Update:
I had a job interview last week. Going into the interview, I knew more than likely (99%) I would not take the job, but I figured I should at least interview and brush up on the interview process and game. The job is for a staffing company.
I showed up 5 minutes early and the receptionist gave me some paperwork to fill out. Basically the same damn stuff I give every company twice when submitting my applications online. They wanted stuff they could find in my resume, the online application (basically filling your resume out again after you upload it) and now this paper to hand fill out. Sigh. The job-seeking process is so monotonous and redundant. I want to say I get why they need the same info filled out over and over, but honestly I don't. My brother told me that his company hires third parties to do their applications and says they don't forward the info over of qualified candidates they pass on. It's 2014 people, get with it!
The interviewer asked me maybe one or two typical interview questions. Glanced back and forth at my resume during the interview and asked a few personal, rapport building questions. He asked me what I made with my previous employer and I told him I'd prefer to keep that between me and them. (I don't wanna show my cards.) He did a double-take, almost as he was shocked I responded that way and laughed and asked why. I replied something to the extent of not wanting to show my cards. Anyway, I was surprised with his reaction, almost as if he took it personal.
After a few more minutes of brushing up on my experience, work history, and education he kept saying he knew I had questions for the company, but they all could be answered if I committed to a half-day of work and shadow some people. I felt this was a cope out (he did answer some questions I asked first but kept replying we could do this all day, just come in for a half day.) At this point I just agreed because I knew it was pointless to keep asking questions to someone who was gonna say the same thing over and over again so I asked if I could look around the offices before I left and he agreed. There's more things I could say about my tour, but I don't. I will say though, I've never seen a company so guy-heavy. Pretty much everyone I saw (other than the two receptionist upfront, were dudes and there were a lot of them.)
Reasons why this job isn't for me are many. It's pretty much a phone job talking to people all day about placing them in jobs. Most of my professional experience has been outside (a lot of windshield time), business to business, project development, public relations, marketing and things like that. Sitting in a cubicle and calling people all day long (he was set on telling me all their calls were warm calls with people looking for job placement) sounds just awful and like hell. The schedule was beyond ridiculous (at least to me. Advice?) The hours are 7:30 to 6 Monday through Friday and very limited weekend work. It's about a half hour drive from my house without traffic, so I'd be looking at almost 12 hour days five days a week. The salary is terrible. 30K and pays commission. It sounds like something you could make some pretty good money at with time and being the right person for the job though. But... Not for me. I'm glad I interviewed and I'm keeping my options open. I want to go into something I may not love, but definitely don't want to shoot myself every day. I have a few more interviews next week and I'm sure more and more companies are going to start getting back to me or at least I hope. This is very tiring and stressful.
On a bright note, I will be doing P.R. work for a huge athletic event here in Utah I'll tell you guys about soon. I'm not sure what this project will pay if anything, but it will be something I can add to my portfolio and it's been great networking.