To turn down job interview

[ChangingWeight]

I had a chat with a recruiter. She had access to my CV (no embellishment) and I explained I was wanting to leave my public sector role for a more technical role within private sector, and that I maybe wanted to take a step down in my career in terms of not being a senior manager of data professionals, but perhaps being a data expert without managing for the time being then working my way up. I said I was rusty with certain software as a result of being a manager but wanted I get back into being more technical.

Anyway within 30 minutes she immediately secured me a senior data scientist job interview. She said I’m a perfect fit for a job and that she spoke to the job holder and they can’t wait to interview me etc. At this point, she drops in that they want the job holder to be an expert in certain software that I specifically said I was rusty in. She asked me to brush up on my skills ahead of the interview next week and that there will be a technical test.

AIBU to not go to this interview? I just feel like my technical skills aren’t there yet, and I don’t understand why she put me forward given I said I wanted to work my way up towards a senior position again to allow me to build my confidence being more technical. The job otherwise seems good and the company seems fine and the pay is same/higher than my current job. But the technical test seems tough, I don’t want to embarrass myself or waste their time.

Go to the interview the role isn’t yours to turn down yet.

She wants her commission. When you mentioned you were rusty with those softwares, she hears 'i know these well but just need to brush up on them a tiny bit'.
She is in sales after all.
Just decline it and say it's too senior and you are not competent enough on those softwares. She'll probably send you something almost identical five minutes later!

Ok I suppose we both have different experience. In my industry often a candidate will be put in touch directly as many initial interviews are remote.

I’ve always found a good agent will be happy to be the mediator of these questions prior to interview or introduce. An interview is way more time consuming for all than screening a few initial questions for people who are not a good fit. It’s good for the candidate the employer and therefor ultimately the recruitment agent too.

I am not suggesting the recruitment agent is taken out of the process.

It's all interview practice.

IME, tech interviews vary wildly. My last one was mostly, "name two filesystems used on Solaris," so I felt mildly miffed about the time I'd spent on warming up my rusty Solaris skills.

One of the best was where I had to install Apache then answer the questions once they were accessible through the browser. I've had people just ask technical questions, I've had technical questions on paper, and technical questions on screen.

Obviously your questions will be slightly different (I'm a sys admin,) but how they present them and how in-depth they how will be very dependent on the interviewer/employer.

I went for a Windows admin job last year - my background is clearly all unix/Linux, but I figured I could learn it, and I'd been out of work for over a year so was starting to get desperate. They interviewed me. I didn't get it, but I clearly impressed them enough that they called me back for a very similar role in Unix. Didn't get that either, but I am now working for a different company that actually works with that team as an external supplier, but for about £20K more, so it's all good. But I think that interview practice and their feedback helped.

I'd go for it. It's all interview practice. There is the thing about men go for jobs when they match far fewer of the requirements than women (this is countered by women still needing to prove themselves in a way men don't in the tech world, though.) The tech questions may not be that challenging in the end. The only thing you guarantee is that by not going for it, you definitely won't get it.

I've had some good recruitment consultants in my time, and also some terrible ones. Some years back, I went for a job where the recruitment consultant had "restructured" my CV. "Your CV says you have experience of this product," said the interviewer. "Can you explain how to..."
"No it doesn't," I said. "I've never used that." I had used related products, and I could have probably blagged my way through if I'd cared, but I'd already decided I wouldn't take the job if offered. I hope thst recruiter got a bollocking off the employer (it was apparently a key requirement of the job,) as they also did from me. Although, it is also possible they just weren't that familiar with the technology, and didn't realise Company's Product X wasn't the same as Company's Product Y. But he could have asked. So nothing recruitment guys do would surprise me.

@ChangingWeight please could you update whether you decided to go for the interview?

The interview is tomorrow😊

I’ll attend but I’m still not sure if I’m a good fit for the role… or even if I want the job. There was a salary range advertised of £40-47k but the agent has firmly said the salary is £43k. Personally I’m not sure that salary is worth it, as I’m not based in the same city as the company. So it will come with a 2 hour commute to the office (one way), 2 days a week. £43k is only £400 more than I’m currently on so I don’t think it really covers the extra commute.

Some recruiters just lie. I once went for a job and I made it clear to the recruiter I do not want to be doing X work. He reassured me the role did not include X work. Doing my research I noticed everyone in the team did both the type of work I wanted to do and X, no one specialised in one or the other, it was both. Recruiter maintained the role didn’t involve X work.

First interview it sounded like it was very much 50/50 but I didn’t say anything. Spoke to recruiter again who said it does not involve X.

Second interview, I said I do not want to be doing X work. Turned out the role was indeed 50/50. Waste of time but I treated it all as good interview practice and a way to build new connections with those who interviewed me.

So I wouldn’t trust the recruiter, but could you treat it like that, just some interview practice?

Wow yeah that's a really low salary and I would definitely negotiate a higher one on offer if I was you @ChangingWeight

I ended up cancelling the interview. I was wanting an entry role into the profession but this role wanted several years of experience. I didn’t see how I could reconcile that at interview especially with the technical aspects that would sift me out.

The agency was not happy, I think I essentially showed that I didn’t meet the criteria even though they put me forward. She said she isn’t technical so didn’t understand fully what was required. But I think it’s common sense if someone wants an entry role, to not put them forward for one specifically wanting several years of experience.

I do sort of wonder “what if”, but I think I made the right decision. Coupled with the travel and the salary, it just didn’t seem like a feasible option.