I reached out to the recruiter team six times to gain clarity on the sales presentation, but received no response. I even scheduled a mock interview with the team beforehand, but they failed to attend. Feeling uncertain, I contacted the main interviewer I had spoken with earlier to explain my situation. I told them that without clarity on my questions and given the no-show, I didn’t feel I could present my best self. The next morning, the recruiting team reached out to me via phone, email, and text, and we rescheduled the call with the hiring team. On the day of the presentation, the Interviewer was late. They explained that due to back-to-back meetings at the start of the new quarter, they were not aware of the interview presentation scheduled. That was a red flag. It was clear that they were not managing their own calendar well, and it seemed as though meeting with me was an inconvenience to them. Not a great start, but ultimately, that wasn’t my fault—this seemed to be a reflection of a disorganized recruiting department. The presentation itself went well, although I felt some of the technical details went over their head, especially as my solution at my prior company was quite complex. That’s understandable. However, when they asked if I had any questions for them, I asked, “What have all the candidates consistently missed in their interviews?” They responded that they didn’t like that question, explaining it was negative. I had picked up that question from a professional interviewer on social media who specializes in this, so I was surprised by their response. In reality, it seemed that they were inconvenienced by having me on his/her calendar, and they ultimately passed on me. I also asked, “What gives Tableau its competitive advantage?” He/She responded by flipping the question, asking who our competitors were. The sales presentation was supposed to focus on my professional experience, not the solution (Tableau). I mentioned one competitor, but the feedback I received was that my research was only basic. Unfortunately, he/she didn’t directly answer my question either. Looking back, this was a blessing in disguise. If a interviewer reacts so emotionally during a presentation call, it’s a clear indication that he/she may not manage his/her team effectively, especially if he/she can’t even manage his/her own schedule. Hard pass for me.
