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Harsh Lesson learnt
Just got a reply from a manger and got some great feedback.
Interview process went extremely well I felt and smashed the data analysis task. But the business goals and mine did not align.
Honesty doesn’t work. Just tell any interviewer what they want to hear not the actual reality/what your true goals are.
I said I wanted to be a manger in 2 years and be potentially freelancing. Meaning mine and the business goals weren’t aligned.
Businesses want ambition but not too much. Tough tough lesson especially because it wasn’t a competency issue but rather a attitude one.
Second time this has happened. Genuinely lesson learnt.
The journey continues.
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18 Replies
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Yep. Rule #1 of any interview is *do not* try to be yourself. Instead, be who the interviewer wants you to be. Tell them what they want to hear and that’s all that matters. Same goes for intake questionnaires. If it asks you something like “have you ever felt like not working?” Say NO. As far as you’re concerned, you feel like working every single day of your life. Even when you’re sick, even after your dad died. You live to work
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Yep, that happens to the best of us. The odd thing is there are bound to be some of us looking forward to climb in a field like marketing.
I always felt the best way to answer such questions on “where you see yourself” is to speak about skills, network and influence, and discussing the work at hand. I think best interview practices tell us never to say anything that hints along the lines of “in your seat” (read:take their job) or leaving the company.
I have done well in interviews by letting the interviewers that I want to be around good people, do good work, and learning a few platforms I may not be too experienced in today.
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Firstly sorry for not getting the result you were looking for.
Please allow me to give you some unsolicited advice, if you’re not interested then please tell me to go away.
From someone who has hired in the past I have some issues with what you have given as your responses; you say you want to be manager in two years but also freelancing.
To me that *indicates,* and it may not be true, but that you don’t really know what you want and you may leave the company after a short period, or if you think you have a better opportunity.
Hiring is hard and a long and at times exhausting process, this is an instant red flag in the employers mind when they think that you aren’t sure of what you want or where you want to be as it signals to them instability.
Now i’m not saying this is true, nor was I there to witness the nuance but that would be my two cents from what you’ve described to me.
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Yeah, mentioning you’re planning on setting up on your own as a freelancer in 2 years after they’ve invested in training you, it wasn’t a good move ?.
You sound young, so it’s not big deal, especially if you’ve learned you lesson. I remember when I was young sitting in an interview saying I wanted to earn 300k a year. The guy just looked at me like I was an asshole who just took some drugs before the interview ?
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I feel ya.
My nuance is this: When it comes to Pre-employment, phone and HR interviews, stick with the corporate line – I’m 100% into you and you only.
When you finally get to interview with your actual hiring manager/director/vp. Then let the true you come out. You absolutely want to have an understanding set between you both if your position is going to be a healthy one… but there are limits.
I’m going to freelance on the side.
Although this may be a goal of yours I don’t think its necessary to bring it into the hiring equation. To me its a red flag – and I’ve worked in and hired for DM for over 20 years. I fully expect a highly qualified DM to have their fingers into more than one pie, but if you tell me upfront that you don’t think this position will satisfy you entirely so you’re already planning to moonlight… Thats a big concern. You’re not looking for a job to dedicate yourself to, you’re looking for a stepping stone position and a paycheck. A new hire is a big investment risk, you just told me you’re an even higher risk to leave once we’ve fully trained you.Get the job, and pursue your other endeavors in your free time, but don’t let it overlap or degrade your performance at the meat N potatoes position.
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Any agency who thinks a hire will be at their company beyond 18 – 24 months is crazy. People don’t stay longer then that in a role these days. I assume people on our team moonlight and as long as it’s not a conflict of interest. I don’t care what they do outside of work. It’s their life and free time outside of work. Come to work, do your job and be the best person possible while in the “office”.
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I hate companies for this very reason… It is why I started my own lol.
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Are you already freelancing now? If not, why?
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So you basically told them
“In two years I will probably leave and be a client poaching liability”
Freelance = competitor
No agency is “aligned” with the goal of actively training their future competition.
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Maybe looking at this in a different light-
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As a small agency owner, I wouldn’t be particularly peeved that someone said they plan to freelance in the future but I would prefer to hear something along the lines of: “I’d like to grow to become a valuable partner in the company”. I think you stating that you already had ulterior plans was likely the mistake.
Hiring and training people is a costly and arduous process. I try to keep a high retention rate by compensating individuals generously based on their contribution. A lot of entry levels workers have grown into full partnerships under our company and we partner on a series of projects while simultaneously giving people a level of autonomy based on their preference. Obviously, this may not be the case with a giant agency that you’re joining but most business owners think of employees as an investment. Additionally, you may have an exact idea of what you want but don’t shut out potential opportunities due to a narrow focus. Every time I think our business is going one way for sure it pivots into something else. Best of luck at your next interview!
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> Businesses want ambition but not too much.
It doesn’t sound like this has anything to do with the *amount* of ambition. It’s your specific ambition to leave the company in two years.
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I mean are you really surprised? If you were hiring an employee and they outright told you in the interview they hope to use the position as a stepping stone to something else, you would think, “awesome, what a go getter”? Or would you think, “damn I don’t want to be rehiring for this position so soon, I want someone interested in working here mid to long term”?
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Seriously, you said that! Sweets, its all business for them, they could not care a rat’s ass about you.
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I think this is a bad advice and way to understand things.
First of, if you weren’t a good fit and your honesty wasn’t appreciated then is that really the place you want to work at?
Second, just because honesty wasn’t appreciated here doesn’t mean it’s the case everywhere.
I got employed in PPC without experience or any certificates. I’m two months in, getting paid decent salary to watch courses and practice.
At the interview I said I’ve got clients in email marketing and I don’t plan on stopping. No issues.
I understand your frustration if you’re in need of a job because of money, then sure, lie as much as you need. But otherwise? Stick to your way.
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While it’s usually true that they don’t want too much ambition, those hiring managers are either out of touch, or boomers. Most businesses in digital marketing understand that their employees will have side hustles, and actually get that that is what makes them better at the job. Expecting someone to work for you with no options for vertical improvement in job position for $60K/year for the next 20 years and not want more for themselves is so 1995. View it as a good thing. You’ll find what fits you. Never settle for less than your dreams.
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