I didn't even apply for this job, but they found my CV online. I agreed to have a chat with them about the role but when they called the lady I spoke with didn't even know that. She asked me why I had chosen to apply for this role and I awkardly responded that I hadn't. She then decided to conduct a phone interview anyway. I got an email the day after saying I was invited for a face-2-face interview in their offices in Stoke. On the plus side they paid for the flight, which was the only reason I even went. Sorting out the booking was a farse, they found super awkward flights and wanted me to come in and fly out on the same day. As if you can deliver a great interview if you've been up since 2 am. When I got there, Stoke in itself was the most depressing place I've ever been to. I think the graveyard I passed on my way to their offices was a sign of what was to come. It really didn't get better when I got to their main offices. I waited for a while in the clinical-feel reception area and my interviewer were late. When I finally met the interviewer they were friendly and tried to make me relax as we went to the interview room. However, what followed wasn't great. I got the classic questions such as what sports do you follow and a bunch of competency based questions. The two interviewers were unprofessional, one of them even blurted out sexual innuoendos. I have never felt so awkward. Apart from the one interviewer who basically spoke without thinking, the other one sat there as a statue and gave a really judgy vibe, making me feel really stupid. The questions were easy enough but I found that the interviewer kept repeating what I said, and told me what I felt about the situations I described. The interpretations were dead wrong and I kept on having to repeat myself. The interviewers came across as really unprepared. After the very awkward interview, I was put in the team I would be working with. The account advisor I was paired up with clearly wasn't prepared and it was just 15 super awkward minutes where I tried to ask questions. Next I had the translation test, which was the most pleasant part of the experience. While I was completing the test I sat in the open office space, and one thing I really couldn't get past was the horrible air. It was literally no ventilation system so it didn't take long till I got a headache. Overall, I found the interview to be quite easy, but I was really put off by the unprofessional conduct of my interviewers, the lack of enthusiasm of the staff I met, and the horrible working conditions.
