An update on my hiring crisis I mentioned yesterday:
The recruiter said the "Manager" role indicated on the application website was only used for "administrative" purposes and was not reflective of the actual level I would be considered for. She said it was up to the company to interview me and then judge my level based on that. Except again, I was not at all assessed on managerial topics, so how can they judge if I am not equipped enough for a manager role?
Anyhow, she failed to mention this before the first interview and is now trying to backtrack. She said she understands it is "important to get clarification on all aspects". If she understands this well, then why did she fail to inform me the Manager title in the application was bogus? Yet she said there's been no change in the application.
On top of this, the Manager role requires 5/6 years experience in the industry. I have 7+ and they want me to prepare a business case for the junior role for a 2h interview. Not happening. I'm already selling myself short by going to a junior role and if on top of this I need to do a business case, certainly not. I've better things to do with my time.
I would have a hard time justifying to any prospective employer why I left a junior associate role three years ago only to come back again at the same level. It makes no sense whatsoever. The recruiter said this is a highly sought after company - well, breaking news, my career has only been in top-tier sought after firms including a competitor, so this argument does not impress me. I know what working at this level will be like - nothing different from my current company (long hours, mistreatment, work piling). I will wind up frustrated after a year that my career has not progressed. My current situation is bad enough - I don't want to wind up in the same pickle but in a different company. The application is getting withdrawn.