Hi everyone! Recently I had an interview with an American company and came face to face with the bullshit you have to deal with on a daily basis. Apparently they are trying to outsource their technical team to Eastern Europe, unfortunately, they are using the same tactics that they would use in the US.
I am a software developer based in Eastern Europe and I was looking for some freelance work that I could do for fun on the weekends, possibly during the week. I came across a freelance recruiter on linkedin and she set up and interview with company X.
First thing they notice on my CV – I freelance a lot and work on many different projects for many different companies. None of them ever had any problems with my schedule, my work is always complete on time and everyone is happy to work with me. Apparently company X had a problem with that and told me the following – “While you work with us you won’t be allowed to work with anyone else. If you take any extra jobs it means that you didn’t work enough for us and we need to increase your workload.”
Now company X was offering a hefty salary (around $5000, which is a lot for where I’m from, considering the median salary here is $1000) so I told them my “not working for other people fee” is $10000 and they would have to pay me a lot if they need 100% of my time. They told me that it was not acceptable, and that I should reconsider my prices. I just laughed reminded them that this is Eastern Europe and I don’t need to slave away for an American wage here, I can survive with a goat and some tomatoes from my garden. They felt really offended and I wished them success and hung up.
Needless to say, I instantly felt some sadness for you and the bullshit you need to deal with. You need to remind your employers that they are the ones who need you, not the other way around.
Greetings from Eastern Europe, where life is good!