Hitachi Consulting Project Manager Interview

Interview Details I spoke with 10 - count 'em - TEN Hitachi people - 2 VP's, 4 Directors, and 4 Senior Managers. All were very friendly and upbeat about the company - gave me the "it's a great place to work" speil. And every one of them told me I would be a great fit. Some actually said they were recommending me for hire.

It was a long process - over a month, made longer by the company's week and a half-long Holiday break.

After 4 phone interviews, I had a face to face with a VP a Director and a Senior Manager after which I had a conference-call interview with a Director and 2 of his team who were looking for a PM for their project.

After waiting a week for feedback, I finally emailed the recruiter who called back and told me "they weren't going forward" because I "wasn't a fit for the project role they're trying to fill".
Odd, because I was never given the impression that I was being considered for only one specific project role. I don't understand why it would take 10 people, including 2 VP's to determine whether someone can fill one single project role.

for the benefit of those who might not know, there's a difference between a consulting firm and a body shop. Consulting firms hire strategically - "for the bench", as they say. They get people on board, acclimate/indocrinate them, then get them onto a suitable role with a client project. Body shops, on the other hand, hire to fill a spot.

Throughout that long interview process, I thought I was interviewing with a consulting firm. I've been around the block and I know which questions get asked and which ones to ask.

Turns out I got played. All along, I was talking to a body shop that was masquerading as a consulting firm. Had I known who I was dealing with up front, I wouldn't have let them waste a month of my time.