I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Hippie Shop (Randolph, NJ) in Oct 2022
Interview
First round of interviewing was a 20-minute phone conversation about my skills, experience and the position details. Then I interviewed in person. When I arrived I filled out paperwork that was essentially my resume with additional references. Once the interview began they also had my pre-submitted resume in hand. I was interviewed for around an hour by both owners of the company. They asked that I come in again for a test product photography shoot. I came in at a later date for this last interview round which lasted around an hour. Days later they sent me an offer for the position. I accepted and asked if I could be hired for $22/hr, the maximum wage listed on the job posting, and two dollars more than their offered wage. They rescinded their offer.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Would you be comfortable working in our warehouse sometimes for full shifts?
I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Hippie Shop (Randolph, NJ) in Dec 2018
Interview
The interview process was more of a conversation than a standard Q&A with the owner of the company, Anthony. During the interview, he spoke about wanting to give the new hire standard day to day operations stuff so he can focus on creating new content. He didn't care what products he sold or where they came from as long as they could sell. He wasn't sure of the direction he wanted to take the company and what it would sell. With this said, I didn't necessarily think it was a bad thing since companies need to be a little more versatile these days. The interview went longer than expected (over an hour) and we really hit it off! The interviewer went as far as to tell me he wanted me to come back and interview with his wife, even asking me if I was going to continue interviewing at other places in the mean time! Three weeks after the initial interview and multiple emails later (sent by me) asking for the follow up interview that he had wanted to schedule with his wife, I was told that they decided not to fill the position at all and aren't onboarding any new hires. The owner of the company should have known about wanting to hire someone, he shouldn't have made promises of a second interview, and he shouldn't have kept someone on the hook for several weeks through multiple email conversations. I had gotten really great vibes from the company but ultimately, the owner doesn't know what he wants, what he needs, what he wants to sell, the direction he wants to take the company or even being on the same page as his wife and partner in the business.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
The interview went great and I'd like to get you in to talk with my wife, do you plan on interviewing with other companies in the mean time?
I applied online. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Hippie Shop (Randolph, NJ) in Oct 2018
Interview
I applied via Indeed, which meant they had my resume, and then when I arrived they handed me a boilerplate application to fill out. Try cramming information about your previous employment from a resume into a job application that asks where you went to high school. Jamming a marketing resume fits perfectly - not. Plus, they already had a copy of my resume and, again, my Indeed resume. I knew that was a bad sign. I should have walked out.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
It wasn't a Q&A, it was a high concept interview. A lot of marketing strategy and the future of the company. Because the owner, who was very deer-in-the-headlights, didn't know much about marketing, other than the point-and-click ability to run Facebook ads, I did most of the talking. He wanted to build a marketing department, with strategy, workflow, process, etc., for the future, which sounded great - that's what I do - but he also wanted immediate gratification. I should have walked out here, too. Marketing is about laying a foundation and building from there. He didn't understand that. He wanted his jollies right away and was very uncomfortable when I tried to examine that - again, I got the sense he really lacked rudimentary marketing know-how.
I walked out the interview with mixed feelings, I would have likely taken the job, so I went ahead and emailed him materials that I normally charge for when I do consulting. I'm sure it was like looking at Chinese to him. Again, his marketing knowledge was quite dim.
Two major negatives, the run-around for the interview process was too much for a low-paying job. The job only paid about $37,000 and you'd be on the hook for 50% of the health insurance - that's a bad sign right there. Additionally, they call themselves the hippies, but he said he would happily sell a cheap product from China if it had a picture of Jerry Garcia on it. I'm sure Jerry Garcia is rolling over in his grave . . .
Bottom line, he got a lot of high-level marketing consulting out of me for free, so this "hippie" is just looking to snooker you. Stay away from this company.
