DSM Dyneema

DSM Dyneema

Clemson has a career website. Sort of. It's not very good, its not very organized, and it's only used when there's a career fair going on at Clemson, which is once a semester. And even at that point, the system is so overridden with students trying to find out what companies are coming to the Career Fair, the system breaks down and no one can really access much of anything. I of course used this website for a while. I used it while I was looking for jobs at school and a little bit after I graduated. The only good part about looking on Clemson's job board is that the companies posting jobs are clearly looking for entry level type people. It's pretty much the only market in college. You could tailor the jobs to be full time only, part time, or an internship. The possibilities were pretty much endless.

I had been done withe college for almost a month by this point. I wasn't really getting anywhere with my job search, and my interviews had been going just alright. One of my problems was identifying which companies were actually solid companies to work for, and which ones were just crap. So I opened my eyes up towards internships and part time work. I figured that maybe I'm just not ready for a full time deal, so maybe I'll just work part time and do some work at the golf club I live near. That would allow me to have free time and slowly slide into the real world.

So I took to Clemson's job board. I wasn't finding as much as I wanted to on the regular job boards, and I figured that if it was on Clemson's website, it had to have some legitimacy. So I go to the website and start searching. I start searching for full time positions in and around the southeast area- Atlanta, Charlotte, anywhere SC, that sort of thing. I come across a few hopefuls and write down the names on a piece of paper. I go through all the available jobs that I would be interested in and go back to apply for them. I apply for one or two and I get to a company called DSM Dyneema. It's says on the job board that it's a full time position, and they are looking for recent graduates to help in a research project. Perfect. It would give me the chance to use some of my brain power, because the only use my brain is getting at this time is figuring out how people enjoying watching MTV or any celeb-reality show on VH1. I apply for the job and continue my day.

I get a call about two days later from a woman named Keisha. Keisha works for Manpower, a recruiting agency that finds people jobs. My mom worked for them for a short while. The job was fun, but the people who worked there bitched and complained constantly and the commute was hellish for her. So she quit and went to work for herself. Nonetheless, the situation was laid out like this: DSM contracted Manpower to do all their hiring for them. It was therefore Manpowers job to sift through all the resumes for a position and select only the top candidates to go on the interview. This way DSM doesn't have to worry about any idiot with no experience coming in for an interview and wasting their time. It's simple, but can be very frustrating if you're working with a bunch of unqualified, uncooperative people.

Keisha calls and leaves me a voice-mail. She says that she is of course with Manpower, and that they wanted to talk to me about the DSM position. I didn't get the voice-mail right away, and when I finally get the message I walk to my computer so I can read up on the position again. Sometimes I feel uncomfortable taking a phone call if I know its a prospective company, because I apply to so many that I sometimes get confused as to what management trainee program or sales position I applied for and with what company. So I get to my computer and check my mail. Keisha not only left me a message, she also sent me an email regarding the position. Must be important.

When I applied for the position I had applied to a full time position in an undisclosed location. I assumed it was somewhat close by. In Keisha's email, she explains that the position with DSM is an internship as a research assistant. The position is part time, and it is located in Stanley, NC. That's about 3 hours or so from my house, and that's only because I live in north Atlanta. The position seemed interesting, but as I thought it over, I couldn't forsee the possibility of a part time job in Nowhere, NC working out. I send Keisha an email back saying that while I appreciate her responding to me so quickly, I don't believe that I will continue to pursue the position. I thank her profusely for the opportunity, but no thanks.

I get a call the next day from a guy named Bob. Bob is big stuff in the Manpower near Stanley, NC. Keisha forwarded my response to him, and he decided to flex his power and convince me to change. We're talking and he starts explaining the situation: The position is located in Stanley, NC, but he's been talking with one of the Vice Presidents at the company and they've decided that it could be a position I could have at home. My resume was forwarded on to one of the VP's, and they took a liking to me. Bob continues. He claims that they saw my resume, and I am one of their top prospects for this position. They're willing to make a lot of "sacrifices" to get me in the position. I'm intrigued by this. I have a weakness for companies that pour on the lavish praise and admiration. I listen to what Bob says and I tell him I would be willing to speak with DSM. Initially, we had set up a phone interview, but the guys over at DSM wanted to see me in person. This means I would have to drive to Stanley for a face to face. 3 hours. Each way. But since they were willing to work with me, I can work with them. I tell Bob alright, and he sets me up for an interview on the following Monday at 11 AM.

Monday morning comes, and, it's early. And dark. And early. Somehow I get up, shower, shave, and get dressed. I'm in the car by 7:00 and headed towards Stanley. The directions were relatively simple: I-85 up the whole way to Charlotte, then left and out about 25 miles or so. Out in the country. I fill up right before I leave, about $50 worth of gas. I figure it should last me the day or so.

I end up making reasonable time up there. I had left some wiggle room for the commute because 85 is unpredictable, especially since I'll be going thorough Greenville and part of Charlotte. I get off the exit and head to a McDonald's to put on my tie and go over the company information one more time. I get myself a drink and sit down at a table. Bob had given me his phone number if I had any questions, and I decide to give him a call for some last minute questions.

I get him on the phone and start voicing my questions and concerns. What type of person are they looking for, what kind of culture does the company have, have many applicants been sent for this position, etc. Bob reassures me that there are really only 3 people going for this position, and that I am the top prospect. Then comes one of my more tedious questions. I was concerned about some reimbursement for my drive up there. After all, I had just driven 3 hours and 200 miles. I had driven shorter distances and been reimbursed for my travels by other companies. I posed the question to Bob, putting it as delicately as I could. I told him I wanted to ask him first before I asked the guy at DSM. He told me, "Not to worry, DSM is a very good company and they will take care of your travel expenses since you came from Atlanta." I asked him what the standard rate is per mile and he said it was about 48.5 cents. Good. I had been nervous about the question, but Bob made me feel like it was a normal question and definitely something I should bring up in the interview. I talked to Bob a bit more, and we hung up. I was ready for this interview.

I snaked my way through smalls towns of mid-western North Carolina. There's not much there in terms of commerce, but the houses, town halls, and buildings along the way are beautiful creations that spell out hundreds of years of history. Unfortunately, history is what is taking its toll on the buildings, and I notice many that just need some TLC to restore them to their former glory. I follow my directions, and for a change they're actually right. I make a right down on road and finally come up the the DSM plant on the left. It's a broad facility with a lot of land and a nice sized parking lot. I find a spot, get my gear together, and start walking towards the door. I venture up to the right where I see some people outside. I stop about 10 feet from them and realize that this is not the right entrance. I ask them where my entrance would be, and they point me towards the other side of the building.

I walk up to the entrance and open the door. The receptionist area is a funky shape- like a half circle mixed with a triangle. It is all glass, with the receptionists desk to my front left protected by glass. I look inside and don't see anyone. There's a bell next to the window and I am about to ring it when a woman comes up- I tell her I am here for the 11:00 interview and she has me sign my name and gives me a little card to get me access through each door. I have a seat and start leafing through some of their magazines. DSM is a manufacturer of polyurethane products that have a wide application of uses. My dad works in a similar market, and DSM is actually one of his main competitors and customers. the products range form fish farming materials to sheets of strong materials that can protect houses during Hurricanes. The uses for the product vary, and the position deals with working to figure out which market proves to be the most lucrative. I can handle that.

I'm sitting in a chair perusing through one of their trade magazines in hopes of learning some new piece of information to use in my interview when another applicant walks in. He is a reasonably tall guy with a sharp looking suit on and a smile that spreads across his entire face. He walks up to the window and checks in. I continue to look at the magazine when I hear him say "I'm here for the 11:00 interview." Hmmm. The receptionist seems confused, and I hear her tell him that there must have been some confusion and that she'll work it work and for him to have a seat.

The guy sits himself next to me and introduced himself. His name is Derek, and he just graduated from Davidson. He also got a call from Bob from Manpower, and that Bob had set him up with the appointment. Apparently Bob couldn't handle setting up two appointments for two different times. Derek and I start talking- he's really nice and outgoing, and we talk about the position we're interviewing for. We both seem to be on the same page.

We were both there to meet a man by the name of Rich. Rich was the VP of Sales and Marketing. Rich was a big guy. I had been waiting in the lobby for about 20 minutes when the door opened. Rich walks out. Powerful, strong Rich. I'm seated closest to the door and Derek is sort of behind me and to the right. Rich walks out the door and I stand and extend my hand for him to shake. "Hi, very nice to meet you," I say. Rich doesn't look at me. He comes walking through the door and is looking at Derek. He walks right by me and my extended hand and shakes Derek's hand. "I'm so sorry about the mix up," he says to Derek. "I'm going to meet with Steven first and then I'll get to you in about 30 minutes." Derek says "Ok," and looks at me as if to say sorry that Rich spoke to him first.

I had put my hand down when Rich walked past me, and I raised it again to greet him. I tried to give him a firm handshake, one that said "I just drove 3 hours to see you, you will acknowledge that I am here you asshole," and a smile that said "please hire me, i just drove 3 hours to see you." Rich and I walk down the hallway and walk into his office.

It's a modest office. Dry erase board on one wall, window on another, a desk and a computer. Nothing ostentatious. Not an office for VP of Sales for a billion dollar company. Rich sits down and I sit down. Silence. He looks at me, I look at him, and I decide to go ahead and break the silence. "Well, thank you for seeing me today, I really appreciate it." Rich smiles and says "Sure thing, I wanted to get you in here to explain part of the business. What do you know about DSM?" I respond with all the facts and history I could remember from studying the company the day before and during my interlude at McDonald's. When I finish, he says "Well that's pretty good, but let me tell you some more about our company."

Rich launches into his presentation of the company- from when it was founded to what products they offer to the markets they are in and to who they work with overseas. He goes over everything, pointing to each pamphlet with information spread out across his desk that corresponds to the market they are in. It's interesting actually. Here is a company with a product that is lighter than steel but 10 times its strength, and they want to know it's best applications. I can do that. I can think creatively and figure out where the best market would be.

This one sided conversation goes on for about 20 minutes, with me methodically nodding and saying "yeah" or "ok" or "I understand" every 30 seconds or minute or so to show Rich that I was still alive. He's not really letting me get a word in. Actually, I haven't even said a sentence since I thanked him for seeing me. He has done all the talking up to this point. Not good. Isn't there some rule where you should talk 80% of the time and the person interviewing you talks 20% of the time? Isn't that the goal of interviews, for the interviewer to interview the interviewee, to get them to talk??

Rich is coming to a close. I can tell. He is beginning to sit back more in his chair and relax a bit. Rich finally ends his filibuster and looks at me. No words, just looks at me. He doesn't ask what I think of it, he doesn't ask if I understand it, he just looks at me. I'm getting uncomfortable. I'm feeling that this was a waste. I'm freaking out inside because I know I have to say something to salvage the interview and do something to make it seem that I'm more interested than I look on the outside because he bored me to death with details. I look around fr a second and say "Well, that's really interesting, I had no idea the depth of your product lines." What? What the hell is that Steven? I don't know if that was the answer Rich had in mind, because he looks at me and says "Well, do you have any more questions?" I haven't asked a single question up to this point. Rich wants me out of his office, but I'm not going that easily.

I say yes and I start with a few questions of my own. While Rich did a fantastic job of explaining the company, he did a terrible job of explaining the position, so most of my questions were based around what the job was actually about. In a nutshell, it was simple. I would be working with a guy from Holland by making phone calls to companies in different markets trying to get information out of them. I would be trying to figure out what their business is exactly, how big it is, and what they see as the future of their business. It would require 10 hours a week and I would video conference with a guy from Holland. I would also be required to drive up to this location at least twice a month for meetings and another two times for monthly check ups and reports. All of the travel and expenses, I was reassured, would be reimbursed.

I ask my questions and Rich does his "best" to answer them for me. He seems half-hearted in this conversation, and I can sense it. Nonetheless, I was intent on making this interview last as long as possible without being unnecessary. We extend the interview a bit more, and I end it asking what the next step is. Rich tells me that he has some more interviews, and that he will discuss our interview with the guy from Holland and that they will get back to me within a week. I tell him thank you very much for seeing me and we walk out of his office and into the lobby. Rich passes me off and takes in his new victim Derek.

The interview lasted about 30 minutes, and most of it was Rich telling me about the company. He didn't ask a single thing about my background, my experiences, my classes, or anything else that would imply that I would be a good candidate for the position. He had two concerns: Whether I was going to up and leave him if a full time job came along, and whether I was alright cold calling companies. I assured him there wouldn't be a problem with either. I wasn't feeling that confident about the interview, and it didn't make for a great ride home. I took my time, making sure I called the necessary people to complain and ask for sympathy. I got home late that day, after having to fill up with some more gas- putting my immediate cost around $60 that day, and time wasted not being able to apply for jobs.

One week comes And goes.

Two weeks come. And go.

Three weeks come and also go.

After a month, I decide something is clearly up. By this point, I pretty much assumed that I did not get the job. What made me mad was that there was no communication letting me know this. Nothing. Nothing from Bob, nothing from Rich, nothing. I was angry. I gathered myself after a month and sent an email to Rich, asking him what the status of the interview was. I expected some sort of response.

Another weeks goes by, no word from Rich.

I send another email, this time a bit more...assertive. Here is a copy of the email I sent him:

Mr. XXX,

I sent you an email over a week ago regarding the status of the internship
that I interviewed for.  I'm sure you were aware that I traveled over 3
hours each way to come visit with you for the 30 minute interview, and I
would appreciate some sort of response.  If the position has been filled,
some sort of notification needs to be given.  Regardless, I was informed
by Bob XXX of Manpower that I would be reimbursed for the travel
expenses incurred that day.  I would like to receive that reimbursement,
due to the time, money, and energy  I gave that day, and because of the
lack of communication from your part.  I hope DSM's company culture is
displayed through your actions regarding this issue.  Please get back to
me when you get this.


Sincerely,

Your worst nightmare

Ouch. Looking back that was a nasty email (minus my name). I don't normally send harsh emails, but Rich really made me mad. The least he could do is reply back to me with a simple NO. An email takes 1 minute to write- Sorry Steven, but we've decided to go a different way. Sorry, good luck. That's it. But I got nothing, and even after emails he didn't respond. So I decided to go ahead and burn my bridges and just be really really forward. He sent me a follow up email explaining what "happened," saying that it was Bob's job to call and tell me that I didn't get hired for the position. Bullshit. Then Bob from Manpower emailed me saying that there was some confusion over the communication and that I was supposed to hear something from Rich. He then had the audacity to tell me that he never said anything about being reimbursed for my drive up there. That really made me mad. It was all lies, and I was intent on making them realize this. I responded to their emails saying that I would appreciate reimbursement for my troubles, especially since I received no response for over a month.

I have not heard from either Rich or Bob in about two weeks since sending them my last email. I think they are trying not to talk with me so as to avoid reimbursing me for the trip up there and to avoid me harassing them about their lack of decency. They may think I was going to go quietly into the night, but little do they know I have a lot of time on my hands and little holding me back. My story is my response to them and their ways of business. What started out at a promising lead from both parties turned into a cold war-esque communication zone as soon as it was decided I wasn't the right candidate. We many never know the ways I could have helped them.


Total time spent: About an hour dealing with phone calls and emails pre interview. 3 hours driving there, 30 minutes for the interview, 3 hours driving back. One month waiting for a response, and three additional weeks arguing with them regarding their business practices.

Total lessons learned: 3: Don't do business with DSM Dyneema, don't do business with Manpower near Stanley, and teleconference whenever possible.