I went for a sort of job interview the other day. Yes I already have several jobs and I’m very happy with them, but an old friend and colleague was wanting me back working for his new company, an international consultancy of which he is the Technical Director. So I thought I’d at least go and have a chat over lunch. Lunch was quite nice food at silly London prices. The role was a brand new one – a sort of pre-sales consultant to work closely with clients, acting as a foil for the salesmen in a way, actually representing the best interests of the client even if it meant saying “sod off” to one’s own salesmen. A trusted advisor who knows inside-out the business of making information technology actually work for the business process. Functional fit, in the old language. Since integrity was always one of my strong points – push me towards corruption and dishonesty and I’ll push back twice as hard – I thought it sounded right up my street. The interview was with one of the sales team. Of course he talked that most specialised of languages reserved especially for salesmen within the IT industry – complete bollocks. That alone meant that he and I were never going to see eye to eye. Perhaps this is a rather flawed role after all. If the salesmen are part of the recruitment process, they’ll recruit a salesman. On day one at the client, the new recruit will be found out, exposed as just another salesman, and distrusted from the start. When will the corporate UK learn? Never probably, or maybe one day, but I might be beyond retirement age by the time plain simple common sense prevails in the consultancy business. It’s a shame… all those fine brain cells, MBAs, first class degrees and mission statements borne of high ideals – and it’s all made crap because nobody can get beyond the double-glazing sales ethos.