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unusual job interview requirement

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,147
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
over the past few months, i´ve been looking for a new job.

my current workplace, resembles a dilbert cartoon, and morale is at an all-time low. 40% of my department has quit over the last 7 months (including a senior manager, a top salesman, 2 of our best technicians, 2 mid-level bosses, among others).

in this scenario, i´ve been looking for a "nice" job at some other serious and preferably big (500+ people) corporation, where there is better management, objectives and a real career path.

anyways, ive had many interviews a few job offers (which were not 100% what am looking for).
a few weeks ago, a head hunter called me to see if i was interested in joining Mazda, as after-sales chief the country.

went to the first interview, then to the second with a senior manager. its a major company, and although the job and company seem serious.... am faced for a very unusual requirement in the 3rd (and probably final) round.

I will be given data (this saturday, along with other 2 prospects they are interested in), and am supposed to prepare a business plan (including a contract, product development, facilities development and cost/income proyection) over sunday, and submit my plan on monday for evaluation.
i will be evaluated on the quality of this plan/contract, and my posible hire, will depend on this.

so basically, am asked for a free draft consultancy on a business in which they are new (and me and my company are not, we are industry leaders). this would obviously require me to release some key data and ratios, in order to make a reasonably realistic plan.
most of this information (the ratios, contract terms and target kpi´s, specially ) are pretty much trade secrets and product of my years in the business.

the position pays twice my current salary.

what would jesus do?
 
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jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,191
media blackout
prepare a business plan, but use fake numbers to base it on. make a note of a disclaimer that the numbers are made up.

i've had to take tests during interviews too. I once had a test where i had 20 minutes to devise a sterile packaging solution, and then present it to the entire department.
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,147
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
Wait, are they asking you to do your job, before it's actually your job? Sounds like they just want an intern.
pretty much.
they have worded this requirement in a way which seems to say, they want to see the quality of my job before hiring me.

if its of any relevance, this other company has already hired 2 other guys from my company (a top salesman, and a mid-level boss) over the mass exodus we are having lately, and 2 more, over the last year.
 
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dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,195
4,419
I agree w/ Pesqueeb and JK. Asking you to discolse proprietary information could be part of the test. Do the report, solve it with variables, and put in placeholder numbers if need be. The company should be most interested in how you think, not so much the numbers you come up with.
 

kidwithbike

Monkey
Apr 16, 2007
466
0
Hoboken, NJ
I once had a test where i had 20 minutes to devise a sterile packaging solution, and then present it to the entire department.
Jon, sometimes, I wish you had a Sterile Package, for the good of humanity.
Love always, your groomsman -PJ
ps. "**** bitch you is fine" bear is in bound for Valentines day.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,942
13,135
Portland, OR
You should see our coding exercises if you want to see crazy requirements. But if you can't handle a code exercises, then you would never make it here.
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,147
796
Lima, Peru, Peru
he lives in south America, its like mad max, no laws

true dat. there are no laws, nor legal precedent, about stuff written on forums.
specially on a different language.
if it went to trial, by the time burocrats agreed on the exact translation... i´d be out of the hook due to statute of limitations... :p

edited the message, just in case.
 
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Jan 4, 2013
97
0
Hunt down the blind person that designed the Mazda 2 Sedan and restore his or her sight, good lord that thing is ugly.
Oh, man, I really wanted to love that thing. Small car from a company with a reputation for being at least a bit sporty to drive. But then I saw it in real life. Yeah, Fit is the way to go...