Accept job offer only after phone interviews?

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ratonlaveur
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18 May 2015, 3:20 pm

So I received a job offer via telephone after 2 phone interviews and a technical assessment. It's in one of the places I'd like to relocate to, with good pay, but still am a bit hesitant because it was too easy. The first two phone interviews were 20-30 minutes and they mostly talked about themselves and asked me just a few easy questions. The third was a technical assessment, so I took an online test to test out my skills on a software package they use - I know I didn't do that well, though the position only requires more basic to intermediate skills on the package. The job duties themselves seem interesting and I'm pretty qualified for it.

I'm also hesitant to work for any place if I haven't met with my future colleagues in person. Of the 6 or so paid positions I've had previously, the one that I accepted without meeting people in person didn't go well in the long run (they were really all super NT).

I also checked their employee reviews on glassdoor.com, and being a small new company there's not a lot: 1 negative review from an unhappy former employee and 1 absolutely glowing review that is probably fake.

Thoughts on this? I'm clearly leaning towards turning it down but also feel hesitant turning down a secure income.



Homer_Bob
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18 May 2015, 3:52 pm

You didn't really give much detail about what position you would be doing but here's what I can gather, If any job seems too good to be true, it always is. Any job that offers a good salary often requires extensive interviews and knowledgeable about the actual position. Furthermore, the company should be fairly easy to find online, small business or not. Remember that it's still an employer's market. They don't need to sell you about the position, you have to sell yourself to them. If a company spends more time talking about why you should work for them instead of about what YOU can do for them, that is a red flag. If you can't find any information about them online, that is another red flag for sure.

There are many companies out there that scam potential job hunters by being both deceptive and very discreet. One example is jobs in marketing. Many people would like to work in marketing so when they see a job posting that promises the moon, they get all excited; especially the fact that these jobs claim you can make a ton of money with no experience necessary. When those suckers go in for the interview, they find out the so called "marketing" job is in reality a cold calling or a door to door sales position that is one hundred percent commission with no benefits. My advice for you is to just be careful and go with your gut. If you really want to know what is going on, ask as much questions as possible but just be aware of the many job scams out there. The most sought after jobs usually are very specific in detail and require an in person interview.


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ratonlaveur
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18 May 2015, 4:19 pm

I'm 99.9% sure it's not a scam. It's more about if it's a good fit or not since they seem too eager to hire and I haven't met them in person. The job is as a researcher for a healthcare consultancy that's a subsidiary of a large corporation - it requires at least a few years of experience and a graduate degree.



izzeme
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19 May 2015, 3:23 am

Could you arrange a visit with this company? It shouldn't be too weird to want to see the workplace before accepting and relocating, especially when you must relocate to take the job.



ratonlaveur
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19 May 2015, 9:20 am

I'd like to visit them, but they're on the other side of the USA and I'm a student now so don't have the $ to fly there on my dime, and they don't have it in their budget to fly candidates there...



zer0netgain
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20 May 2015, 7:13 am

Anyone eager to hire you without meeting you is clearly desperate for anyone they can get.

I know it's the "I won't work for anyone who would have me as an employee" mentality, but if I don't have to bust my hump to some degree to EARN the job, I question if it's a job worth having.



SocOfAutism
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20 May 2015, 8:22 am

Whoa, hold on! I used to work as a hiring manager for a software development company. When we interviewed people who lived across the country or from out of the country, we only did a phone interview and we hired from that. We didn't waste money on flying a person in for an in-person interview. Everything you said sounded completely normal to me.

A couple times a year we'd hire in bulk. So like several programmers, several testing people, one or two business people, and a technical writer. We didn't have time to nitpick people. If you're wondering if these were "good" jobs, the salaries ranged from 85k/yr to about 40k/yr.

Accept the position but ask for moving expenses. That's normal and expected.



Reducto
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21 May 2015, 3:23 pm

One key point that pops up to me is that you say it's in a place you already wanted to move to. Assuming everything else checks out I'd go and use the job as a way to finance your move. Move into a month-to-month rental when you first get there and try to make the most of the opportunity. If it doesn't pan out you're already where you want to be and can look for something else.