I was brought in to interview at AEP through a personal recommendation. I was told that AEP is the company to work for in Columbus.
Boy was I wrong.
I arrived at AEP tower following the instructions I received in my e-mail and asked for the recruiter at the front desk. I was then told that this specific hiring manager works in their Nationwide Ave building; not discussed in my e-mail correspondence with AEP. So in the blistering heat, I had to walk all the way to their other location in a full suit.
I finally get there and meet the hiring manager: a lovely young lady who was professional with me. She asked me a few survey questions. Unfortunately I was soon greeted by the panel who would be interviewing me: five men with gray hair. One turned to the other after avoiding my handshake and said aloud, "follows directions: F."
The interview took and hour and a half, with every member of the panel asking me one question and moving on. They were all questions from a printed packet, and most of the time they didn't ask me anything genuine. Just the traditional why did I choose AEP, what is my biggest weakness, what can I offer the company, what is a time when I had to explain something to someone who didn't understand, etc..,. All questions that you can find answers too and questions that they probably found after five minutes on Google.
The side comments from the man who wouldn't shake my hand continued, even though the rest of the panel seemed to not even acknowledge it. This man, after two rounds of questions, then fell asleep for what seemed like thirty minutes! After waking back up and making a few more wise cracks, he asked me incredibly personal questions: my age, where in town I was currently living, why I didn't currently have a job, etc..,.
I was then given the real job description and not what I was originally given by the recruiter: I would be one of only two Load Forecast Analysts for Columbus! That's right: I was one of only two people telling the coal power plant in Coshocton how much coal to throw in or else there wouldn't be enough power for the city! I wouldn't be paid the overtime I would end up working, I was supposed to be at my desk by 7 in the morning and I couldn't leave until 6 at night!
Not to mention the weekend commitment they required. All for 10% less the national average.
Their Nationwide Blvd offices were very nice and new, but AEP tower is morbid and depressing on the inside. I wasn't told where I would be working most of the day, and I didn't want to find out. After telling loved ones and even my career coach about my, "interview from hell," I was told it was best that I not take an offer even if they somehow scare everyone else off and give me a shot.
too long; didn't read: if you are under 45, don't have at least ten years work experience and you don't want to be underpaid, apply elsewhere.