVE minutes to complete the test.
Oh, and did I mention that upon the bossman leaving that two of his assistants stood just outside the door speaking loudly the entire time? The doors where so flimsy it sounded like they were behind me.

I realized it was a way to keep me out of the position, but then again...I would not want to work for a man like this in the first place.

One of the employment counselors at the local community college I am attending seemed shocked that I was given only 12 minutes. I am guessing it depends on how old you are among other hidden criteria as to how long you have to do the test.
More discrimination unchecked and allowed to continue I suspect.

[Drum]

1. That sounds like a discouraging experience,

and a devious test.

I wish you'd named the company, so others could avoid....

[pitohui]

2. why did you bother with the test?

i'm curious, the man made it obvious he didn't like you, what would be wrong with politely saying, "well, we can see that we aren't a good fit for each other, so i won't take any more of your time" and walking out?

[Sadie5]

3. You should have told him to stick his test

where the sun don't shine, then walked out. Was it a good paying job of which he had his choice of applicants?

[smtpgirl]

4. Would have X-ed out all of the pages and said to that asshole,

I'm not interested in the position

[Digit]

5. You never know if he knows someone who knows someone else.

So, I tried to be polite.

These guys are generally a one agent operation so it would not be fair to taint an entire company for the assinine qualities of one employer.

Yes, I was mad at first, but then I began laughing about the experience. I mean....it was SO ridiculous to be over the top!

It makes me wish I had worn a wire.

I should really try to get a job in undercover work.

One prospective employer (another insurer) told me they have "ways" of keeping people who come through the door of getting insurance through them. Racist overtones were the theme and I reported it back to my instructor. I was furious to say the least.