How to bomb an interview without the interviewer knowing that you're intentionally bombing the interview?
I have a headhunter that I need to keep a good relationship with because they represent the type of clients I like. I'm interviewing for a great job in another city but I started dating someone recently (yes I know) and am getting fast tracked at work so I don't want to leave. I can't just withdraw from the interview process because I've been waxing poetic to the HH about why this is the perfect job and I'm pretty sure she'd end the relationship if I got placed and then declined.
How can I bomb the interview without them knowing? Because of a few extenuating circumstances I know that I am likely to get the job if I don't bomb this interview. Thank you.
easy...you can make unreasonable salary demands
It seems worse to intentionally bomb the interview than it is to tell the headhunter you're no longer interested. The reason being if you don't get the job, the headhunter may see you as not a competent interviewer/candidate and not worth your time. I'm pretty sure headhunters deal with people pulling out of processes all the time. Sure you may have laid it on too thick on how it's the perfect job or whatever but I would be surprised if she cut off the relationship. I'm sure she would happily take the commission on you down the line. Headhunters are in the relationship business after all. Just be extra contrite or whatever and I think it'll be okay.
This. Intentionally bombing an interview that someone has helped set up for you is deceitful and weaselly; don't be that guy. Just be honest and up-front about your circumstances, and if he nixes the relationship because of it, then so be it - the only responsibility you have is to be honest, imo.
Good point both. I don’t know what I was thinking. Always better to be honest. I appreciate the setting straight.
To be clear, you definitely shouldn't intentionally bomb the interview. That's dumb on a lot of levels and pretty weak, to be honest. If you know you're not going to take the job, call the HH and let her know. She is a professional, and this shit happens all the time.
She is in a dual sales role. She first has to sell companies/funds/etc. on agreeing to a services contract with her, then has to sell them on giving her a subset of their open roles, rather than gifting them to some other HH who would probably do an equally competent job. There are few barriers to entry to becoming a HH, so she faces a lot of competition, and only rose to the position she's in (where she has the sorts of clients you like) by being a great saleswoman. The other side of her sales process is selling herself to people like you whom she can place in the funds with which she works.
I assume you're fairly junior at the moment, but that's (obviously) not always going to be the case. If anything, you represent more money to her down the road given that she's compensated based primarily off a percentage of your income. Placing you later is worth more to her, and while you might risk looking disingenuous by having over-sold her on the perfectness of this particular position, you risk looking incompetent by bombing the interview.
The greater of the two risks to your relationship with the HH is the latter. It also tarnishes your name with that fund. And there's still a risk that you don't do a good enough job bombing the interview, and wind up with an offer, in which case, you're going to have to back out later in the process with more at stake having wasted even more of her time. That's fucking dumb.
Just tell her that you met a girl, you're a bit of a romantic, and that you, "Can't believe I'm doing this, but I would like to back out of the process to see where this relationship goes."
She's a woman--they prioritize relationships over work all the time. She's much more likely to understand than a man, so you're probably fine. Who knows, if you really sell it, she might even find it endearing.
I'm confused, what's the downside of getting an offer then turning it down? Why not just interview as you normally would, then if you get the offer say no?
You're gonna break up with this chick you met on Tinder within a few months then you'll be pissed that you stayed in an inferior role with promises of being 'fast-tracked' (whatver that means) that your boss only said to you because he found out you're interviewing elsewhere. Coming to think of it, your current boss probably planted the Tinder girl to anchor you down in your little small-potatoes city that you're afraid to leave. I don't know. The HH is prob in on it in some way.
Hate to be a conspiracy theory believer. Given the fact that OP asks this kind of question on WSO, I am pretty sure that his boss can smell his intention of leaving the firm soon. I would do the same thing - 1) send over a spy to stall him and 2) tell him that he will be promoted soon. Then fire OP when the boss find out which firm OP is jumping ship to from the spy that he sent over.
How about just interview at the company, get the offer, then turn it down? Say you didn't like the company after spending more time with them. I've done that, it's not a big deal.
Turning down the interview before even interviewing there raises more red flags about you to the HH.
Here's what you have to do:
1) Rock out the interview, when given an offer, push it higher.
2) Take high offer to your current company.
3) Even if you don't want to leave your company, they might bump your salary, its worth a shot.
4) By this time, you're probably over that chick you were dating, or you're so serious, she would move with you.
5) ... Profit
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