I applied for this position in April and they finally called me in July to see if I was interested in interviewing with them. It made me think that they had hired a previous candidate and it fell through last minute.
The first interview I met with another Account Manager because the Sales Manager had to go to the Doctor at the last minute. So the first interview was pretty much fluff but he had a similar work history as I did, so I was able to hear first hand what it was like to work there and how he transitioned into the position. He was a very bland and dry person, so our discussion was very forced on my end but it boggled my mind that this person was in sales since his personality was so flat.
A few days later, I finally had an opportunity to interview with the Sales Manager who happened to be 45 minutes late. At 40 minutes past the hour, I wanted to leave and ask them to reschedule. He came in virtually at the last second before I was going to leave. We had a pleasant conversation and he seemed to have a management style that would be a good fit for me. I also had an opportunity to meet with the other Account Manager that this position would be teamed with. She and I seemed to click as we seemed to have the same outlook and selling style. I knew there were two other candidates they were interviewing that same afternoon and was told they would make a decision at the end of the week.
I followed up at the end of the week (Friday) only to leave a message with the Sales Manager. The following Tuesday I followed up again only to leave another message. I called again the same afternoon and got the Sales Manager on the phone. He let me know that his VP of HR was going to be in the office the next day. At that time they were going to discuss the candidates and other job specifics. He called me two days later and asked what the lowest base salary I would accept. They were going to ask the other candidates what their salary requirements were as well, I got the feeling that the lowest bidder would win the job. After a few more questions, the base salary they had budgeted for was EXTREMELY low, it was along the lines of an entry level position. Given that that the job description stated they were seeking people with much more experience, I was shocked at how low the number was. After re-confirming with the Sales Manager that they thought I had the most experience, professionalism and sales ability, I asked to be considered for a slightly higher salary range. The Sales Manager agreed and said he appreciated the fact that I tried to negotiate for more. He let me know he was going to call the VP of HR to ask and would give me a call back that afternoon.
After not hearing from him, I called and left yet another message the next day (Friday) and again the following Monday. I still haven't heard back from this company but I'll assume the silence equated to a "no" of my request for more money. A phone call to confirm their decision would have been appreciated and it would have been the professional thing to do. I suppose some companies are more concerned about money than they are about being professional.
