Interviews

[marshy41]

One to put out there to see how your experiences have been like when you have been for an interview.

I'm posting as I went for an interview earlier this week in swindon, was a job advertised on a security recruitment site, job is for one of the known security companies in the UK, good pay at £10 an hour, job required you to hold FPOS (I) or at least FAAW to then be trained to FPOS (I) you would if successful conduct roughly 20 days training, including fire fighting including breathing app.

Anyway I turned up at the interview location 20 mins early as you do, was then left a further 25 mins over my actual interview time. I was then called in and introduced to the ops manager, I gave him another copy of my CV which he then started to go through it as he had only received it from the recruitment agency the evening before, he then explained the job role in more detail and who it was for, I was asked about 4 times if I would think the job would be to boring for me, as Ive been in Afghan and iraq, obviously explained that I need to establish myself in the UK security side of things, and that the role sounds interesting and that I was told that there is alot of scope for career progression, and possible Team Leader / Supervisors needed for this contract and that this would be of interest to me, again I got dont you think tho that this job might be to boring for you, I was at this stage getting a tad frustrated that this ops manager felt the need to keep going on about it might be to boring, so I then said well is there a role that you feel maybe more suited to me, he didnt even answer just went straight onto medical quals, FPOS(I) one which he told me only lasts a year according to him, I said Im MIRA at the moment, he didnt know what that was, which I thought ok not everyone does.

He then left to photocopy my passport etc and give me an application pack to fill out and if i was interested to send it back to there office, and yes he then said about me finding it boring, by this stage I just wanted to get in my car and go home which I did 5 minutes later.

Anyway the recruitment company rang me that afternoon to see how I got on, I said it was fine, I pointed out I was seen 25 mins late, and that he basically looked over my CV as he spoke to me,I just said as an ops manager I expected him to have a brief Idea of who I was and abit of my background he knew nothing, and to me in todays climate we are the ones looking for work are told to do research before interview on companies, have a CV squared away, cover letter correctly done, be EARLY to the interview, all of which I did, now if i was late it would have been a no go from the start, if i knew nothing about the company etc again a big minus against me.

I just felt like Id bother my arse to look smart, be on time, do my home work but yet get bombarded with the same quote throughout. Yes id like a mamangement job, but the reality is well its not gonna happen unless ive UK experience, how do I get that when I get the over experienced/ over qualified feeling. I have to say Ive had a few interviews in the UK by Security Managers and I honestly thought that they were so poor and just didnt look the part at all. I was told of a mucker of mine that its just fierce competition and that they feel threatened hence why its tough going.

Bit of a waffle I know, just pretty deflating to say the least.

How many others has this happened to? And who feel the same?

 

[littlewoman]

I think you'll find that you are better qualified for the job above ops manager than the current ops manager, so he doesn't want you going for the job because you'll probably get promoted over the top of him. It is incredibly common in all sectors of work which is why there are so many idiots running things. I've had it happen to me plenty of times, although my usual one is questions along the line of "You're going to be working mostly with men, do you think you can cope with the, do you think you can cope with the bad language?" etc. This despite my virtually my entire career and college courses were in predominantly male environments. These stupid questions I can cope with its the fact that they don't ask any questions about what you actually can do and its clear that you're only there because it looks good for the equal ops people that they interviewed a female that is irritating.

 

[LeeH]

I have seen this quite a lot. Ops Manager / Interviewer totally out of their depth with no experience outside their current job, yet acting like a king maker because of insecurity in their own abilities. This has happened at big companies that do their interviewing at Buckingham Gate where incompetence was given a new definition and also for a company in Mansfield where the owner was actually wearing a tactical vest in the office (Gen) But on the other hand I was interviewed the other day for a job that I actually got and the woman interviewing had background knowledge of everything on my CV and I was proper grilled and put through the ringer.

 

[mag-to-grid]

I know exactly where you're coming from. I attended a interview once and all the MD kept saying to me was that I'd find it boring. He may of been right, but I knew what I applied for and knew what the roll was etc. Like you they handed me the company application form to fill in and send it back to them.

I didn't take the job up as I personally thought they were pretty gash, the office was a heap and I was the dressed the smartest out of everyone. 1st impression wasn't great for me.

 

[The Security Advisor]

It would be worth trying to understand the recruitment process more. It's not about you being bored it's about working out whether you'll stay in the job long enough so that you don't leave and the company have to go through the recruitment process again.

If you're saying you're over qualified then you shouldn't be going for those jobs so it's down to you to apply for suitable roles, why would you apply for a job you are over qualified to do.

Personally I interview a lot, I don't have time to look over and study a CV prior to the interview, I probably get ten minutes before I go in. The more you understand the interview process the easier you will make it on yourself.


Tom

 

[mag-to-grid]

If you're saying you're over qualified then you shouldn't be going for those jobs so it's down to you to apply for suitable roles, why would you apply for a job you are over qualified to do.

It's because of 2 reasons why people go for jobs that they MAY be over qualified for.

1) The roll of the job was not quite correct while it was advertised, there for resulting in unexpected personal attending interviews.

2) Money. people have bills, mortgage/ rent and families to look after.




Sent from my iPhone using Close Protection World

 

[LeeH]

The reason people apply for roles that they are over qualified for is because they still need to pay bills while looking for decent contracts because good roles are thin on the ground at the moment due to the market being flooded with every Tom, Dick and Harry who has attended a budget CP course. If you are wanting the best operator for any level of security, be it CP or Static, then you need to actually read CV's and then cross reference them during the interview process. This is especially so in CP because there are so many knife fighting ninjas who have tonnes of experience in the commercial sector when they have actually done a UK 2 week discounted course as part of forces resettlement package. If I was paying for an individual to interview people for an RST / CP role, then I would hope he would be very thorough and find me the best candidate and a starting point for that would be the initial contact of actually reading and digesting the shortlisted CV's.
Understanding the interview process has no bearing what so ever on having an interviewer or security manager that has an inferiority complex or indeed is a Walt himself.

 

[The Security Advisor]

Lee,

You hit the nail on the head and this is exactly why people don't get roles they are over qualified to do. If you are looking for a filler job to pay bills while you look for a decent contract then why would a company employ you knowing you'll move on as soon as you find something better and they will have to start the recruitment, training and admin process again. It doesn't make any sense for them to employ you.

Tom

 

[littlewoman]

Lee,

You hit the nail on the head and this is exactly why people don't get roles they are over qualified to do. If you are looking for a filler job to pay bills while you look for a decent contract then why would a company employ you knowing you'll move on as soon as you find something better and they will have to start the recruitment, training and admin process again. It doesn't make any sense for them to employ you.

Tom

I think that you're overlooking the fact that some people might be quite content with a job below their qualification level if it is a steady job. There may also be other factors such as getting a job near home, wanting or needing to be near their family, or perhaps near something else. Also they may have found that they have had enough of the job they qualified for. I can imagine that a few people may be tired of escort important people around London and might be perfectly happy on a security site somewhere in the countryside or near sea or mountains if they have particular leisure pursuits in those areas. There will be quite a few that want to give up PSD with young children on the way.
I have met plenty of DS that can't handle the boredom of a quiet position at a festival, or night shift on a security site. Plenty of people with a CP badge have the discipline to handle those sorts of jobs. Just because you're qualified to do something much higher doesn't mean you're going to hate doing something that doesn't require all your qualifications.

 

[marshy41]

It would be worth trying to understand the recruitment process more. It's not about you being bored it's about working out whether you'll stay in the job long enough so that you don't leave and the company have to go through the recruitment process again.

If you're saying you're over qualified then you shouldn't be going for those jobs so it's down to you to apply for suitable roles, why would you apply for a job you are over qualified to do.

Personally I interview a lot, I don't have time to look over and study a CV prior to the interview, I probably get ten minutes before I go in. The more you understand the interview process the easier you will make it on yourself.


Tom

Tom Its not so much as Im over qualified Im saying that I applied for a role I found interesting, and after over 5 years away overseas working it was a good start point for me.

Im trying to point out that we see all to often the lack of professionalism from so many on here and the right and wrong ways of seeking work and approaching employers and potential employers, yet when its all done correctly it comes back and slaps you in the face.

And lets be honest tom there isnt that much CP / RST stuff around full time so Im seeking work with a security company in the UK that will give me some career progression ie into management.

I do research and I understand the interview process, i wasnt asking this guy to sit there for an hour looking at my CV but trying to glance at it as he was trying to interview me isnt the done thing. To me a little knowledge goes along way from both sides at interview.

 

[The Security Advisor]

I appreciate what you're saying about changing roles and wanting a new challenge, I guess it's how you get that point across as most companies will be dubious because of previous applicants / employees leaving after short periods of time after saying they wanted a new challenge.

 

[marshy41]

I appreciate what you're saying about changing roles and wanting a new challenge, I guess it's how you get that point across as most companies will be dubious because of previous applicants / employees leaving after short periods of time after saying they wanted a new challenge.

That is exactly it, its one of those things I think where one who can see the potential and either go with it or even put you into a role more suited which I know does happen. Trial and error I think, just have to keep at it and hopefully get that break.