I was recruited via LinkedIn to interview for an Executive Assistant position within one of Northwestern Mutual's financial groups. After participating in phone calls/short interviews with four different individuals, I received a verbal offer. However, at this point, I still had not seen anything on paper (official job description, what my benefits would be, etc.). After some back-and-forth, I was eventually handed (what was definitely a last minute, thrown together) description of the information that I requested. The whole process was very rushed and frustrating. To top it off, the financial group told me that there was a salary range available for the position. Having done my research, and knowing my education and experience, I calculated what I was worth. I was originally told that there was room to negotiate my salary, but, upon asking for more based on my experience, education, and what was being offered for other similar positions in the market, I was told that the original offer could not be negotiated. Overall, I could tell that they were just in desperate need for someone, and hoping that if they rushed the process enough, the candidate interviewing would not have time to do their research or thoughtfully consider all aspects of the position. I guess that's just the climate of today, maybe not something necessarily a norm at Northwestern Mutual. Overall, not the best interview experience.
