The office is very new, but the computer equipment is old. They must have moved here recently.
In conclusion,
They only want employees who are hardworking, obedient, loyal to the company, able to apply what they learn to new situations, and ready to hit the ground running—preferably people who are on the same wavelength as their supervisors.
Whether you can make use of your strengths is not important.
It is suitable for newcomers who want to experience the dark side of workplace training. Whether you can stay for long depends on the individual.
Anyway, many companies are like this, so I would give this aspect an average rating.
What lowered the score was one part of the interview where they first showed me an internal company document.
It covered “one” feature of one of the company’s products. It was highly customized and involved industry-specific terminology used by the client.
Then the interviewer asked me to treat him as the client and explain the “entire” product in detail.
...What!? I was instantly left with a big question mark.
Me: Uh... Hello, everyone. I’m going to introduce the XXX feature of the OOO system. First...
Interviewer: I said to introduce the entire product from the beginning. (interrupting)
Me: ...Sorry, my knowledge is limited. All I can tell is that this section is explaining one feature.
The interviewer seemed displeased and started asking whether I understood various terms. I could only do my best to answer using knowledge at a “general public” level.
If it had been something that almost everyone uses, I would have had the confidence to bluff my way through it a little.
But what was in front of me was clearly something only insiders, or people who had used it, would know about.
I could only assume that the interviewer had never read the document himself, or that he did not understand it either.
Otherwise, he understood it very well—and since I was applying for the job, I was naturally expected to understand it too.
Well, there were several logic questions on the interview test, and I think I got them all right?
After asking a few more standard questions, the interview ended.
I’ll wait a week for the notification. I won’t get the job anyway, and even if I miraculously got an offer, I wouldn’t go. I can already foresee a future where I stare blankly into the distance.
The office is very new
The company is very small, the layout is very poor, just like the manager who interviewed me
Practice building courage and verbal communication skills. If you really want this job, please read these comments and drawbacks, prepare yourself mentally, and then go to the interview. You won’t have to wait long, and you may be surprised to receive a job offer. The staff there seemed friendly, and I also agree with what other people have said: the equipment used during the hands-on test seemed somewhat outdated and worn; I wasn’t sure what needed to be clarified during the test; and based on what I heard, the role’s positioning and the company’s future vision were unclear. It also sounded as though the customer always comes first and the company is always portrayed as wonderful, which made me wonder… do they actually care about their employees? I didn’t ask about the benefits system, so it seems open to question. Also, during the interview, you may not know who is interviewing you: they ask you questions without introducing themselves, and barely explain how they should be addressed at the beginning. Then, when you finally give the answer to the test question you spent a long time working on, the interviewer keeps interrupting you halfway through—first flattering you, but mainly pointing out what you got wrong. On top of that, they already seem to have an answer in mind and won’t listen, yet they turn around and say that the interviewee lacks clarity and structure… That’s all. There really isn’t anything bad about it.
There aren’t really any drawbacks (huh?)
Because of the pandemic, the interview was conducted via video.
HR first asked me to fill out basic information, complete a test, and so on.
About an hour later, they scheduled a time to meet with me.
Once the interview started, there was a woman who did not introduce herself either. She first asked me to introduce myself.
After that, she began asking questions.
She asked about my strengths and weaknesses, what traits I thought I had, and so on.
She asked all the standard questions.
The interviewer looked extremely unpleasant.
She kept asking questions and would also question me based on my answers, as if she wanted to leave me with nothing to say.
Then she asked what could be improved at my previous company. I thought, “I’ve told you—can you actually change anything, or are you going to tell them they need to change?”
Overall, the experience made me feel very uncomfortable.
They also said they were looking for someone who could work independently.
Simply put, the job involved more than just administrative work; it also required handling schedules, meetings, and so on for executives.
In short, it seemed like a job with a lot of miscellaneous tasks.
The building is new and spacious, and the shared pantry and restrooms are also very clean. Overall, the environment feels comfortable.
The location is relatively remote.
Upon arrival, I was asked to take a written test first, answering in Word. After I finished, someone came over with a USB drive to copy the file and help print it. This was very different from companies I had interviewed with previously, where I could upload my answers directly after completing the test. It really didn’t feel like a “technology” company.
The interview did not take place in a meeting room, but at a random desk in the office. It was an open-plan space, so there was no privacy during the conversation.
The interviewer was a man who talked continuously from beginning to end. When asked for feedback on a few questions, he could not give clear answers. He did not come across as professional; instead, he sounded more like a salesperson making things up. Excluding the written test, the interview lasted about an hour, and he probably did most of the talking for more than 50 minutes.
Since I had already received an offer from another company, I went in with the mindset of just seeing what it was like. However, the entire interview process was completely unprofessional, and they showed no real interest in getting to know the candidate. Strangely, after the interview, I still received a “thank you, we’ll be in touch” notification. It was a very poor and unpleasant interview experience. But then again, if the person sitting in front of me were to become my future supervisor, perhaps it was for the best.
1. Colleagues are gentle and easy to get along with, and they do not form cliques.
2. Free breakfast once or twice a month, and occasionally snacks as well.
3. A beginner-friendly environment where R&D staff can learn from one another and improve their skills.
1. You have to clock in and out when arriving at and leaving work. If you fail to clock in or out, you need to provide a reason; otherwise, you will be nagged about it.
2. The company's main products are already obsolete (WinForms, VB6), and there are many impractical demos, while the boss's ideas are flights of fancy.
R&D staff may be expected to use cheap hardware to create high-specification software. Working overtime on holidays is unpaid, with compensatory time off provided on another day.
3. A certain special assistant has a great deal of power (a parachuted-in appointee). Usually, they just sit beside the boss and talk, while their work efficiency is poor.
4. In addition to handling various internal company matters, administrative staff also need to go out and negotiate prices with vendors. No matter how well you perform your assigned duties, you will still be nagged by your direct supervisor. The direct supervisor also frequently talks about reducing salaries, so be mentally prepared.
5. There are no performance bonuses, profit sharing, or employee trips. The year-end bonus depends on the company's operations, so do not expect much. Salaries are occasionally paid two or three days late.
6. At the year-end party, all employees have to perform and play games together, making a spectacle of themselves on stage for the boss's entertainment. The year-end party prizes get worse every year, and the boss is extremely stingy with red envelopes. You will not feel happy attending the year-end party; instead, you will be physically and mentally exhausted.
7. The workplace is far away, located near Far Eastern Hospital Station, and there is nowhere to eat nearby.
A small company where the boss does whatever they want, loves to make arbitrary changes, has no systems, and is poorly managed.