One of my pet beefs is the lack of feedback from “Employment Consultants”. I recently was approached, yes that is the word, by one of these consultants to apply for a job that I had not seen advertised. “You are ideal for the role” purred the consultant “$300K plus bonus, plus stock options etc etc”. So immediately he had broken my own number one golden rule: don’t mention money first up.
Well of course I was interested, and within 24 hours I am sat with three suits in a CBD high rise, listening to how wonderful the company was, and how the future was bright and the reasons they had “hunted me down”. When I told them after forty minutes I was curious but not convinced, they were taken aback. The thought had not occurred to the CEO, the CFO and the other suit, that I may turn them down. Which at the end of the meeting I did there and then. Why did I refuse – simple – I did not trust them and everything was too good to be true. They wanted me to run one of their many businesses which they had acquired. They were not true asset strippers but shaking hands with the CEO was akin to shaking hands with a dead fish. There was no chemistry between us, there was no spark.
Usually feedback from employment consultants is extracted if it is bad news, or immediate if it is a job offer. This was a highly unusual scenario for the consultant. He called and immediately started talking money, shares and had no idea that there was more to my decision than the perks and lurks. I explained to him that I came to Australia on a 747 not a banana boat and he was still mystified. Also, the thought of loosing his fee (12.5% on $300k plus) was influencing his excitement. When he realized that I could not be persuaded his tone changed and he wanted to tell me how I should appreciate everything he had done for me. At this point the boy from Liverpool emerged from within and I explained the facts of life to him in words of four letters and one syllable. He will probably be so angry he will un-friend me on Facebook, oh dear.
So my debate rages is it boots or suits for my future? Boots are looking more honest at the moment.
PREMDALE CONSULTING 