Just got back from an interview which I think I rockstar'd, but I'm sorta frustrated.

I posted a thread about a week ago asking about opinions for a particular potential job. Well, today came and I went in for the interview after work. Bear in mind, the job posting was for a "Technical Support Administrator" position which would MAYBE need to help the helpdesk out if it got really busy. And by the way, the helpdesk is only consisting of 3 people for supporting many many locations across the US... So I arrive for the interview and they start to "feel me out". I hadn't put my CCNA on my resume but at one point I did mention it to them so the guy said he was "going to really let me have it". They asked me some stuff that I knew all the answers to, really simple stuff and I'm thinking to myself that these seem like stuff you'd ask a helpdesk guy in an interview... The more and more we went through the interview, it really sounded like I was being interviewed for a tier 1 helpdesk position and NOT what was posted in the job posting which had different responsibilities. I asked them a ton of questions during the interview and I think they thought I was a good fit. The one question I didn't ask was why they were telling me all this about the helpdesk when thats not what I'm applying for. I plan on asking the HR lady that when she calls me. The other thing they couldn't answer was the pay. They went over all other benefits but could not answer my question about how much it pays. I didn't bring up the subject of compensation, they did. They went over it, everything and just left that one thing out. I'm a little frustrated because I thought I had a shot at getting off the helpdesk but it seems like they tried to trick me. Am I overreacting on this or what? The guy even said in some of his sentences verbatim: "So as a tier 1 helpdesk agent..." and the posting was NOT for a tier 1 helpdesk job. It was great interviewing experience and surprisingly, I wasn't nervous once I got there. Especially after I got wind that the job may not be what was in the posting.

Another funny thing, the people who said they'd be in the interview, NONE of them were there.

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Comments

Roguetadhg

I read around here that asking the interviewer questions about the responsibilities and day-to-day work life is key to weeding out if the job is what you want or not.

Otherwise, congrats codebox

CodeBlox

Roguetadhg wrote: »

I read around here that asking the interviewer questions about the responsibilities and day-to-day work life is key to weeding out if the job is what you want or not.

Otherwise, congrats codebox

I did keep asking questions and THAT IS WHAT EXPOSED THIS!!!

Roguetadhg

gotcha. I thought you were asking other questions. Nothing directly asking "Is this a help desk position"

YFZblu

Hopefully they don't pull something lame and try to throw you on the desk. Definitely make it known to HR that you're only interested in the position if your helpdesk responsibilities are an AFTERTHOUGHT, not a primary focus.

Let us know what happens! Getting out of the desk is surprisingly difficult.

4_lom

Seems fishy to me...

CodeBlox

I didn't directly ask that question, no. But from the questions I did ask, I began to get an idea of what was really going on. I'm going to ask the HR lady when she calls me exactly what position it is(really sounded like more helpdesk). The big question that I ask which gave me a clue was "what is the day to day work like in this role"? And they began to go on about how I'd "support the remote sites as a tier 1". The position applied for was for support for the actual building it's self, not the branches.

N2IT

4_lom wrote: »

Seems fishy to me...

+1 with 4_lom

Sounds like the bait and switch. Never had it happen to me but had it happen to a friend of mine. Went into the interview thinking system admin position with "other duties", ended up being 50% low level SA work and 50% helpdesk. He bounced after 3 weeks for a real SA job.

You ever see the movie the girl with the dragon tattoo? (American Version) Daniel Craig walks back into the house after Peter Skaargard (I believe) ask him to come up into the house. Skaarsgard charecter ask why is it human nature to go into the house when you know something bad is going to happen to you? For some reason this smells like that.

Sorry to be long winded but this seems along those lines.

4_lom

Happened to me with the job I'm currently at. Was told I'd be doing one thing and ended up doing something completely different. But I start a new job next week (check out my latest thread!), so doesn't matter now, I guess. It's just frustrating to be lied to. And to the OP, it seems like you've asked them all the right questions. If they really said that verbatim ("support the remote sites as a tier 1"), then that's what I would expect to be doing, regardless of the title.

N2IT wrote: »

+1 with 4_lom

Sounds like the bait and switch. Never had it happen to me but had it happen to a friend of mine. Went into the interview thinking system admin position with "other duties", ended up being 50% low level SA work and 50% helpdesk. He bounced after 3 weeks for a real SA job.

You ever see the movie the girl with the dragon tattoo? (American Version) Daniel Craig walks back into the house after Peter Skaargard (I believe) ask him to come up into the house. Skaarsgard charecter ask why is it human nature to go into the house when you know something bad is going to happen to you? For some reason this smells like that.

Sorry to be long winded but this seems along those lines.

networker050184

Make sure you get clarification. Don't want to end up like this guy.

http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/76797-quit-job-during-probation.html

Mrkali

I accepted a job that had the 'possibility' that I would as needed have to temporarily fill in other positions if those departments were shorthanded. Surprise surprise the departments became shorthanded and my primary job became filling in those positions indefinitely. Why would they hire somebody to fill the positions as they have me to cover?

Never again.

higherho

If this is the job that does not require the clearance then don't take it. You will kick yourself later if this position is basically the same as the one your are currently in but with no clearance this time.

cyberguypr

Fail on you part Codeblox. Right then and there was the best opportunity to discover what the position really entails. They can BS you over the phone but for some people it is hard to BS when face to face.

CodeBlox

cyberguypr wrote: »

Fail on you part Codeblox. Right then and there was the best opportunity to discover what the position really entails. They can BS you over the phone but for some people it is hard to BS when face to face.

I suppose I should have just put the nail in the coffin and asked them there today. But from the stuff I asked, it all pointed towards helpdesk.

N2IT

Then you have your answer. Thanks but no thanks.

jamesbrown

I understand where you are coming from. I interviewed for the position i'm in right now and it kind of sounds like an SCCM Administrator. Guess what, they are trying to make me do tier 1 support. I am almost 6 month in the job and i still can't do what I was hired to do. I also think that my job description is about to change as well. Everything is up to you, at least you know now but I didn't know.

Thanks,
James

erpadmin

N2IT wrote: »

Then you have your answer. Thanks but no thanks.

+1 to ^^^^!

CB, you don't want to downgrade your position for an upgrade in salary....DO NOT do it.

I will go back to my original theme and just simply advise you to find a job that will utilize your clearance. Still sympathetic to your family situation, but you still have a clearance that many would kill for. Taking that job would just seem like such a waste. (of both your time and talents)

lantech

If you have a bad feeling about the job then it's probably better to stay where you are at. I had the bait and switch happen to me and it's not fun at all.

NetworkingStudent

CodeBlox wrote: »

I posted a thread about a week ago asking about opinions for a particular potential job. Well, today came and I went in for the interview after work. Bear in mind, the job posting was for a "Technical Support Administrator" position which would MAYBE need to help the helpdesk out if it got really busy. And by the way, the helpdesk is only consisting of 3 people for supporting many many locations across the US... So I arrive for the interview and they start to "feel me out". I hadn't put my CCNA on my resume but at one point I did mention it to them so the guy said he was "going to really let me have it". They asked me some stuff that I knew all the answers to, really simple stuff and I'm thinking to myself that these seem like stuff you'd ask a helpdesk guy in an interview... The more and more we went through the interview, it really sounded like I was being interviewed for a tier 1 helpdesk position and NOT what was posted in the job posting which had different responsibilities. I asked them a ton of questions during the interview and I think they thought I was a good fit. The one question I didn't ask was why they were telling me all this about the helpdesk when thats not what I'm applying for. I plan on asking the HR lady that when she calls me. The other thing they couldn't answer was the pay. They went over all other benefits but could not answer my question about how much it pays. I didn't bring up the subject of compensation, they did. They went over it, everything and just left that one thing out. I'm a little frustrated because I thought I had a shot at getting off the helpdesk but it seems like they tried to trick me. Am I overreacting on this or what? The guy even said in some of his sentences verbatim: "So as a tier 1 helpdesk agent..." and the posting was NOT for a tier 1 helpdesk job. It was great interviewing experience and surprisingly, I wasn't nervous once I got there. Especially after I got wind that the job may not be what was in the posting. Another funny thing, the people who said they'd be in the interview, NONE of them were there.

Are you still looking for jobs with security clearance? I got this link via my Comptia Smart briefs news letter and there are some security career fairs in VA TECHEXPO Top Secret job fairs: Security Clearance Jobs and Career Fairs