American Express Interview
Almost had an interview with American Express just now. Was a Webex (gross) interview. I attempt to join via Firefox and Chrome with no luck. Just a very vague error saying it’s a browser/browser version/OS issue. This makes sense, I run Ubuntu 18. I call into the meeting instead, and am told they “require” video to conduct the interview (not sure why that is required, but whatever). I explain the error I received, and said we might need to reschedule when I can borrow a Windows or Mac laptop, or have time to troubleshoot Webex on an Ubuntu browser. One interviewer asks if I can try Internet Explorer. I mentally face palm, and explain again I am running Linux (keep in mind this was a technical interview for an engineering role). The other interviewer suggests they try using a different WebEx meeting room. I explain again why I don’t think it will work, but say “sure let’s try” to humor them. I drop off the call and wait for a new meeting room link in my inbox. About 15 minutes later, I receive the automated “Thank you for applying but...” I’m a very mediocre IT professional, with my semi legitimate excuse being that I only have about 1.5 years IT experience after leaving the semiconductor industry. Even still, I don’t feel like I am out of my lane asking this: How many engineers/engineering managers at American Express are legitimately *mentally impeded*? (Apparently blind won’t let me use the r-tard word. So much for free speech.)
Failing to properly join a scheduled call is an automatic rejection anywhere. So, get a Windows PC and follow the masses...
I joined the call. Not the webex though. Maybe AmEx should ditch their shitty video conference software and join the rest of 2019.
That's why I said properly :) , I've interviewed people and I've rejected people for this reason. I agree with you that their tool is not great, but it's their pick.... And besides, you want to get a job eventually, right?
WebEx app has video as well - I wouldn’t have wasted my time joining a second call either
Yeah I’d have just used the app.
Do you use a Linux/webOS phone also? If not you could have downloaded and android or iOS app on your phone and joined the interview. I don’t think these big company corporate jobs are a good fit for you. Try smaller ones or startups.
I have an old HTC with Android 4.x because I hate the smartphone addiction/reliance culture that has propagated so profusely into society. So that’s probably a no-go. I also have an iPhone without a SIM which I use for music, which would probably have worked just fine. Here’s my issue: why the hell does it need to be a video interview? It was technical, so I had headphones, a mic, and was prepared to do a small amount of coding on my laptop, which would have been difficult while holding the iPhone in front of my face.
I’ve worked at IBM and Intel, and despite being bureaucratic behemoths, I had no real issues about the tools or work environment (Except the Lotus suite. Fuck the Lotus suite). I had a web interview with Amazon not too long ago, and when I called in and mentioned that Amazon Chime wasn’t working in Firefox or Chrome, the interviewer responded: Yeah, Chime kinda sucks, but no problem, we can continue by phone... So maybe i should just avoid dumb interviewers who arbitrarily insist on using a particular technology.
You sound difficult to deal with.
You sound like Dwight from The Office
Hiring is an afterthought for many and unless they are desperate for people they have better shit to do, like support other software shittier than their webex which I guarantee they have.
Genuinely curious, why do you use Ubuntu only machine?
I am a Mac for dev but also Windows for gaming.
I can’t believe they really trashed your interview, just because you couldn’t connect with Linux. It would have been so simple to just wait for you to get to a Windows machine, send a message, and start it up.
Knowing you are scheduling a video call with WebEx and using Ubuntu you probably should have taken the 5 minutes to ensure there were no issues with connecting prior to the interview
I did that before calling in, hence me explaining the issue to them. Also, they should have probably explicitly stated in previous email correspondence that video capability was required, and calling in was not sufficient, although call-in instructions were given.