Where do I even begin with a company like Barracuda Networks? Most. Bizarre. Interview. Ever. I interviewed for a Technical Support Representative position in Ann Arbor, Michigan. There were so many red flags with this employer I barely can count them. First off, when I went into the Ann Arbor office to interview, there was a sign up in the vestibule for a telephone number to call if you were there for a Technical Support Representative interview. Red Flag #1. Once I called the number, I met up with a manager. He asked me a question then didn't even wait for me to answer before going into a lecture about the interview. Red Flag #2. During the interviewer's lecture, he mentioned that Barracuda had a problem because there weren't enough "reliable" and "dependable" Technical Support Representatives at the company. Red Flag #3. The manager then asks what my salary expectations are. Before I even finished my answer, the manager interrupts me and says: "Well, the position pays $17 per hour." Red Flag #4. Plus, Barracuda makes you pay for a parking spot in downtown Ann Arbor and pay costs for your health insurance. Red Flag #5 and 6. So, in reality if you start to work for Barracuda, you make less than $35,000 per year. On top of that, the manager tells me, in effect, that there is no advancement from being a Technical Support Representative to any other position in Barracuda (such as an engineer or analyst). Red Flag # 7. When I ask what is the best part about working for Barracuda, the manager struggles to answer. He manages to say that the open floor layout of the building is nice, and that they sometimes have bagels (which weren't offered to me). Red Flag #8. As for the technical portion of the interview, I get asked by the manager (and by two other people who are unannounced) the same set of questions that are on a written quiz handed out. Red Flags #9-12. The Same. Set. Of. Questions. Bizarre. At the end of the interview, I ask the manager about the next step in the process out of morbid curiosity. "Well, we have a lot of applicants for this position," he snaps. "It could be three weeks or more until we get back to you." He then dismissively waves me off, as if to suggest I should leave immediately. Red Flag #13. I'm not making this up. A few weeks later, I get an email saying that I wasn't selected for the position. I wasn't "appropriate" for the position. Since my interview, Barracuda is still advertising that it has Technical Support Representative positions open. Shocker. Where are all the reliable and dependable people? I'm glad I didn't get an offer from Barracuda because I now have an offer for about $25,000 more than Barracuda's starting salary. Barracuda, I hope your executives are reading this. Is this interview process in Ann Arbor reflective of your company? Is the manager reflective of the culture of your company? Is this how you treat applicants who merely are trying to earn a living? Do you expect your employees to live off of $35,000 a year? I hope you put some thought into it. Information travels very quickly on the Internet.

They called me then started asking me questions about why I wanted the job and what not, they then asked basic networking questions that someone in the industry would understand.