Yes, I wrote a letter. And the letter I wrote was to the VP of Human Resources at Aon, Inc. about a Monday’s little fiasco. I went back and looked at the emails sent to me AND the form I was given to fill out and found that (as I remembered) that I was told to check out the Aon.com web site, but the form was for “Combined” which is an ?? affiliate? subsidiary? something or other.

Since the form didn’t say “Combined Insurance, Inc” at the top – only “Combined — Application for Employment” I stupidly assumed it was combined, I don’t know, application and interview notes?

Let’s put it this way. I couldn’t find any reference on the Aon site to Combined. On the Combined site, it was obviously the same web design and I think there was mention of Aon. Combined certainly did have their own employment listings. (and management positions were listed there as well as sales).

Anyway, my letter deals with the pointing me towards the Aon site and not the Combined site and then to the really bogus questions on the application form. And to the fact that this guy had told me there was a possible array of jobs available and when I arrived it was only sales.

By the time I got done with the letter I was totally creeped out about the whole thing. And I mentioned that frankly, I had NO way of knowing, sitting there in a hotel lobby, if these two men actually worked for Aon, Combined or anyone else for that matter. How weird is that? I might NEVER go on an interview in a hotel lobby again! And I will certainly ask for company ID next time I’m anywhere but on company premises. Geesh.

This VP was the ONLY even vaguely HR related name/title I could find. On the Aon site of course it lists the Board and the Management heads and that’s where she was listed. It was even hard to find a real address for these people and there was NO email addresses given. I think one phone number.

I’ll be interested to see if I get a response at all.

well!

This may be the first time I have ever walked out of an interview before it started!

I went, I was a little early. I was told to go knock on a door just off the lobby. The door was slightly ajar but it seemed like there was more than one person inside.

I decided I’d wait a bit in the lobby until it was closer to the time. I went and sat down. There was a man and a young woman sitting at a cafe-like table out in the lobby and I suddenly realized that this was an interview going on and that, yes indeedy, it was for the company I was there to interview with. I moved so I was less in the center of the room.

My impression, not listenng to every word, was that the position being talked about was sales, big potential salary numbers etc. The interviewer did about 90% of the talking, which I take as a bad sign no matter what.

When the time came for my interview they were nowhere near finished, so I thought I’d casually try again the door I’d been sent to. Still noisy inside. But indeed the man who contacted me came out, wondering why I hadn’t made contact with the other interviewer (still talking with candidate). He got me an application and I was told to take my time filling it out.

Name address serial number. How much money did I require to live on per month? Did I have another source of income?

Hmmmmm.

Had I ever worked a second job? worked while attending school full time?

Hmmmmm

Next page (of four) – Drivers license. any accidents? Name of Insurance Co. Amount of liability carried.

Not.

Much space for employment history.

Now they’re really getting on my nerves. I really hate when they want you to bring copies of your resume but they ALSO want you to fill out some dorky form with all the same information. And I’m no longer providing salary history to anyone, regardless.

Page four – what I’m looking for in a job. Interesting – normally that’s an interview question. Why I think I’ll be good at sales.

Definitely not.

I put away my pen. The lobby interviewer comes over. I ask – can I attach a copy of my resume rather than filling out all this center part? Oh, I don’t know – is it up to date? duh.

So I try another question: why are all the questions on the back only about sales positions? well that would be because that’s the job being interviewed for. Very interesting since that’s not what I was told. I had also gone through my records and seen that I had applied for a customer service job in one part of their company awhile ago. He repeats that this is only for sales jobs.

Nope sorry – see ya around. He says: I’ll just take the application…. Ha! I don’t think so.

And I left.

LOL – what a waste of time. But how empowering. Wonder what the other fellow thought when he came out to see how the interview was going or went.

So I went over to the mall to see where the Apple store would be. Right across from Macy’s from what I could tell. Then I came home.

Now I’m ready to start sewing again.

OK, so WHAT the heck is this all about – three calls for interviews this week!?! after weeks of neglect, now that I have an offer, I’m appealing? desireable?

Story of my life!

Been there. Done that. Thought it was weird at the time.