Told to Act Like a "Merchant" During 2nd Interview

I had an interview for a luxury resort back in October. They called me on Monday,January 16 (yes, 3 months after our initial interview) to invite me to a "luncheon"/ "on-site tour" next Tuesday.

They told me while touring the grounds, I needed to "act like a merchant". Have any of you been told this before? My wife thinks that this just means the person currently holding the position still works there and is not aware he/she is getting fired.

Additionally, should I be careful not to overdress? I've worked at resorts before and if a vendor came in a full suit, I would be a little suspicious.

I've had a lot of weird, inappropriate interview experiences and have read about many others here, but this is a new and bizarre case to me. I wonder if employers realize how stupid these games look.

The closest thing I've experienced is getting the tour and then being sat down to start work and training before ever interviewing with the guy with whom I was supposed to interview who owned the joint and did the hiring. That guy didn't show up on two consecutive days for scheduled interviews. I ended up walking out the second day.

I don't know what to tell you. I'd call them back and ask if you're hired and this is training. What reputable employer doesn't tell you why you're being asked to come in? Going in clueless could end up damaging your psyche. I've been there. I think it's fair for you to know what you're getting yourself into.

They play "the games" because they can. Every single one of them loves playing their own network game show for their openings, and we're the ones who have to take the abuse. In most cases, I am up against 100+ other applicants for even the most menial of jobs. I have a better chance of winning a million dollars on a game show (once I get on it), than I do of landing a $10/hr job.

This happened last week. Basically, they told me to act like someone from a construction crew giving them a bid to renovate an old building. As it turns out, the person currently holding the position is being fired.

But, my qualm with this is that this lunch/tour took nearly 3 hours of my time!In my head I was thinking "If they don't offer me this job after spending this much time with them, and ignoring phone calls from other potential employers, I am going to be ANGRY."

The "tour" was essentially unpaid training/orientation and I was offered the job the next day, which is great, but WOW! Two separate interviews, months apart, the first one was one hour long and the second 3 hours! And, I have to their office again Monday for new hire paperwork and a background check.

Another question, what do employers typically include in a background check? I've never been arrested or anything, but my credit is not great. I hope this doesn't cause them to withdraw the offer. This economy is really crazy.

Nice score. Strange things happen when it comes to job hunting.

I just did a quick search and found that employers in CA cannot conduct credit checks on an employee, with the following exceptions:

* A position in the state Department of Justice
* A managerial position
* A position as a sworn peace officer or other law enforcement job
* A position for which the information is required by law
* A position that involves access to specified personal information
* A position in which the person is a named signatory on the employer's bank or credit card account
* A position that involves access to confidential or proprietary information
* A position that involves regular access to $10,000 or more of cash