Is it really weird to get a job offer without an interview?

[mugs]

Never heard of them, who are they?

Edit: Ahh.. Citigroup (you ninja edited, not fair).

Edot 2: You un-edited. Not fair again!

I added that they were part of Citigroup when I noticed that he said it was a well-known company, but then I googled and found out they had been spun off so I un-edited

 

[RaistlinZ]

I would be wary.

They're really ready to hire you without any kind of background check, drug check, credit check, interview, etc? Wow. That means they're willing to accept any shlub who walks in - which means those are probably going to be the kind of people you're working with.

 

[SKORPI0]

I would be wary.

That means they're willing to accept any shlub who walks in .

Except that the OP is not any ordinary shlub. He probably gave a copy of his resume at the job fair showing his "experience at a few other highly desirable well known companies." The company knowing that they found somebody unique for that position offered him a job.

That happened to me in the past, submitted by resume on-line and got a job offer after a few days. It's quite a big company I worked for and stayed 9 years. Left because I was told that my job title was the highest I could attain with them. Got a job at a bigger Fortune 500 company within 2 weeks.

 

[kami333]

Its a software developer position at a very well known well company. I would say its one of the more desirable companies to work for as a software developer. Like I said earlier, usually this company has a multi-level interview process (a few of my friends have gotten jobs at this place as of last year).

The reason I'm not sure its fishy is because my resume is pretty good and I've had experience at a few other highly desirable well known companies.

I dunno.

Maybe one of your old bosses works there now and wants to hire you?

My last two jobs I've had soft offers before I even talked to the manager, based on old coworkers willing to go to bat for me. But I work in a much smaller field than software development and had I screwed up I would probably would have been blackballed forever.

 

[olds]

Maybe it was an interview and you didn't know it.

This

 

[somethingsketchy]

This was about a ten minute conversation at a career fair booth, it wasn't an interview. It seems a weird to make an offer without an interview and I would think a company this large and desirable to work for would have a several level deep interview process.

Did the guy ask you any top level questions or anything related to the job in particular? Sometimes all it takes is a conversation (no matter how short). You could even have an "interview" over lunch, as someone else has mentioned in this thread.

As long as the guy has a very good idea of whom you are, they will make the judgment of extending a job offer. BTW, was the guy at the job fair an HR rep? Possibly he is high enough in the HR ladder to make the hiring decisions.

 

[postmortemIA]

If OP worked for their competitor in past, it makes him highly valuable..

 

[BarkingGhostar]

About a week ago, I went to a career fair at my university and spoke with <large well-known tech company>. Today, I got notified that they would like to extend an offer based on our conversation at the career fair.

This was about a ten minute conversation at a career fair booth, it wasn't an interview. It seems a weird to make an offer without an interview and I would think a company this large and desirable to work for would have a several level deep interview process.

Do you guys think I should be concerned?

No. In 2008 I had eight (8) unsolicited job offers when I wasn't even looking for a job. In 2009 I had four (4). Last year I had two (2). I suspect I'll get a couple this year.

 

[nageov3t]

Primerica is a multi-level pyramid marketing scam. There meetings are more like a cult gathering. They promise big commission payouts for you to run your own business based on a referral system, only the top sellers make any money.

They recruit at mostly though online resume sites like monster and career builder and career fairs. They don't offer you a real-paying job, rather an opportunity for you to build your own business for only $199 and $1000's more later on that never works.

The company get's away with this as it never advertises, there "employees" come to them legally, so they continue to sucker in new people all the time.

People who stick with the plan are blindsided and really believe if they continue to throw money at it, 5-10 years from now they will retire with the company.

I did a paper in college on this company and learned more than i ever wanted to know as i signed up with them and walked away when they wanted cash.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/financi...-inves/rip-off-report-investigation-9cp7d.htm

:thumbsup:

I quasi-dated a guy who fell into that. he thought it was the greatest thing ever and refused to see reality and all I could think was "you're a fucking moron and I need to never see your stupid face again."

if something looks too good to be true, my assumption is usually that it is... maybe it's a 100% legit job offer, I'd just be sure to do my due diligence and research it as much as possible.

 

[dmcowen674]

see if I got any useful feedback from ATOT.

You have to be kidding right?

 

[dwell]

I've hired several highly compensated folks ($100 - $150 / hour) based on 20-minute phone conversations and recommendations.

If I went to a career fair at a college and met a kid with enormous drive and aptitude yet zero experience, I'd hire them in a heartbeat. Their starter salary is a no-brainer compared to the work they are willing to put in. Only thing is they will only work 1 - 2 years tops then jump ship for the next big thing.

 

[Paladin3]

Repeat after me: "SHOW ME THE MONEY!"

 

[Paladin3]

I've hired several highly compensated folks ($100 - $150 / hour) based on 20-minute phone conversations and recommendations.

If I went to a career fair at a college and met a kid with enormous drive and aptitude yet zero experience, I'd hire them in a heartbeat. Their starter salary is a no-brainer compared to the work they are willing to put in. Only thing is they will only work 1 - 2 years tops then jump ship for the next big thing.

You don't raise their salary in an attempt to retain a motivated and now experienced employee?

 

[Capt Caveman]

Its a software developer position at a very well known well company. I would say its one of the more desirable companies to work for as a software developer. Like I said earlier, usually this company has a multi-level interview process (a few of my friends have gotten jobs at this place as of last year).

The reason I'm not sure its fishy is because my resume is pretty good and I've had experience at a few other highly desirable well known companies.

I dunno.

So, they didn't verify your resume, call references, etc and just offered you a job? You have the job offer package in hand?

 

[DrPizza]

I used to get calls all the time. I put my resume, college transcripts, and national teacher exam scores online on some clearinghouse thing. "<Southern accent> Hello, Mr. Pizza, we've reviewed your information online and would like to hire you as a math teacher. You start next Monday, we'll pay your moving expenses and help you get an apartment until you find some place on your own." I'm still in NY, so obviously, they didn't entice me too well.

 

[dwell]

You don't raise their salary in an attempt to retain a motivated and now experienced employee?

That does not seem to work anymore. Kids today don't seem to want to work at the same company for any lengthy amount of time. Especially in the tech sector. Not true for everyone, but in my experience it's the trend.

 

[Modular]

That does not seem to work anymore. Kids today don't seem to want to work at the same company for any lengthy amount of time. Especially in the tech sector. Not true for everyone, but in my experience it's the trend.

That's because employees aren't treated the way they were before. If I can make more money by moving sideways among companies than upwards in my own, what does that say about the company that I'm working for? It says that they don't really value me as an employee and are more interested in their paper bottom line than the skills and drive that motivate me to work there.

 

[TraumaRN]

Well that sounds like something my manager would do. Recently posted a job that was a hybrid of my current job, as a nurse. It would be working with software developers to help develop our new electronic medical record system. It said in the posting strong tech background needed. Myself and one other nurse applied. She got the job without being interviewed. Funny thing is, I never got interviewed either, she has about 5 years more nursing experience as me, but ZERO tech experience. Compared to me I helped another hospital system with electronic medical records, I've worked with multiple EMRs, build my own PCs, dabble in software stuff with my engineering friends etc. I threatened to go over my bosses head with it and they then appeased me that I could still help work on the project without the official title. And from talking to this nurse who got the job she hates it because in her words "I hate all this technology stuff." 🙄

My advice to the OP since this company isn't doing a ton of due diligence on you beyond your resume I'd tread carefully. Ask many questions and be willing to walk away.

 

[The-Noid]

Not uncommon. You would be shocked how many high level positions are like this as well but need to have interviews to make it look proper.

 

[Born2bwire]

I would be wary.

They're really ready to hire you without any kind of background check, drug check, credit check, interview, etc? Wow. That means they're willing to accept any shlub who walks in - which means those are probably going to be the kind of people you're working with.

I've always had the security checks and drug checks after I accepted the job offer.

Except that the OP is not any ordinary shlub. He probably gave a copy of his resume at the job fair showing his "experience at a few other highly desirable well known companies." The company knowing that they found somebody unique for that position offered him a job.

That happened to me in the past, submitted by resume on-line and got a job offer after a few days. It's quite a big company I worked for and stayed 9 years. Left because I was told that my job title was the highest I could attain with them. Got a job at a bigger Fortune 500 company within 2 weeks.

I've had a similar thing happen too. I wanted to get a job for a specific company as I am doing work along the same lines as them. I went out of my way to go to a small hiring fair where they were but I was told by the reps at the fair that they didn't have any positions open for what I was looking for. I went ahead and submitted my resume to a position on the company's website. It wasn't the exact position that I wanted but a day or two later I got a call by an HR manager and after talking on the phone he went ahead and got me the funding and authorization to create a position at the facility that I wanted to work at the in the first place. So I guess that if you are worth it and you talked to the right person then such an offer would not be too aberrant.

Some companies just send generic HR guys to fairs. They usually just tell people to send a resume to their website. Other companies sometimes send managers who are looking to fill a specific position. They'll usually do the interviews onsite looking to fill them.

 

[Rumpltzer]

1) It wasn't just a 10-minute conversation. You gave them some paper with some stuff on it, right? It wasn't like a napkin with your name and email adress on it, right?

2) The opportunity to extend an offer isn't an offer. An offer states a salary and a start date. It's the difference between, "We should go out sometime," and, "we need to use a condom."


Good luck!