Speak or keep quiet- when lead on hiring panel has wrong resume in front of him on a Teams video interview

In the end, it seems like 90 minutes of everyone's time was wasted including your own. I would have spoke up and pointed out that I didn't hold the position that the interviewer assumed that I had and let them make the conclusion that they had the wrong CV in front of them.
 
It was a tough call. We were 45 minutes into the interview when I knew without a doubt the lead was reading off the wrong resume.

And my hands are not pure. It was an interview for a job I was not thrilled about, and a location I definitely didn't want. But, if this was the only offer I received, I likely would accept the position, but with the uncomfortable ethical dilemma that I likey would be pursuing other opportunities.


Sir: I have major respect for you but answer me why you didn’t say something. I sure would have and would feel to say least angry hearing guy continue to read wrong resume. Maybe I’m out of touch. Vent over.
 
He kept referring how impressed he was that I held a certain very distinct position, a position I never held. That was the final piece of information, allowing me to connect the dots he had someone else's resume in front of him- he was in fact interviewing the wrong guy.
I think i would have stated, Thank you for your consideration, but i don't want to represent myself as something i am not. The position you mentioned is not one i have held. May i send you my resume again, to make sure i am honest about my background.

Something along those lines would be appropriate.
 
In the end, it seems like 90 minutes of everyone's time was wasted including your own. I would have spoke up and pointed out that I didn't hold the position that the interviewer assumed that I had and let them make the conclusion that they had the wrong CV in front of them.
Not sure anyones time was wasted. Sometimes things going wrong is a blessing. I continue to desire to be a lifelong learner, and I am better educated after the end of the interview than when the interview began.
 
Sir: I have major respect for you but answer me why you didn’t say something. I sure would have and would feel to say least angry hearing guy continue to read wrong resume. Maybe I’m out of touch. Vent over.
53s, thanks for sharing your thoughts. They make sense.

We were 45 minutes into the interview when I felt I heard enough to validate the leader had the wrong resume. Not sure if the other two people on the panel had the correct or incorrect resume.

At the beginning of the interview, I asked how much time was allotted for the interview. The panel stated as long as I would like. That in itself was very uncommon. At the 45 minute mark, I had no idea if I was fielding the final question, or if more were to be asked

Reflecting back, I am not sure what I would have gained by potentially embarrassing the intervylewder at the 45 minute mark.

If I wanted the position, I would have sent a nice correspondence to the interview leader and thank him for the interview, and request to clarify a few things.

There are some thoughts when it comes to talking to law enforcement, talking to a opposing attorney, and talking during a interview. Many times, speaking less is better, which may seem counterintuitive.
 
I think i would have stated, Thank you for your consideration, but i don't want to represent myself as something i am not. The position you mentioned is not one i have held. May i send you my resume again, to make sure i am honest about my background.

Something along those lines would be appropriate.
I have the credentials, decades of experience and with that experience positions of continuing greater responsibilities, and formal education for the position. I humbly speculate any other applicant can beat my resume holistically for this specific position.

I have made so many mistakes in three decades in this line of work, I have the knowledge to make very quick and critical decisions during a crisis. This position required making decisions in crisis situations.
 
Ineptness from the company. Would you want to work for an organization that can't get the right resume in front of the interviewer? Or for an interviewer that can't be bothered to pull the right resume from his inbox?
 
Another side to this is that it’s good to see how people you might work with would react to their mistake rightly being corrected.

I think most people I’ve worked with would gracefully accept they were wrong, apologize, and carry on. A poor reaction wouldn’t be a good sign….
 
The way organizations interview now I would wonder if the whole thing was test of your integrity.
I was wondering that too.

I've taken a few of those "aptitude tests" where they're trying to determine your likelihood to pad your time, work unsafely, tolerate employee theft, etc, etc.... I never know how to answer those since they always seem so devious, as if there is no right answer.
 
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I think you should have spoken up as soon as you became convinced he/she was looking at the wrong CV. The other 2 interviewers may have been as confused as you. As soon as they mentioned a position I had not held I would have said something along the lines of, "I'm sorry but I've never held that position."

Mistakes happen. Correction as quickly as possible is the best solution. You would have gotten a second and more realistic interview which might be important for your career somewhere down the line. A yes or no after this interview does not help your career in any way.
 
So, what if he pulls up Mr. GON's resume and decides to do a video call?
That was the first thing I thought of when I read all of this.

I would have spoken up the minute I realized, or suspected, they werent using my resume.

Reminds me of a time back in the late 90's, I had an appointment to take the written part of the powerplant test for my airframe and powerplant (A&P) license at a local airport. I went in, the girl at the front desk walked me back to a small classroom in the back, and said the instructor would be right with me. A few minutes later a nice, well spoken younger guy stops in and says "Hi, I'll be right with you, I'm setting someone else up for a test" and I said no problem, take your time. A few minutes later he comes back in with a bundle of paperwork in front of him, he sat down, and said "So...lets talk about the (Cessna) 172 for a minute..." and I was a bit confused but said "Um, sure" and he went on for a few minutes about maximum weight, fuel capacity, the engine, etc. After a couple minutes he said "So... you ready to go flying? Nice day to fly the pattern for an hour or so."

I looked at him, extremely confused, and said "I wasnt aware there would be any flying with this test." He then looked at me as confused as I was with him. After an awkward few seconds of silence I said "What name do you have on all that paperwork?" and he looks at it and says "Mike. Arent you Mike Duncan?" and I laughed and said "No, I'm Tom xxx" and he said "OH NO... well that explains why the guy in the other room was so confused when I sat him down in front of the computer and told him he had two hours" and he goes running out.

I shouldnt have spoken up, I could have had an hour of stick time in a 172 on a beautiful June morning.....

So yea, if you think the people you're talking to are talking to the wrong person, I'd speak up.
 
I have the credentials, decades of experience and with that experience positions of continuing greater responsibilities, and formal education for the position. I humbly speculate any other applicant can beat my resume holistically for this specific position.

I have made so many mistakes in three decades in this line of work, I have the knowledge to make very quick and critical decisions during a crisis. This position required making decisions in crisis situations.
About a decade and a half ago I went in for an interview for engineering position with the plant manager of a small tech company (a fiery middle-aged redhaired woman often yelling and then slamming the phone on incoming calls).

She kept talking about Quality Assurance and working as a liason between design and outsource contractors. After about 15min of the interview appearing to go well, I finally I stated that I was interviewing for a posted Process Engineering position. She stated she doesn't have an open process engineering position. Well, old Arco sealed his fate when he pulled the newspaper jobs page out of his briefcase for a Process Engineering position and presented it to her.

She was in no mood to be made a fool, so the interview abruptly ended and I was walked out.

When we were walking to the lobby. I stated, "Well, I guess I went did it there, didn't I", She said, "Yep!'
 
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About a decade and a half ago I went in for an interview for engineering position with the plant manager of a small tech company (a fiery middle-aged redhaired woman often yelling and then slamming the phone on incoming calls).

She kept talking about Quality Assurance and working as a liason between design and outsource contractors. After about 15min of the interview appearing to go well, I finally I stated that I was interviewing for a posted Process Engineering position. She stated she doesn't have an open process engineering position. Well, old Arco sealed his fate when he pulled the newspaper jobs page out of his briefcase for a Process Engineering position and presented it to her.

She was in no mood to be made a fool, so the interview abruptly ended and I was walked out.

When we were walking to the lobby. I stated, Well, I guess I went did it there, didn't I", She said, "Yep!'
She’s what we walk to the lobby …
Only the cardboard box is complimentary …
 
So GON, tell me, who are these people to whom you couldn't point out a likely small and innocent mistake?

I can appreciate the posturing done in, as you pointed out, a law enforcement related position interview. Is there a chance the 3-person panel interviewing you was drawn from strata which included political players?

In that case, hiring someone who's aftershave is strong is something which can be weaponized.
"He's YOUR guy", is something I've heard more than once.

Ergo, I empathize with your consideration to "not show somebody up", but how fragile can one's ego be?
To think such prissiness exists among [what might be] policy makers and law enforcement is distressing.
Then again, why shouldn't be that way. For many, the higher up they are, the more they're insulated.

I don't ever want to meet ARGOgraphite's fiery phone slammer. How can you be "made a fool" by a newspaper ad?
"Oh, this ad is in error", is all she would've had to say.
 
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