Sarah Welcome Guest | Login or Register

Two weeks ago, I interviewed with a company that seemed to have it all: a well-known brand, friendly employees, and a fun atmosphere. Everything seemed a little too fun though, especially considering that the technical writing teams were working overtime to meet deadlines and going through a seemingly horrendous html to xml conversion. I won’t go into the gory details, but the last nine months of employment at my last job involved an excruciating sgml to xml conversion that is still taking place and there is no end in sight. It is not the reason I quit working there, but it definitely did NOT make me want to stay.

Anyway, my interviews went well, but I was met with statements like this - “We work hard and sometimes for long stretches, but we have FUN doing it.” Really? How is living at your office for days on end considered fun? It sounded like a slave ship to me. However, I got called back for a second interview the next week. I almost cancelled, but I wanted to give them another chance to prove to me that I might like working there. It didn’t take long for me to realize that my first impression was dead on. I interviewed with two writers who had been there for about a year. They started out by telling me how they frequently came in on weekends and stayed until midnight to meet a deadline. Now, if you were a news writer, this would make sense. If you are writing technical manuals or FAQ pages, this is a little weird. They sensed my apprehension and talked about the wonderful perks they got at work - an onsite gym, a late-night cafeteria - even onsite hair-stylists, dental care, and chiropractic visits. This place was heaven! Everything you needed was within its tall, highly fortified walls. Who needs a home when you can catch a quick nap on a brightly colored sofa in one of the many “lounge” areas?

After listening to these guys go on and on about the perks, I think I finally realized what cult members sound like. I did give them one last chance. I asked them straight-out “so, do you guys live here?” With only a second of hesitation, they both answered “yes.” I knew that I was not cut out for this job.

In the end, I was not offered the job. Perhaps it was because of comments such as “Wow! That sounds a little scary” when asked if I was interested in spending hours on end debugging the new authoring system or the aforementioned “do you live at work” question.

As for me, I prefer to live at home with my boyfriend, not in an office with my coworkers. Now, to get ready for my first day of work on Monday at a non-brainwashing company (or so I hope) …