八樂企業股份有限公司

The office space is well designed, but it feels quite stuffy because there are no windows (consider carefully if you are prone to oxygen deprivation).

The workload distribution is uneven. The company basically has only two designers and one assistant, so each person is expected to do the work of several people... Senior managers basically have very little status.

The boss does not know what the brand’s strengths are and likes comparing it with others. They clearly distinguish between employees they like and dislike, which easily creates a strange atmosphere in the office. Most outrageous of all, I have seen employees who were leaving being given a hard time or criticized (under the guise of “offering guidance”).

I genuinely think it is really terrible. It feels like they do not consider or protect their employees at all, and instead think that finding someone else is simply a matter of course. Then, after hiring someone, the handover is poorly handled—how are other people supposed to work?

1. They give you hope during the interview process

2. In the end, they let you know that both your hopes and the situation during the interview were fake.

First interview:

It was with a woman who also worked in graphic marketing. The interview went very well, and she even had me try drawing their company mascot. At the end of the interview, she said they wanted to let me start on a trial basis right away, but first had to discuss it with their boss, and that I would have an answer that same day. About 20–30 minutes later, they notified me that the boss wanted a second interview, and that the hiring decision would depend mainly on the second interview. That was how the first interview ended, and I had a very good impression.

Second interview:

(Before the second interview, in order to get this job, I studied at home how to draw in the style they wanted, and also watched videos to learn InDesign, which I was lacking experience in.)

The second interview was with the boss. I showed him the work I had practiced at home and made it clear that I was eager to learn. In the end, the boss said that, seeing my enthusiasm and willingness to learn, he was willing to hire me. However, I had few previous works created at companies, so he could not really assess my skill level. Therefore, he could not offer me the NT$30,000 salary listed on 104 and could only offer NT$27,000. I said that was fine. He then said he needed to think about when I should start work, so the second interview ended on a fairly pleasant note.

Final notification:

They told me I was not hired. My inner reaction: ???????????????? So what exactly was everything they said before...?

I called them directly to ask. They said the boss had subsequently interviewed other people, and, when choosing between two candidates, decided to hire someone else. My inner reaction again: ?????????????????????, so what exactly did the hiring decision they mentioned at the time mean?????????

For this job, I even turned down all my other interviews, and in the end they did not want me? The feeling was unbelievably awful. All my past efforts and performance felt like dirt....

Also, they had originally said they would notify me the day after the interview. They did not notify me at all on the second day. I even called to ask, only to find out that the boss had not come into the office that day, so there was no way to know the answer. I felt like an idiot for waiting by my phone, afraid I might miss the notification. After receiving the notification on the third day, it was confirmed that I really was an idiot...