The DC area job search continues

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein) 03/23/2018 at 11:51 • Filed to: None

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I had an interview on Monday at a job in the DC suburbs that had !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in me up to that point. During the interview, I had multiple, “uuuhhhhh I dunno if I like this” moments . Today I found out I didn’t get the job. I’m ok with this.

If I’m being honest with myself, I was more excited about the pay and location than anything to do with the job. Generally the jobs I’ve enjoyed have been in-house recruiting for places that are in some way cool or tech-ish or make an interesting product.

This job was for an accounting and consulting firm. Even though I would’ve been a lead recruiter/recruiting manager, I’d have a dinky little half cube in a little nook in an open-plan office where the recruiting team sits, and I’d have to track my time by the task as if I were an accountant. I almost broke out in hives when they told me about this.

After the interview, I basically was thinking of the job as a good vehicle to get out to the DC area where my family lives, but in the few days since then where I didn’t hear anything from the company, I had time to think about it and I kept finding reasons why I would’ve been unhappy working there.

I’m a hippie who will happily swim in corporate waters to pay the bills (and buy non-hippie material possessions), but this place was too stuffy and square and populated by Chads and Beckys for me. The guy who would be my boss was far too much of a golf aficionado. Not in the midwestern, “I like to drink beer outside and golf lets me do that” kind of way, but in the snobby east coast “I like this Chads-only activity” kind of way.

So, it’s a little disappointing that I’ll have to keep applying and interviewing, but on the other hand, I’d rather find the right fit. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised given what type of company it was and the city it’s in.

At least I got a really good visit in with my family. They sometimes can be difficult but this was actually one of the best interactions I’ve had with them in a long time, so that was nice. Kinda makes me feel like moving closer to them is the right move.

I have a phone interview on Tuesday for something that at least so far seems a lot more my speed. We shall see!

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Textured Soy Protein 03/23/2018 at 12:00

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“I like to drink beer outside and golf lets me do that”

I approve

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Textured Soy Protein 03/23/2018 at 12:09

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I’m a hippie who will happily swim in corporate waters to pay the bills

Me right here. Gotta drink the kool-aid to make ends meet

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Textured Soy Protein 03/23/2018 at 12:26

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Good luck and keep up the positive vibes!

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Textured Soy Protein 03/23/2018 at 12:41

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lol did you get a chance to drive your dads new volvo?

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/23/2018 at 12:41

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if anyone thinks of golf as anything more they arent the type of people i want to be associated with lol

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 03/23/2018 at 12:47

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Golf is a drinking game.

So is baseball, imo.

Textured Soy Protein > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 03/23/2018 at 12:56

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I didn’t even so much as sit in it. Most of my free time was occupied by looking at different places to live once I get a job offer. Looks nice in the garage though.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/23/2018 at 13:03

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i wouldnt say baseball but softball definitely is

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 03/23/2018 at 13:07

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Eh, I’d lump in both of them.

Let’s just agree hockey is NOT a drinking game. Whether you like it as a sport or not. You will die.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/23/2018 at 13:10

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hockey is totally a drinking game, we have tons of beer league hockey teams here in the states, i would be shocked if canada didnt have the same if not more. really any sport with the exception of motorracing can be turned into a drinking game IMO

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 03/23/2018 at 13:14

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I didn’t think that was a literal term... we have them. I’m fine, thanks. That said, better playing drunk than hung over

Who says you can’t race while hammered? I think this could be fun. At least if you stuck to slow go-karts.

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > Textured Soy Protein 03/23/2018 at 13:15

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I know open plan offices are like “the thing”, but I’m way too much of a private person to be able to deal with feeling like everyone who walks by is up in my business. I’m in a “cubicle” at the moment but I’m not open to the world; I have a fair amount of privacy. The offices I’ve been in and have interviewed in that have open office/ shared cubicle space are frankly depressing to me.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 03/23/2018 at 13:17

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because mixing intoxication with motor racing gets you run over by tony stewart...

...too soon?

also yeah in america anything with “beer league” in the title is extremely literal

Textured Soy Protein > DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back 03/23/2018 at 13:37

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I find that for recruiting it can go either way.

A lot of companies, when you’re the in-house recruiter, you usually get an office with a door that closes so people don’t overhear you talking with candidates about salary.

In staffing agencies, they usually have an open plan to foster a sense of “collaboration” but they’re really trying to encourage competition since everybody’s on commission.

But corporate recruiting where you’re doing a lot of high-volume recruiting for sales people, or something similar, they might have several recruiters in a group kinda like in an agency environment.

This place I interviewed, while it was recruiting for the accounting company, they also do recruiting for their accounting customers, kinda sorta like an agency. Since the corporate recruiting comes and goes it’s a way for the recruiting staff to add value to the company.

The recruiting section is kinda off on its own but very close quarters with the other recruiters. Which tells me there’s more of a focus on that agency aspect, and that’s really what the company values.

It makes sense, and I knew about this part before I interviewed, but it also didn’t appeal much to me. I don’t want to go back to working in a staffing agency. This place wouldn’t have been a low base + high commission deal like an agency, but I’d rather not have to be selling candidates to customers and I don’t want a desk in a pit of other recruiters.

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > Textured Soy Protein 03/23/2018 at 16:00

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Wow, that’s really interesting, it makes a lot of sense when you put it like that and I can definitely see why you’d want to avoid that kind of working environment. I hope you find what you’re looking for!

extraspecialbitter > Textured Soy Protein 03/23/2018 at 16:57

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Have you tried any smaller government contractors? From what I’ve seen, Small Business rated contractors in this area generally don’t follow douchey practices from this month’s PMP Digest.

They’re not perfect by any means, but there’s usually room for you to breathe and avoid scope creep.

Textured Soy Protein > extraspecialbitter 03/23/2018 at 17:07

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I’ve been applying to all sorts of places but honestly Joe’s XYZ Disabled Veteran Woman Minority Native American Owned House of Government Contracts type companies in random NoVa office parks rrreeeeeeaaaaallly don’t appeal to me.

extraspecialbitter > Textured Soy Protein 03/23/2018 at 17:12

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lol, fair.

extraspecialbitter > Textured Soy Protein 03/23/2018 at 17:19

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I’m stealing that line, btw.

Textured Soy Protein > extraspecialbitter 03/23/2018 at 17:47

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It’s a good line! Every company like that wants to hire a recruiter, but not one with too much experience or who makes too much money.

I grew up in Rockville. I’m trying to move back to Montgomery county and work there or DC. Commuting from MoCo to NoVa ain’t ideal but I’d do it for the right job, or just give in and move to NoVa.

The accounting place I interviewed at was at the north edge of Rockville. We were looking houses in Gaithersburg or Montgomery Village. It’s a haul from there to DC for doing fun stuff but the houses in our price range that were closer in were a lot smaller and garages were rare.

The next job I’m kinda excited about is in Georgetown, about a mile walk from the Foggy Bottom metro. If I get that one, figuring out where to live is a whole other mess. Yay!

extraspecialbitter > Textured Soy Protein 03/23/2018 at 18:12

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Definitely. It’s the accounting department who overrules everything in a small environment like that.

I was in the exact opposite commute for a while; from NoVA to Rockville. That traffic (both ways) is one hell of a commitment. But the closeness to Tortacos was worth it.

The Georgetown job living situation is easy to figure out. It’s just none of the commuting choices are all that appetizing which makes it all kinda moot.

And of course, you could have it both ways: live in MoCo village and Red line it. Extreme-extreme. You’d truly be a badass at that point.

Textured Soy Protein > extraspecialbitter 03/23/2018 at 21:29

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Oh lord, if I lived in Montgomery Village and didn’t drive, I’d have to drive to the Shady Grove metro, ride to Dupont Circle, and hoof it over a mile to Georgetown. If I got that job I’d just try to rent a townhouse in Bethesda or Arlington or something.