I recently interviewed for the post of Product Architect with TSys. I was told the interview would last 3 hours and would include a scenario test, to which I had to respond during the interview time. I was greeted by a friendly and informative HR representative and put at ease. The interview was with 2 product architects and consisted of a brief introduction to the company and the post itself. I was then presented with the scenario and told I could ask questions about it. I was left on my own for a length of time to work through it. After which I had to present my proposal and answer questions. I was then allowed to ask any general questions, which I did and the interview was concluded. At no point was I asked a single question about my past experience or my core skills or anything about myself. This is bizarre and I have never heard of an interview where the candidate does not get a chance to highlight experience and skills. The scenario itself was poorly formed and the goal – to present my solution proposal to the management committee – far too wide and vague to be accomplished in a very short space of time. Not real world at all. As it transpires, the post has been advertised for many months and no suitable applicants found. I have to conclude that the company are missing out on finding suitable talent due to an unprofessional interview process which does not allow the candidates to present their experience. A friend recently applied for post of software architect and had a completely different experience, where he was quizzed on past experience and projects as well as a series of relevant technical questions and tests, all of which were tightly focused and relevant. So my comments are restricted to the department I was applying to.