Um... okay...?

[Lyger]

I don't know if this qualifies as a sighting, but it's been bugging me all day now.

I'm currently doing the "job hunt dance," as it were, and I've been communicating a lot with potential employers through email. One such employing prospect was a downtown bakery. "That would be fun," I thought. "It's downtown, it pays well, and working in a bakery could be fun. I think I'll go ahead and apply!"

The email exchange went something like this:

Me: Here's my resume. I've got the qualifications you're looking for.
Manager: Okay, you'd be good. Come into the store for an interview.
Me: Great! So, where is the store? Your ad didn't mention that.
Manager: Oh, well it's on the website. But if you haven't checked it out by now, I'm not interested in hiring you anymore.

... What?

She didn't even mention the bakery had a website! And she left no contact information of any kind on her ad besides an email address! So how the hell was I supposed to know the place had a website, let alone I was supposed to go there to find the address to get to the interview, of all things?

I guess I should have at least Googled it or something but... am I overreacting?

[kibbles]

That's one thing interviewers (some at least) do look for now, whether or not people have put effort into learning something about their company.

I wouldn't necessarily call her a sucky manager IMO.

[katie kaboom]

Well at least you found out right away that the manager is not very friendly. If they'd treat a potential employee like that, imagine how you would have gotten treated had you actually gotten the job.

I would call this a blessing in disguise. I don't know about you, but i wouldn't want to work for a manager like that.

[Balgram]

Yeeeeah, I'm not sure I'd want to work there.

I would thank her politely, point out that the advertisement did not indicate a website and you weren't aware the bakery had one, and wish her a great deal of luck (if you visit the website and like it, you can say that too---it's probably a good idea).

Don't make your e-mail sound like you are begging, though.

It shouldn't be an interview requirement to have to research a website you weren't aware existed. Doing so should have been considered going above and beyond, not the standard. While I personally think that Manager was asking a little much and was curt with you, they may have had several reasons for behaving that way (jerk, already hired and didn't want to say for some reason, has weird hiring procedures, etc.) and you're probably better off grabbing work elsewhere.

Let us know how the job hunt works out!

[Rapscallion]

Had I been the manager and wanted to test the Internet skills of my potential employees, I would have told them to find the bakery's website and the address from there. However, the response you got sounds like someone is playing funny fellows.

What job were you after? Baking itself doesn't really require much in the way of computer knowledge, but if it was an IT position then there may have been grounds for a simple and reasonable test. Stuff like finding out more about the company is more for people who are going to be representatives for the store, such as sales reps going out with knowledge about the operation.

Rapscallion

[Arm]

sounds like yet another HR guy spinning the wheels and making it look like he's working. Someone that screwball probably isn't interested in hiring anyone.

In the future, you can generally find a company's website by taking the last half of their email address...

like, for tim@tomtoms.com, their website is probably www.tomtoms.com, you see?

[Raventhistle]

..it's a bakery. They bake...Hell, I'm surprised that our Chipotles can take faxes for orders....I would never expect a bakery to have a website. And if they had, perhaps, mentioned in the add that their website is -blah- and you sign up for said job at said website, that'd be different. I think they were just jerking you around.

[Evil Queen]

Working in a bakery can be harder then it sounds. Particularly if they make you bake rather then run a cash register.

I think the manager probably already hired someone between "yeah, come in" and "Sure, where are you located?"

Or he's just as ass.

[wagegoth]

..it's a bakery. They bake...Hell, I'm surprised that our Chipotles can take faxes for orders....I would never expect a bakery to have a website. And if they had, perhaps, mentioned in the add that their website is -blah- and you sign up for said job at said website, that'd be different. I think they were just jerking you around.

I agree with the jerking around. It was a first call; they shouldn't really expect you to have done much research. By the time you came in for the interview, though, they could expect you to have done some research.

Bakeries vary. Some specialize in breads and rolls, one I worked near was an Austrian bakery which carried loads of pastries and little else, others specialize in cakes. There are some beautiful websites for some bakeries, especially the specialty cake ones: http://www.idreamofcake.com/ and http://www.letthemeatcake.net/ have incredible dream cakes.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

That's one thing interviewers (some at least) do look for now, whether or not people have put effort into learning something about their company.

I wouldn't necessarily call her a sucky manager IMO.

I would.

It is true that employers like it when you do some research about their organization. It shows that you know something about the place and aren't just sending out resumes and cover letters blindly to everyplace in town.

But to leave out vital information from an ad such as location seems like a trap to me. I wouldn't necessarily expect a bakery to have its own website. And even if the location is listed someplace else, like the phone book for instance, I think it's very presumptuous to assume that one isn't a serious candidate just because they need your address.

I too would consider this a blessing in disguise.

[Titi]

That's one thing interviewers (some at least) do look for now, whether or not people have put effort into learning something about their company.

I wouldn't necessarily call her a sucky manager IMO.

I wouldn't call her sucky, but ignorant. Yes, she is looking people to work there long term and wanting people to have a basic knowledge of the place but then she should have included the website in the ad.

My husband (whom was recently laid off.) uses the websites to make sure that he's not applying for a job (although he fulfills the requirements in schooling and experience) working on airplanes (his specialty is in helicopters.)

[Dips]

I think some people just get drunk on the power of being able to make hiring decisions.

When I was a teenager I saw a job ad for a dry cleaner. The ad didn't have an address but the phone number in the ad had the exchange for the next town over.

So I called to apply and was told, "NO! You don't call us to apply for the job! You supposed to come in person! No calling!"

I snapped back, "Then don't post an ad with your PHONE NUMBER in it!" and hung up.

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have wanted that job, anyway.

[Kogarashi]

Clearly, the people doing the hiring and the people writing these ads are not on speaking terms.

I, too, wouldn't necessarily call the manager sucky, but they're certainly not entirely innocent. At the best, they don't actually know that the ad has only an e-mail address on it. That doesn't call for outright refusal just because someone didn't check the website, though.

Definitely a blessing in disguise. And a store that'll be hard-pressed to get many applicants, if you ask me.

[Primer]

In the future, you can generally find a company's website by taking the last half of their email address...

like, for tim@tomtoms.com, their website is probably www.tomtoms.com, you see?

Yes, but I'm willing to bet that the email was something like joeblow@gmail.com or joeblow@aol.com.

[Arm]

Yes, but I'm willing to bet that the email was something like joeblow@gmail.com or joeblow@aol.com.

Yeah, that wouldn't surprise me. I figured it was worth mentioning just in case, though. Gotta try, right?

It's pretty clear this fellow wasn't in a hiring mood anyhow though.