Millennial Job Interview, Funny!

[sourceninja]

The guy wanted to go home, take care of his dog, then come back every day. That's like an hour break + a 30 min. coffee run. Sorry if your proposed job of monitoring $100K+ networks interferes with your life...might not be a good fit.

You use people to monitor networks? That' seems pretty odd. Why can't he monitor it while he's getting his coffee? I mean solarwinds/datadog/whatever will alert if there is an issue and connectivity at coffee shops is great. It's no different than the on-call pager going off at 2am.

 

[Fritzo]

You use people to monitor networks? That' seems pretty odd. Why can't he monitor it while he's getting his coffee? I mean solarwinds/datadog/whatever will alert if there is an issue and connectivity at coffee shops is great. It's no different than the on-call pager going off at 2am.

We run a virtual IT department for companies nationwide. Yes, you have to physically monitor control boards and issue tickets when you see things wrong. You also have to answer tickets assigned to you in a certain time frame, take calls from clients, and process projects/work orders. We have some freedom to take breaks and screw around, but its unpredictable. For a college kid to come in with no experience and try to dictate his schedule in this environment (for fluff reasons to boot) is laughable.

 

[sourceninja]

Wow, we do the same thing, only all of our monitoring is automated and everything else is based on SLA and runbooks (I mostly write the runbooks anymore). I take calls on my cell phone ( I don't even have a desk phone just a extension that redirects), slack, ticket system, and email. I also have my laptop everywhere. There are days I work from a cigar shop and days I'm in the office. I have a potential project coming up where I might be at a clients office in another state 4 days a week.

I guess what I'm saying is it's a matter of business practice and perspective. You were not a good fit for the candidate, that doesn't make him wrong. He obviously knows what he wants in a position and I bet if he is any good at all he will find it. I feel that in many industries (especially technology forward ones) the old ways are not going to attract the best and brightest of the new generation.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

We run a virtual IT department for companies nationwide. Yes, you have to physically monitor control boards and issue tickets when you see things wrong. You also have to answer tickets assigned to you in a certain time frame, take calls from clients, and process projects/work orders. We have some freedom to take breaks and screw around, but its unpredictable. For a college kid to come in with no experience and try to dictate his schedule in this environment (for fluff reasons to boot) is laughable.

So, it's a helpdesk. That could have shortcut a lot of the convo. Yeah, helpdesks are pretty well expected to be manned during their hours unless they're overmanned, in which case the company is probably burning money.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Told you Fritzo's job just sucks.

 

[Fritzo]

So, it's a helpdesk. That could have shortcut a lot of the convo. Yeah, helpdesks are pretty well expected to be manned during their hours unless they're overmanned, in which case the company is probably burning money.

No, it's not a help desk. We design, maintain, support, and secure cloud-based data networks and phone systems for companies so they don't have to have any physical hardware onsite. Thanks for trying to minimize things though. That's all besides the point though- point is you can't come into a job with little to no street cred and make stupid demands because you have a false sense of entitlement. You work your life around your job...that's how it works for the first few years. After you've built a reputation and some experience, you've become a valuable employee and THEN you can start making requests.

PS- This is the best company I've ever worked for. No lie. Boss comes in every morning, pats you on the back and asks how everything is going, puts your favorite drink in front of you (mine is Monster Rehab Peach Tea), and makes sure you have everything you need+ extra. He's a pilot and flies us around on weekends, he gives awesome gifts like laptops and SONOS speakers for Christmas, and he lets me BBQ for the office once or twice a month. The office is like an organized frat house, and I laugh until I cry at least once a day. We have a local who's-who of talent that allows for that type of environment. It's great!

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

No, it's not a help desk. We design, maintain, support, and secure cloud-based data networks and phone systems for companies so they don't have to have any physical hardware onsite. Thanks for trying to minimize things though. That's all besides the point though- point is you can't come into a job with little to no street cred and make stupid demands because you have a false sense of entitlement. You work your life around your job...that's how it works for the first few years. After you've built a reputation and some experience, you've become a valuable employee and THEN you can start making requests.

PS- This is the best company I've ever worked for. No lie. Boss comes in every morning, pats you on the back and asks how everything is going, puts your favorite drink in front of you (mine is Monster Rehab Peach Tea), and makes sure you have everything you need+ extra. He's a pilot and flies us around on weekends, he gives awesome gifts like laptops and SONOS speakers for Christmas, and he lets me BBQ for the office once or twice a month. The office is like an organized frat house, and I laugh until I cry at least once a day. We have a local who's-who of talent that allows for that type of environment. It's great!

I mean, it's great you love your environment, and you're right on guy-off-street asking for random crap to come along with the job is probably not a super great idea, unless it's in some environment where that kind of thing is normal/accepted (SiValley, I'm looking at you).

However, you did describe a helpdesk. If it was minimized, that's on you

 

[Chaotic42]

I definitely miss having an office where we're all friends. I work with good people, but we don't have a whole lot in common. I'll still never be a fan of outside of work office socializing though. I see those people enough during the day.

 

[sourceninja]

In didn't read that as help desk. I read it as a MSP.

 

[Fritzo]

I mean, it's great you love your environment, and you're right on guy-off-street asking for random crap to come along with the job is probably not a super great idea, unless it's in some environment where that kind of thing is normal/accepted (SiValley, I'm looking at you).

However, you did describe a helpdesk. If it was minimized, that's on you

::blinks:: A help desk processes tickets and assigns them to engineers if they can't solve the issue. We HAVE a help desk, the company isn't a help desk.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

::blinks:: A help desk processes tickets and assigns them to engineers if they can't solve the issue. We HAVE a help desk, the company isn't a help desk.

Yes, you have to physically monitor control boards and issue tickets when you see things wrong. You also have to answer tickets assigned to you in a certain time frame, take calls from clients, and process projects/work orders.

Sorry, that quote sounded a whole lot like the helpdesks I've worked on, or with. I was just going off what you said.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I'm not kidding when I say we interviewed a 23 year old guy that wanted a 10:30 "Venti break" every day and another 3:30 break to walk his dog.

Yeeeaaahhhhhhhhh.......

The fact that one can be stupid enough to say such a thing... BEFORE being hired is mind boggling. I mean - I wouldn't hire him - BUT it wouldn't be based on him wanting to take breaks. It would be based on him being so mind-numbingly stupid to say such a thing in an interview.

 

[sourceninja]

The fact that one can be stupid enough to say such a thing... BEFORE being hired is mind boggling. I mean - I wouldn't hire him - BUT it wouldn't be based on him wanting to take breaks. It would be based on him being so mind-numbingly stupid to say such a thing in an interview.

I think it's best to make all your requests before you get hired. I make it pretty clear what I want out of a job and if the job can not provide it then I'm not interested at all. If a dog walk/coffee/etc was a requirement I'd lay it out during salary negotiations. Of course at this point you need to talk me into working for you, not the other way around.

 

[Lanyap]

I think we can all agree that there are different jobs out there with different requirements especially in IT. Some require an on site presence and sitting at a desk during specific times and there are others that are flexible like in a programming environment. Iv'e worked in both during the past 40+ years so I know these things.

We can also agree that we see some really sharp younger folks who can come in and do a great job without special requirements and others who have not acclimated into the real world yet.

 

[Herr Kutz]

I'm not kidding when I say we interviewed a 23 year old guy that wanted a 10:30 "Venti break" every day and another 3:30 break to walk his dog.

Yeeeaaahhhhhhhhh.......

It must suck to work for a place where (reasonable) breaks are not allowed. I don't usually take breaks myself, but officially, my place of employ allows 2 15min breaks a day.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

One of my "greybeard" coworkers tells a story about a young interviewee who got a really haughty attitude and responded to an interview question with the phrase, "I don't do PERL." It's a funny story because he had a bad attitude so they didn't hire him. Gotta be willing to learn, all that jazz.

I looked the guy up on LinkedIn and he's VP of development for some silicon valley company. Probably makes more in a month than we do in a year.

*shrug*

 

[sourceninja]

One of my "greybeard" coworkers tells a story about a young interviewee who got a really haughty attitude and responded to an interview question with the phrase, "I don't do PERL." It's a funny story because he had a bad attitude so they didn't hire him. Gotta be willing to learn, all that jazz.

I looked the guy up on LinkedIn and he's VP of development for some silicon valley company. Probably makes more in a month than we do in a year.

*shrug*

Hey, sounds like knew what he wanted. I try to find out those details before I apply, but if I walked into a interview and was told it was a java shop or microsoft shop I would say "Thank you for your time, I am no longer interested in the position." It's not that I can't do that work, I have no interest in it.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I think it's best to make all your requests before you get hired. I make it pretty clear what I want out of a job and if the job can not provide it then I'm not interested at all. If a dog walk/coffee/etc was a requirement I'd lay it out during salary negotiations. Of course at this point you need to talk me into working for you, not the other way around.

Depends on the request, and depends on if you're in a position to make such demands. Such as if you're currently employed by a competitor or if you're unemployed.

Making a demand for 4 weeks of vacation/PTO instead of the default 2 for new employees? That's reasonable if you're an experienced veteran. Demanding breaks for coffee in a retarded way calling it "getting a Venti"? You sound like an emotional retard that probably takes 10 breaks all-day.

It must suck to work for a place where (reasonable) breaks are not allowed. I don't usually take breaks myself, but officially, my place of employ allows 2 15min breaks a day.

In the white collar world, it honestly doesn't need to be said. Every place I've ever been to has a coffee room.... and that's for obvious reasons, taking a stimulant will help employees be more productive. No one cares if you get up and walk around for 10-20 minutes, just get your shit done. It doesn't need to be said in an interview.

 

[pcgeek11]

It must suck to work for a place where (reasonable) breaks are not allowed. I don't usually take breaks myself, but officially, my place of employ allows 2 15min breaks a day.

I don't think you can get a "Venti" and consume it in 15 minutes, same for the dog walking.