How NOT to Hire Someone - Part II

So, in part I of this saga, you learned how I'd been back burnered by a company that I had been interviewing with. When I made this post, following my second interview with the CEO, I wasn't sure what to do. My good friend Eydie called and offered me the advice of contacting the VP of Marketing, the hiring manager, to address any concerns that he had and the CEO had again to be sure that he had the ammunition to fight for me. Which I did. I left three voice mails for the VP and sent one follow up email. But I didn't hear from him until two days later when he sent this email:

Got your messages. Sorry about the delay. I spoke with the CEO and let me give you an update.

1) CEO has been asking me about marketing and our long term plan. he wants to invest a lot more money in marketing for a number of reasons in 2H’07.

2) As such, he wants to make sure whomever we bring in for Marketing is a real pro.

3) I represented that I believe you are very good, and your references where solid.

4) The CEO wants me to investigate one other candidate that he has forwarded. We are interviewing them on Friday.

I apologize for the process. This is not how I like to work. However, he’s the boss. I will let you know where we stand on Monday.

So, Monday came and went... didn't hear anything. So Tuesday at the end of the day, I sent a follow up note, just asking if he had made a decision. I've not heard a thing from him. I can not believe that now, after he said there was an offer for me, that he won't even call to let me know that they are going with some one else. No apology or anything. Really can't believe that! A new low for the job search process.

Happy Earth Day

Today is the 22nd annual Earth Day celebration. The earth's atmosphere continues to get warmer and warmer, which will ultimately turn many green areas into deserts; stories have been written about lack of snow in the coldest of locales. But how can one person make a difference? Here are some facts, and figures from the April 16th, Newsweek.

• If every household in America switched out one compact fluorescent bulb, it would reduce energy consumption as much as taking a million cars off the road
• Production of bottles for bottled water consumers over 1.5 million barrels of oil a year. Even worse is the energy squandered on shipping water halfway around the world. As a result, you pay more for a bottle of water than equivalent amount of gasoline.

This fact is from the ABC 20/20 broadcast on Friday.

• If everyone in the U.S. started getting 30 miles to the gallon we could end our dependency on foreign oil by 2025!
  

Imagine. There are many ways to make an impact and if you just made one little change, it would have a snowball's affect.

p.s. Today, Home Depot is giving away 1,000,000 Compact Flourescent lightbulbs today! Here is your chance to make a switch.

Wordless Wednesday

Quiver tree sunset
Originally uploaded by Jumbo22.

Fun San Diego Event

Here is something that falls into the best kept secret, do that again category! Saturday night I headed over to Ray Street in North Park for the monthly Ray At Night event with some friends. Basically, Ray Street is home to several art galleries and the second Saturday of the month all the Galleries celebrate the opening of an artist at the same time. They close the street off and there are bands and DJs, wine, cheese, beer and of course Art! All sorts of art, good art, bad art, mostly very contemporary art. Something for everyone. Make sure you save the date for May 12, and check it out. Lots of people, very social and entertaining. Great people watching.

Anyway, afterwards, we headed over to Apertivo for dinner. Apertivo offers Italian Tapas and wine. A very small place, with great food. With small plates you can try many different tastes. The wine selection was great and service was good. Kitchen got busy... as the restaurant filled up. We waited about 20 minutes for a table... it flew by. Definitely would go again. Finally, after that we headed over to Heaven Sent Desserts for some rich indulgence! We tried four desserts and the thumbs up winner among all of us was the Apple Tart. Delicious!

The only thing that would have made the night better would have been some actual art purchases or some shopping at the fabulous boutiques in the area... maybe next month.

How NOT to Hire Someone

As you know I was laid off last May from my job with Dot Hell. I interviewed actively from June to December, early January, when I decided to really focus on building a freelancing business and work on my other business idea. But back on Friday, March 9th I interviewed with a software company here in San Diego. The opportunity came about through networking which proves that networking does work... however, I'm so disenchanted with the hiring process I want to cry.

I interview with SIX people in a four hour time frame March 9th, including the CEO. I did my due diligence following up once a week with the hiring manager. On March 27th, I get this email:

thanks Sarah. I made a recommendation to the CEO to bring you on board. He is in NY today and I should hear from him later. Let me talk to him and I will give you a call later today or tomorrow.

Will need references – I assume you have them. Just 2 please.

Then don't hear from him, even though he said he would call. So I follow up a week later and receive an email from him to call him. So I do, thinking this sucks that I have to call this guy to hear that they are going with someone else. But when I do call I hear from him that he wanted to talk salary and would craft an offer letter. I get this email Monday of this week:

We are close. I setup the offer letter. Our CEO has to review and when he gets it back to me, I can send over.

Then on Tuesday, I get a call from the CEO's assistant requesting a follow-up phone interview for Thursday. She calls on Wednesday, asking to re-schedule for a face-to-face interview on Friday. So, went on the interview today and now I hear that there are a couple of additional candidates they want to meet with before making a decision. That I'm the only one they've brought in for a second round, everyone likes me... and they'll get back to me.

I'm so F'ing sick of being on the back burner. At this point I want to tell them step off. This is crap! I am so over the job interview process. It's clear to me that my future manager can't get decisions approved by the CEO.

This is my life too. This is a horrible experience from my perspective and really gives me doubt about working for this company. I really want to opt-out. I'm going to give the weekend to think about it and if I feel the same way on Monday, I probably will.

Wordless Wednesday

Fuerteventura beach - before sunrise
Originally uploaded by @t..

What's it going to take?

I wanted to share with you an editorial featured in the April 10, 2007 issue of Business Week about an organization called Catalyst, titled "A Little Shame Goes a Long Way".

The article in Business Week was about how the organization has stopped naming companies that don't have women in the top ranks of the company. The reason:

President Ilene H. Lang says it takes too much time and there's little value to publishing the data by company.

When I went to their website and read the press release about the 2006 Census of Women in Fortune 500 Corporate Officer and Board Positions, I was shocked by a prominent statement:

Corporate Officers and Top Earners: At the current rate of change, it could take
women 47 years to reach parity with men as corporate officers of Fortune 500
companies.

The mission of Catalyst as stated on their website is:

Catalyst is the leading research and advisory organization working with businesses and the professions to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women at work. As an independent, nonprofit membership organization, Catalyst conducts research on all aspects of women’s career advancement and provides strategic and web-based consulting services globally. With the support and confidence of member corporations and firms, Catalyst remains connected to business and its changing needs. In addition, Catalyst honors exemplary business initiatives that promote women’s leadership with the annual Catalyst Award. With offices in New York, San Jose, and Toronto, Catalyst is consistently ranked No. 1 among U.S. nonprofits focused on women’s issues by The American Institute of Philanthropy.

I don't really consider myself a feminist, but since moving to San Diego and during this job search, I'm frustrated by the lack of mentoring among the women of San Diego and frustrated with the low pay that company's are offering me for my experience, it sort of drives me towards that position. In Dallas, I considered one of my former managers my mentor, but since moving to San Diego have lost touch with her. When I was at Gateway, I had high-hopes that Sanders might fill that role, but the Kernel, has become a joke amongst several of my peers based on her poor management and leadership. It's such a shame, because she could have really been a fantastic mentor had she not been so Bi-polar. And on the salary issue, I know that there are men in marketing roles out there that are being paid plenty and I have the same or better experience! It's so frustrating.

This story just really hit home and I agree with the author that perhaps Catalyst should start humiliating the male corporate leaders to facilitate change. It seems to be working in the Don Imus situation... really don't understand why there is name calling in this world still. Haven't people learned their lesson. I do find it sad that in order to facilitate change, men have to be bullied and shamed in order to make it happen.

But what gets me about the article is this last statement:

That Lang insists nobody cares about such specific information-"except for a couple of people in the press" -may say much about the mindset in today's corporate suites.

What are your thoughts?

Bayside Concert

Last night I went to see one of my favorite performers, John Legend, at Bayside venue by Viejas at the Embarcadero Park South. I'm a huge fan of John Legend and his opening act was Corrine Bailey Rae, who is also a terrific performer, so I was really excited to see this show. I'd never seen a show at this venue and really didn't know what to expect.

The location is really great... right behind the Convention Center on the Bay facing west. So as the sun set, the clouds were all pink and purple and you could see the marine layer float in. However, once the sun went down it got really cold, really fast. I really felt bad for this girl in front of us who just had on this tiny little cotton top and shorts!!! It was probably in the 50's last night. Typically, they don't have seating at this venue and people just bring blankets. But last night there was seating, which was great... but last night it seemed like the speakers weren't loud enough. I kept looking around and noticed people just sitting around like they were at a lecture... not at a concert. I was dancing and singing... I think that perhaps they kept the speakers low, because of recent complaints from the millionaires that live on Coronado. Apparently the music in the past has disturbed their peace. Anyway read more about that here.

John Legend put on a good performance. He had some new re-mixes, but very little new material since I saw him perform at the HOB in November. As we were walking out we discovered you can sit outside the fences and here the music. There were people with picnics and blankets. Seemed fun.


I took this photo of the back of the Convention Center as we were leaving. It's pretty neat. (Neat is such a weird word... can't believe I justed used it in a sentence.) But the stairs light up and reflect back on the bay. Its kind of small, I took it on my cell phone.

Check out a concert at Bayside sometime, fun experience!

Wordless Wednesday

The perfect wedding.
Originally uploaded by luisa_m_c_m_cruz.

April Horoscopes

My friend KZ has me hooked on my monthly horoscope at the AstrologyZone by Susan Miller. The monthly horoscopes are very detailed and long. She covers everything, romance, work, life etc. I'm a Scorpio. That's right... don't mess with me! Apparently this is going to be a great month for my romantic life:

Your romantic life is about to perk up beautifully. It's time to go out and see what the world has to offer, dear Scorpio. Every member of your sign, of every possible marital status, will be included.

Do you have no one to love? Mars will enter your romance sector on April 6, to join Uranus and Mercury, already there, to stay until May 15. From the moment Mars enters, you will start to have romantic choices. With Mars in Pisces, the sign of two fishes, you may have two sweethearts in time to decide about.

Interesting. Susan also says that April 21 is the perfect day for me to get a pet! It's down on my calendar, I'll be taking the day to visit lots of shelters.

Finally, if you've been thinking of getting a pet for your household, you'll have one of the very best points of the year to choose one. Do so at the new moon, April 17 or in the days that follow.

If you visit the animal shelter on Saturday, April 21, your best day, you'll find a little animal with a rare and special affinity to you. Your little creature could become like family to you.

I'm sure my friends Denise and Stephanie are screaming right now... they've been telling me for months.... no, Years to get a dog, and I decide when I read it in my horoscope! Yeah, I don't get me either.

Overall, I've got mixed feelings about what she writes related to my work life... it appears that I need to continue focusing on my freelance work.

What seems to be happening this month is that all the right assignments will come to you now, ones you will be able to use to show as evidence of your growing stature in your industry. You are learning a great deal about your job, and that learning period is almost over now.

This month, Saturn is about to turn direct after being retrograde since December 2006. Once Saturn changes to direct speed on April 19, you will see your professional life take on new vibrancy. You may have been despondent about the slowness of your professional progress lately, but this month, you will be heartened to see lots of progress. Don't give up. You have walked the 1,000-mile journey and you are so close to getting to your oasis. Onward and upward!

Anyway, it's fun to read her horoscope each month. You should read yours here.