Tweet
I get an email, a large multi-national corporation is looking for a furniture installation project manager and my profile matched the job description. I check things out and I'm above and beyond for some aspects and in the ballpark for the rest, so I go for it. I get contacted and get an interview. (A difficult process because I was working 80 hour weeks at the time).
As things turn out, it's actually a client that I regularly do business with. They are a furniture dealer, and we handle some of the jobs that their own crew can't do. Something that worked as both an advantage and disadvantage to me.
The interview went well enough. It was a management position where I would basically be doing nothing, but overseeing and being responsible for everything. They were impressed with my product knowledge and attention to detail, particularly when I noted an installation error on their front reception desk, that's just what I do, I know how it's supposed to be done and I see when it isn't done that way. I stumbled a bit when they asked for criticisms about me. (I was pissed at myself for not better preparing myself for this standard question). I talked about how some co-workers don't like me, but stressed how it is only the lazy incompetents that have this problem; good workers, and customers love me and demand that I be the one in charge. They seemed to focus more on the "doesn't play well with others" aspect of it though. From there we focused on the costing aspect of the job. I let them know that I'm a straight shooter, I am not going to lie to them here. I don't have a lot of experience in this aspect, but I have been doing it once in a while for the past couple of years, and have been very accurate with my time and manpower estimates. They said that they have training and support to help me through the learning curve but I think I undersold myself too much here.
So this went well enough. They will discuss things and still have some other candidates to go through, they will get back to me. Of course he did throw a shot in about how difficult it was to get a hold of me. I didn't think anything of it at the time but I suppose it was a kiss of death.
So it was what it was. I didn't get the job. The fact that they didn't have the balls to contact me with a "no" chapped my ass but whatever, water under the bridge. They went with the "better" candidate.
A few weeks pass and I'm on the job for this client. As usual, my plans are shit, things aren't properly organized, just another day in paradise with Mickey Mouse Moving. Things could have been better, and would have been better if I was the guy setting things up as I know where the difficulties are and where the corrections are needed, but fine, the status quo has been working for decades, I can work with it. We complete things and it all looks great, but as usual, both the dealer and the final end user client aren't on site to check out our completed work. I'm thoroughly unimpressed that the dealer didn't show up as being on site was one of the aspects that they stressed to me in the interview, but geez, there's one of my negatives coming through again - having a problem with lazy incompetents.
So the next day comes and the end user client checks things out. They are not happy. Some of the panels are unstable (when people are dumb enough to grab them and reef on them). They are installed properly to manufacturer's specs, but there is an optional bracket that was not installed. This part was not listed on the plans and there was nothing on the packing slip, I had no reason to believe that this optional part was required.
I talk to the dealer about it and I get pretty technical with things. His product knowledge is beyond sub-par, he knows nothing. He has heard of the word "bracket" before, but literally asks me if I'm speaking english when I mention the ped to panel bracket. This is a guy who is supposed to be able to walk in and see any installation error, he is supposed to know how everything is supposed to be done, and he can't even name the most basic of parts, let alone knowing how they are to be installed. AND THIS IS THE JACKASS THAT THEY CHOSE OVER ME!?!
I suppose they were more concerned with the costing and quoting aspect and he sold himself better there, but when a required skill is installation knowledge and he has none.... WTF!?!
As things turn out, it's actually a client that I regularly do business with. They are a furniture dealer, and we handle some of the jobs that their own crew can't do. Something that worked as both an advantage and disadvantage to me.
The interview went well enough. It was a management position where I would basically be doing nothing, but overseeing and being responsible for everything. They were impressed with my product knowledge and attention to detail, particularly when I noted an installation error on their front reception desk, that's just what I do, I know how it's supposed to be done and I see when it isn't done that way. I stumbled a bit when they asked for criticisms about me. (I was pissed at myself for not better preparing myself for this standard question). I talked about how some co-workers don't like me, but stressed how it is only the lazy incompetents that have this problem; good workers, and customers love me and demand that I be the one in charge. They seemed to focus more on the "doesn't play well with others" aspect of it though. From there we focused on the costing aspect of the job. I let them know that I'm a straight shooter, I am not going to lie to them here. I don't have a lot of experience in this aspect, but I have been doing it once in a while for the past couple of years, and have been very accurate with my time and manpower estimates. They said that they have training and support to help me through the learning curve but I think I undersold myself too much here.
So this went well enough. They will discuss things and still have some other candidates to go through, they will get back to me. Of course he did throw a shot in about how difficult it was to get a hold of me. I didn't think anything of it at the time but I suppose it was a kiss of death.
So it was what it was. I didn't get the job. The fact that they didn't have the balls to contact me with a "no" chapped my ass but whatever, water under the bridge. They went with the "better" candidate.
A few weeks pass and I'm on the job for this client. As usual, my plans are shit, things aren't properly organized, just another day in paradise with Mickey Mouse Moving. Things could have been better, and would have been better if I was the guy setting things up as I know where the difficulties are and where the corrections are needed, but fine, the status quo has been working for decades, I can work with it. We complete things and it all looks great, but as usual, both the dealer and the final end user client aren't on site to check out our completed work. I'm thoroughly unimpressed that the dealer didn't show up as being on site was one of the aspects that they stressed to me in the interview, but geez, there's one of my negatives coming through again - having a problem with lazy incompetents.
So the next day comes and the end user client checks things out. They are not happy. Some of the panels are unstable (when people are dumb enough to grab them and reef on them). They are installed properly to manufacturer's specs, but there is an optional bracket that was not installed. This part was not listed on the plans and there was nothing on the packing slip, I had no reason to believe that this optional part was required.
I talk to the dealer about it and I get pretty technical with things. His product knowledge is beyond sub-par, he knows nothing. He has heard of the word "bracket" before, but literally asks me if I'm speaking english when I mention the ped to panel bracket. This is a guy who is supposed to be able to walk in and see any installation error, he is supposed to know how everything is supposed to be done, and he can't even name the most basic of parts, let alone knowing how they are to be installed. AND THIS IS THE JACKASS THAT THEY CHOSE OVER ME!?!
I suppose they were more concerned with the costing and quoting aspect and he sold himself better there, but when a required skill is installation knowledge and he has none.... WTF!?!
Comment