Posted on 10/19/2007 7:18:28 PM PDT by Captainpaintball
My friend, Austin, calls me up, angry, and starts telling me how I have to help him move all of his remaining stuff out of his parents' house. I ask him why, and he tells me about a job interview he got in a company through his dad.
Austin interviewed with this same company 3-4 years ago. He was rejected. This time there were certain people involved with the last interview, but mostly new faces.
Austin though it went "awesome", but in reality, it was a disaster. Later that day, Austin called his dad about something unrelated, only to be on the receiving end of his father's yelling and screaming--The company told Austin's dad EVERYTHING that went wrong with the interview.
Austin is telling me he felt furious, embarrased, humiliated, and his relationship with his parents is strained, hence the request I help him move his stuff out, and bring it to his apt.
Then I kind of told him that what the company did wasn't legal. Companies are not supposed to give out information about an interview, correct?
That got him going even more. And after a litle more prying, I found out the person that set up the interview, the HR babe,(he says she sounded like a 'babe') cancelled her meeting with Austin the day before. He also did not fill out an application this time. I mentioned to him there is NO record of him even being there, and they basically jerked him around and wasted his time. Also he seems to think there are certain people in the interview process that dismissed him from the beginning, because he was a straight, white male under 30 (there were none to be seen according to Austin)
This made him even angrier. He claims he wants to sue. I told him just call the HR director and tell them "Thanks for the interview, but I did not give you any permission to talk about it to anyone else, did I?" He seems hell bent on doing something...
Does he have any recourse? Does he have the right to sue, or complain? I know him well, I really think the most he would do is call them on their "violation" and have proper facts and legal mumbo jumbo to back it up.
I don't want him to ruin his father's relationship with this company either,partly because he has a nice garage, and he lets me work there if I have car problems!!!!
Any real genuine help would be appreciated. I feel responsible for setting him off in that direction.
Austin needs to grow-up and it is long past the time he should have moved out of daddy and mommy’s house.
Suggest that Austin sue the crap out of the company!
It doesn’t matter if it’s the right or wrong thing to do: it’s the American way!
Of course, as soon as Austin’s lawyer (he can afford a lawyer, right?) deposes his old man, he can pretty much kiss goodbye ever visiting home again. Being deposed is NOT fun, especially by a lawyer working for your own SON.
“Austin WHO? I don’t have a son named Austin!” If you know what I mean, and I think you do.
Better find a new place to work on your car.
... hence the request I help him move his stuff out, and bring it to his apt...
Captain, I'll take a stab at "genuine" helpfulness, or at least an attempt, just suggestions to mull, ideas I'd probably put before Austin if I was in your shoes.
He's been wronged by some lousy folks, it sounds like. But it probably wasn't the first time and God willing he lives a full life, certainly won't be the last.
I'd wonder about end goals. What's the best outcome he would like to see? Abject apology on the part of the interviewing comapny? Firing of the HR Babe? Why is he wanting to do this? Ten years from now, who's going to know the difference?
Sounds to me like the real problem is a strained relationship with his dad. That his dad would allow the company to divulge the interview details about his son to him in the first place, let alone to then lash out at his son for it, is pretty telling all around.
I'd say this kid -- under 30 is a kid -- is at a crossroads. He can pursue a life approach in the pattern of his dad and create strife through the workings of his own vanity. Or he can take a different fork in the road and adapt a philosophy of thinking more about the wasted energy in anger.
Austin lives 10 miles from me, in an apartment. He still keeps stuff at his parents’ house. Later on in the post, I specify this.
I think Austin should turn state’s evidence on his dad and send his old man to prison for the next 20 company picnics.
I think Austin should turn state’s evidence on his dad and send his old man to prison for the next 20 company picnics.
Okay, I get it. I used to keep my baseball card collection and old coloring books at mom’s house as well.
To be honest, the whole point of my post is for my benefit, actually. I thought I was correct in saying what I did--but that got him all worked up. Was I correct? or did I get him worked up for nothing? Is there any website that explains this? I think I should have just kept quiet... I hope I am wrong, so I can "officially" tell him he is barking up the wrong tree. But like I said, he will likely do nothing that takes more than 5 minutes of extra effort, move on, and get over it.
Thanks for your help.
I got way too much crap at mine, as well. (great segue way)... I have stuff there that I am selling on ebay right now. Anyone interested in a Yamaha drum set?
He might have turned the situation to his advantage by asking the father exactly what it was that he did that was wrong. It might have been nice if the father had spent some time beforehand giving him interview tips, but that’s water over the dam.
He could have learned from the experience, especially since he’d previously interviewed there and not been hired. There is an art to how to do interviews. He should learn how to interview and be interviewed.
An interview is basically a sales call, and what you are selling is yourself. You go to an interview in your best, neatest attire thats appropriate for the type business. You bring a nice, clean, crisp resume. You use proper grammar. You forget words like “awesome,” dude. You use your best manners. You research the company and its mission. You do your homework.
The advice I would give my friend is to rethink himself, first. Then, if appropriate, reinvent himself to be the type person who will be hired. Forget about this company. There are many others. If he has some talent or skill to offer and seems agreeable and hard working, he can get his foot in the door.
Who is going to hire a guy who creates a problem at a company that didn’t hire him ? That word will spread, and he will make himself a pariah.
Dad is a jerk for yelling at him.
Austin may want to use the information he received via his father to improve his interviewing skills.
Incidentally, a few years a go a friend of mine interviewed with my company. While he did not get the job, the person that conducted the interview told me everything that he botched and I passed it along to my friend.
The next interview he went to he got the job.
Suing of course may end whatever good relations Austin’s father had with this company. Maybe Austin should be grateful for the feedback. (True, the father may be calling the son a dummy at this point, but that’s what fathers do.) Quite often, a person thinks he has done well in an interview when in actuality he hasn’t.
It sounds like Austin’s father called in a few favors to get Austin the interview — if Austin did poorly, should the father pull additional strings to get Austin interviews for jobs he won’t get?
Does he have a right to be pizzed? Probably.
Does he have the right to sue? Absolutely!
Will he win? Not on your nellie!
Should he shake it off and get on with his life? I would.
Maybe Austin should appreciate the feedback. Many people never get feedback on their interviews, and thus aren’t even aware of what mistakes they are making.
Austin may be of the opinion that he was never in the running. He may be right. Then again, his father is of a different opinion. I am of the opinion that if the father was sufficiently well connected to get him the interview, that the feedback is at least somewhat honest.
It is time to identify what he wants out of life and to figure out how to get it. He should start thinking in 5 year terms. IOW, where do I want to be in 5 years. What do I want to have in my life 5 years from now.
Forget the suing crap, the only ones who win are the lawyers.
Get your stuff out of your parents house.
Tell your Dad your sorry for any embarrassment you caused him (even if you feel you are the one who was treated badly).
Get a job, any job. Pay your bills and figure out what you want to do to make a living and get into that business.
Remind yourself success is the best revenge.
Look, forget all the trash talk about suing. This is the real world not some pickup basketball game @ the local park.
Your friend needs to listen to his dad to understand what he did wrong in the interview & then apply that life lesson in his next interview.
Failing to learn from your mistakes is something loosers do - don’t be a looser.
I thought this thread was dead, but now that it is alive again...Well, long story short...I convinced him that his ‘case’ was shaky at best, and that he couldn’t afford the fees anyway. He is now looking elsewhere, I guess you can say that it’s all “water under the bridge” at this point. And I am hoping I can gin up enough nerve to ask his dad if I can use his garage to change the oil pan gasket on my car. Case Closed. Next time, I will keep my mouth closed, and not give someone legal ‘advice’. Unless you guys are lawyers, take my advice.
“Does he have any recourse?”
Yes. He should find out from his father what specific criticisms that they had and then work very hard to make the necessary improvements in his interviewing style.
I have been a recruiter (2 years, yuch) for a 8 billion dollar a year company.
There are no grounds to sue on the basis of the company having a conversation with another employee, who happens to be the interviewee’s father. At least that I know of.
The lack of an application is a bit weird, unless he completed one online.
Sounds to me like he got a courtesy interview because his dad worked there, and they never had any intention of hiring him.
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