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"Informal" Interview- Advice needed!
I am going to meet with a family member who is part-owner of a large company. He is looking for a new VP of Operations and we discussed it at a wedding over the weekend. He asked me to drop by and "talk numbers" tomorrow.
We have never done business together or met in a professional setting- we are pretty close family members, but I want to be the complete professional (as I should be) when I meet tomorrow and act as though we are not family.
Since it is an "informal" discussion (tour of the facility, talking numbers, etc...) I'm not quite sure how prepared I should be.
I've been researching his industry and his company specifically. I plan to wear a suit and have a CV and portfolio with me. Is there anything else that comes to mind that I should do to set the tone of the meeting? I know this is very vague, I'm not even sure where to start at this point.
I have always worked in the public service arena, so working for a private company would be quite a switch, but the opportunity is an excellent one, and given the current climate in the public service sector I think it would be a smart move to go somewhere where I can actually contribute more and help develop and expand the company.
TIA for any words of advice!
Re: "Informal" Interview- Advice needed!
It sounds like you have everything ready to go. I'd treat this like any other interview, just because I like to be overprepared.
My only concern is working for family. It works great for some, not so great for others. But if it's just a family member in a large company, it shouldn't be an issue.
Our little Irish rose came to us on March 5, 2010
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Disclaimer: I am not an MD. Please don't PM me with pregnancy-related questions. Ask your doctor.
Thank you for the feedback. I am trying to overprepare as much as possible- I am reviewing local and national competition, manufacturing processes, etc- even though I don't have much experience in manufacturing I think I feel comfortable with the information I've been reviewing (even though I've only had 3 days to process the info at this point).
Truthfully- working for family is definitely a concern of mine. Unfortunately, I'm between a rock and a hard place right now (although I haven't disclosed this to my family at all)- but my division is most likely going to be eliminated or if they are spared and layoffs do occur- even with almost a decade of experience I am low-man on the totem pole- so I need to be on the lookout because according to my current bosses, it isn't looking good and they want me to be prepared for the worst.
So I discussed the possiblity of working with my family member at a family function- and he seemed genuinely excited at the idea. He has been trying to get me to work for him since I graduated from my undergrad. In the meantime I earned my MBA and have been managing small businesses on the side while working at my public sector job. He wants to retire and he wants someone he can trust to take over the business when he does so in 10-15 years- so I think I could be that person- but again, working for family is scary. I have always put off considering working there because of that reason even though I know it would be a great opportunity.
Several other family members work there at lower-levels of the business and they seem to thrive- I can only hope that I could do the same. Hopefully this interview will give me a good feel about whether or not it would be a realistic possiblity.
DS1 born June 2008 | m/c at 9w March 2011 | DS2 born April 2012
I believe it may- so I have a range in my mind that would compensate me for leaving my current job/benefits for their package which isn't quite as generous as working for a public agency, but I can live without certain things like healthcare (we already use my H's plan), etc.. I'm not really sure what exactly to expect, so definitely trying to be prepared on all angles- thank you for the suggestion!
I would not give up your option for health insurance if you can avoid it. I lost my job suddenly a few years ago after thinking it was totally secure, and being able to switch quickly to my DH's plan was a lifesaver.
DS1 born June 2008 | m/c at 9w March 2011 | DS2 born April 2012
I never would have considered that- thanks for the advice- I will definitely keep it in mind and find out what they actually offer- who knows, it might even be better than what I have