Going through an extremely annoying and strange job interview

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roy.or.r

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Hey Blues. This will be a long post so please bear with me.
I applied to a civil service job posting back in May(in California) for a senior level role which was very much aligned with what I am doing and what I want to do going forward. They have a different interview process where they first invited me to an online interview with a panel from a different city to create eligibility lists and then they gave me a score. I got eligible for the actual interview and this is where things got weird. The hiring manager started texting me asking to fly to the location for an in-person interview. I was fine with the schedule but they didn’t give me any details about flight and hotel bookings. Once I asked the HR of the city, that’s when they told me they don’t pay for in-person interviews. I asked them to do a virtual interview as there was no chance I was paying out of my own pocket.

The interview went really well as it was highly technical and since I work on it everyday, it was kind of easy for me. The HR called me this week to let me know that the team is really impressed and wants to give an offer. Now, there were 2 positions available. One was a Principal role which required 5 years of experience and other was a junior role with 2 years of experience. I clearly mentioned in the application that I am applying for the Principal role as I have more than 8 years of experience. The hr called to say that they will give an offer once they do a background check as that’s the city’s policy. I was fine with that and once I hung up, he sent me an email with all the information along with the salary range which was same as the Principal level posted in the job listing.

Then suddenly a few hours later, they emailed again saying that the team wants to give me the junior role. I was completely blindsided and I have no idea why they did that. Of course , I said no on the spot and told them not to continue with my background check.

It got even more interesting today. The boss of the hiring manager who was there on the 2nd interview called and left a voicemail asking if I want to have a 3rd interview for the Principal position and the way she spoke was so awkward. I have no idea now what’s going on.I have never faced this before and frankly I am pissed. I have no issue if they found a better candidate for the Principal role but then giving me that junior position when I am clearly overqualified is what really pissed me off. Now they are back again and it all sounds very fishy.

Any suggestions on how to proceed here will be appreciated.
 
roy.or.r said:
Hey Blues. This will be a long post so please bear with me.
I applied to a civil service job posting back in May(in California) for a senior level role which was very much aligned with what I am doing and what I want to do going forward. They have a different interview process where they first invited me to an online interview with a panel from a different city to create eligibility lists and then they gave me a score. I got eligible for the actual interview and this is where things got weird. The hiring manager started texting me asking to fly to the location for an in-person interview. I was fine with the schedule but they didn’t give me any details about flight and hotel bookings. Once I asked the HR of the city, that’s when they told me they don’t pay for in-person interviews. I asked them to do a virtual interview as there was no chance I was paying out of my own pocket.

The interview went really well as it was highly technical and since I work on it everyday, it was kind of easy for me. The HR called me this week to let me know that the team is really impressed and wants to give an offer. Now, there were 2 positions available. One was a Principal role which required 5 years of experience and other was a junior role with 2 years of experience. I clearly mentioned in the application that I am applying for the Principal role as I have more than 8 years of experience. The hr called to say that they will give an offer once they do a background check as that’s the city’s policy. I was fine with that and once I hung up, he sent me an email with all the information along with the salary range which was same as the Principal level posted in the job listing.

Then suddenly a few hours later, they emailed again saying that the team wants to give me the junior role. I was completely blindsided and I have no idea why they did that. Of course , I said no on the spot and told them not to continue with my background check.

It got even more interesting today. The boss of the hiring manager who was there on the 2nd interview called and left a voicemail asking if I want to have a 3rd interview for the Principal position and the way she spoke was so awkward. I have no idea now what’s going on.I have never faced this before and frankly I am pissed. I have no issue if they found a better candidate for the Principal role but then giving me that junior position when I am clearly overqualified is what really pissed me off. Now they are back again and it all sounds very fishy.

Any suggestions on how to proceed here will be appreciated.
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It sounds like they offered the senior post to someone who declined it. The question would be why the decline? Maybe worth asking them if they offered the post to another candidate. Given all the messing about, I’d be wary of working for them. I expect there will be other cities looking for employees with your experience and expertise.
 
It sounds like someone has messed up and their boss is now trying to rectify the situation as fairly as they can manage. As the last two have said it depends whether you really want the job and the relocation it seems goes with it - with the added complication of do you want to work for an organisation that messes you about in this way?
 
Sounds like US local government is as bad as UK local government when it comes to hiring. Could be they don’t really know the difference between a junior and a senior role and tried it on hoping to get you on the cheap.

Go for the 3rd interview and forget what’s gone before.
 
Go to the 3rd interview, and when they offer you the job that you were hoping for, tell them to stick it up their ass

And then apologise for the outburst and accept the job
 
BimboBob said:
Do you want the job or not?

Yes? Do a third interview.
No? Tell them to fuck off.
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Is the correct answer. It does sound, as someone said, like a candidate they preferred for the senior role has turned them down, or whose references they're not happy with. You're clearly still in the game so just go along with it, would be my advice.

I don't know how the US Civil Service works but in the UK Civil Service you'd be interviewed by a panel who have to be objective and record their deliberations. You're scored on various elements, with a top score of 7 in any category, and you have to get 4 or more on every category to be successful. Any category you score a 3 or less on disqualifies you.
 
Prestwich_Blue said:
Is the correct answer. It does sound, as someone said, like a candidate they preferred for the senior role has turned them down, or whose references they're not happy with. You're clearly still in the game so just go along with it, would be my advice.

I don't know how the US Civil Service works but in the UK Civil Service you'd be interviewed by a panel who have to be objective and record their deliberations. You're scored on various elements, with a top score of 7 in any category, and you have to get 4 or more on every category to be successful. Any category you score a 3 or less on disqualifies you.
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I went through that on various occasions. Good old competency based interviewing. I was successful, however I am now happily retired.

You are right thought, UK CS is more clear cut and transparent. Although I have heard of at least half a dozen roles over the years where a preferred candidate wasn't even interviewed and given a 'personal' promotion. Face fitting and all that....
 
Prestwich_Blue said:
Is the correct answer. It does sound, as someone said, like a candidate they preferred for the senior role has turned them down, or whose references they're not happy with. You're clearly still in the game so just go along with it, would be my advice.

I don't know how the US Civil Service works but in the UK Civil Service you'd be interviewed by a panel who have to be objective and record their deliberations. You're scored on various elements, with a top score of 7 in any category, and you have to get 4 or more on every category to be successful. Any category you score a 3 or less on disqualifies you.
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It would be nice to have the job but I am not desperate as I have a good job already . I am just thinking that even if they offer me the role after all this, its a hell of a risk to make such a big move for this job and they might have crazy expectations of me as I initially declined the junior role and possibly try to get rid of me.
 
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no idea why i clicked on this thread,
having never had a job of work.

my only contribution will be useless...

aged 18 in 1982 i had, let's say, an interest in animal liberation.
there was a job going at a laboratory that tested on animals.
i had studied to be a theoretical physicist since the age of 14,
nightschool advanced physics & maths until 16,
then college for 2years,
so i was over-qualified for the job but downplayed that and got an interview.

my sole purpose was to case the place for you know what.
unfortunately my lilac mohawk kind of gave the game away.

my only advice would be to covert jobseekers...
try to look the part better than i did :)
 
calumdown said:
no idea why i clicked on this thread,
having never had a job of work.

my only contribution will be useless...

aged 18 in 1982 i had, let's say, an interest in animal liberation.
there was a job going at a laboratory that tested on animals.
i had studied to be a theoretical physicist since the age of 14,
nightschool advanced physics & maths until 16,
then college for 2years,
so i was over-qualified for the job but downplayed that and got an interview.

my sole purpose was to case the place for you know what.
unfortunately my lilac mohawk kind of gave the game away.

my only advice would be to covert jobseekers...
try to look the part better than i did :)
Click to expand...
How come if you're so well qualified you've never had a "job of work"

Or do you mean you've only ever been self employed?
 
Sounds like feel undervalued and that’s before you start, walk away with integrity and wait for another job.
 
roy.or.r said:
It would be nice to have the job but I am not desperate as I have a good job already . I am just thinking that even if they offer me the role after all this, its a hell of a risk to make such a big move for this job and they might have crazy expectations of me as I initially declined the junior role and possibly try to get rid of me.
Click to expand...
Think you are reading this wrong. In any senior recruitment process you have multiple stakeholders to convince. The hiring manager, maybe their boss, HR (crucial), other stakeholders (maybe customers of the hiring manager. Each will have an opinion. In some cases those opinions will be unanimous, in others not. It sounds like there is at least two favoured candidates. They may well have offered the senior job and its been turned down. Maybe they were flying a kite offering you the more junior role. Whatever, if ultimately you want the job, go for the third interview.
 
jacko74 said:
How come if you're so well qualified you've never had a "job of work"

Or do you mean you've only ever been self employed?
Click to expand...
i jacked it all in, followed my heart and became an artist
(i'd always been drawing and painting my whole childhood)

in essence, it's pretty much the same thing as being a theoretical physicist.
you sit around all day wanking and having ideas,
but instead of having to write a lengthy paper you just paint a picture.

plus, the women prefer artists to scientists.
"may i draw you?" rarely fails as a chat-up line.
 
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