I was called by an Oracle recruiter for a VP of QA Engineering position. After a brief phone screen with the recruiter, I was invited in for three 30-45 minute interviews, all with other VPs who reported to the hiring manager.

The job was very similar to what I was already doing, and the problems were issues I had solved before at several other large tech companies, so I was confident I could help them. The technology area was very interesting, and my incentive was working in that area and the level of the position (VP), not money.

Interviews were short and to the point. The interviewers were professional, probing, and courteous. I spent only 15 minutes with the hiring manager. He was dry, not forthcoming with information, and had little time for questions, but I chalked it up to him being a very busy guy.

I left and did not hear back for weeks. Out of the blue, I got a call from the recruiter again, saying I was the number one candidate and asking how fast I could get back in for another round of interviews.

After juggling several schedules, I was able to get in to see two people: one was from the previous round, and the second was a VP who had been out while I was in the first time.

Things went well, but I began to notice a trend. Whenever I asked how the hiring manager was to work for, I noticed some hesitation while answering. Responses included "he is very blunt" and "very candid."

I spent some time making calls to a few friends at Oracle and reviewing Glassdoor comments. The consensus was that you need to negotiate hard upfront, as Oracle is notorious for a lack of internal promotions and low raises. One contact, a previous Oracle employee, actually warned me about how territorial and blame-oriented it was inside, and how volatile VP roles could be.

After many weeks of on-and-off "how fast can you get over here?" communications and the hiring manager's vagueness, I lost all incentive to pursue this position further.

Finally, the hiring manager sent me a nasty email, stating I only wanted a title and money and that I was not a fit.

Bottom line: Make sure you know the exact role you are interviewing for. Press them for details of title and compensation when it becomes the right time. And if the hiring manager brags about how blunt he is, as if it is a great strength to be admired, run away fast.