Several days after I applied to four jobs, a recruiter left me a message asking me to call back. Before calling people for interviews, I always investigate them to find their background and where they might stand in the scheme of things.

I investigated this recruiter and found that he was calling from India. I usually avoid these contacts because of the many recruiter scams and unprofessionalism that I receive on a daily basis. However, I confirmed that this person was indeed a Capgemini recruiter, so I proceeded.

When I called, I found that his English was so poor that I could not understand much of what he was saying, and I had to ask him to repeat himself a few times. He simply read from a list of simple questions that he had prepared, which did not delve into my experience except for asking how many years of experience I have. His focus was primarily on trying to negotiate salary to a point much lower than the market rate and rates posted on Glassdoor. Salary was all that mattered to him.

The positions that I applied for were not mentioned either, as he was just trying to push his own positions. I am astounded and disappointed that Capgemini would outsource their recruitment to India. This experience yet again confirms my decision to never respond to recruiters who are in India or part of an Indian consulting firm.

Now, I fear that my applications for the positions that I applied for will have to go through this route and be lost forever. I am hesitant to apply for other jobs here if this is the case.

What is your salary requirement?

How many years of experience do you have?