>John,
>>>JVP
>>>
>>>Somebody at MS told you that VFP is dead?
>>
>>No. The person asked why would I bother seeking a position on the VFP Team. i.e., what he implied was that if I wanted a career at MS - just expressing an interest in the VFP team was enough to cast doubt on my suitability for employment.
>>
>SNIP
>
>This might just as easily go to the stupidity of the saying person.


It could...but that is besides the point. It is all about perception. I am going to break of my personal rules toward Fox and refer to it as if it were a living/breathing entity - since so many other people do. Here is the deal Jim - if Fox does not get respect INSIDE MS - how on Earth could people expect more OUTSIDE MS? It seems to me the entity that owns the product - that lays out the capital to produce the product - has the most important interest of all in making sure the product has as favorable a perception as possible. Yet, the contrary is what holds true. The fact is, some of the harshest critics of the product come form within MS.

So there you have it...



>I once had an interview and they asked about a contract at a prior place. The interviewer had contracted there too.
>
>
I was asked the leading question, with a smirk on her face "would you ever work there again?". The place was notorious for having an extensive project "methodology" where they duly completed all the required forms/reports/worksheets but NEVER actually read them for use during the project.
>
>My answer was 'I would. If they feel their methodology is important to them, who am I to argue? I just want to do the work asked for and get paid for it.".
>
>The interview ended within minutes and I never heard back.
>
My take was that the interviewer was showing a childish approach to her work overall.
>

Perhaps. Or, the interviewer was looking to see if you blindly follow in spite of what common sense would dictate.

Believe it or not, people generally do not want code monkeys. A code monkey does what he is told - and whether what is being asked for is correct or not - the code monkey will deliver. This is the difference between a code monkey and true consultant. A consultant - which is what most people want - is somebody who can code - BUT - will raise the red flag when something is flat out logically incorrect.


>
I'd say the guy with the 'why are you... VFP Team' was about the same calibre of person.
>

Perhaps..But looking at the issue objectively, the guy was basically asking why would I want to work on something that was not part of the strategic focus of the company. Regardless of the specifics, that is a very legitimate question. Granted, the guy COULD have been a bit more tactful - but he was not. Unlike most, I look beyond the presentation of a message and get to the substance. Too many people take too many things too personally. I gave the guy an answer - basically saying that I understood the product and the customer base, and I thought it would be a great way to hit the ground running. Clearly, that was not a good answer. As I told - the fact that I expressed an interest in Fox - was itself - enough in their eyes to show I was not a "strategic thinker". Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. IMO, while at some level, the person had a valid point, they let that one singular issue drive the process.

In the end, the trip was on their dime...