From the time period between late April and the first part of July of this year, 2010, I had 5 interviews with them, all with different people from different states.
First of all, FIVE interviews? That many really that necessary? Throughout the 5 interview process, they were never clear with what branch location I would be working and twice it took up to 2 weeks without hearing back from them, even after inquiring via email and voice messages.
Secondly, they told me they needed this position filled no later than June for sure. Well, my last interview
wasn't until July.
And in the last interview, I was required to put together a power point landscape graphic presentation, which was shared on their screen and was fine with me. However, the purpose of it was to role play; I am the desiger and the interview is the customer. Rather than asking me questions a customer would, the interviewer wanted to argue about the cost of a shrub on my cost estimate. In addition, the interviewer was very subjective; he discounted all but one of my suitable and aesthetically pleasing design ideas. I gather he was simply offended and on guard, given I was critiquing his work, per his request by the way. Given that that he has supposedly worked for this company for 15 years, he probably felt his concepts were the only ones to follow. To me, he is certainly narrow minded and that's a set back for his clients who should have as much variety as possible when it comes to selecting design solutions. Lastly, he was to show me how his design software works, but he never did, claiming he had a time constraint. In fact, so constraint, he only allowed me 10 minutes to present the power point presentation. Lastly, which was a joke, as a final hoop to jumped through, I provided him with a list of more than 50 plants I would suggest using for a particular region in Texas he chose.
In summary, the feelings were actually mutual. I didn't want to work for them and they didn't provide an offer.