The interview offer came through DYSIS a States company that does hiring and screening interviews for larger companies. I got an email from them about a game design job. No company listed, no details, no wages. I thought it was a scam. I asked for the job specifics and wages.
They did send the job description which said fully remote and for 18 months but still no listing of hours expected or wages.
I high-balled them with my rates in USD since it was a States company contacting me. I asked again for the company name.
They said it was for Microsoft (in Canada, where I live) and that they’d be willing to pay my rates but in CAD instead. I did verify that Microsoft Canada was hiring for a game designer position and that the job descriptions seamed to match. So I went with it and gave them my number, but emphasised that a phone meeting should be scheduled through email.
This guy at DYSIS immediately cold-called me. I let it go to voicemail because I was out in public where it would be hard to hear and inconvenient to do an interview. Then they sent an email saying they couldn’t reach me. No s**t.
I re-emphasised that a phone interview should be scheduled via email and that I was not available today. They wanted me to call them when I was available. Their number was long distance, so no. I told them my next availability and they agreed to call at that time.
In the phone call I learned that the job is not fully remote, it’s mostly in office and for 40hrs a week.
I value work-life balance and 40hrs/wk does not support that. I haven’t worked 40 hour weeks for years.
Also, I have several on-call part-time contracts with clients whom I do like and are not a big States corporation trying to lowball my rates because I’m Canadian and lie about the job specifics.
It was a hard pass. The whole thing could have been a scam. I just find it amusing how little worth a full-time job at a big company holds for me, when a decade younger, more naïve, me would have jumped at this.
TL,DR: Got an interview request from a hiring firm supposedly representing Microsoft, but they weren’t upfront about rates or hours and lied about the job being remote. Hard passed on it because big name companies don’t hold as much clout with me any more. I prefer work/life balance.