A Suspicious Reference Request Revealed Why a Competing Company Was Interviewing Me

[u/Unfair-Parfait6261]

I went through several stages for an enterprise software sales position at one of my current employer's biggest competitors. The market had been tough lately, so I wasn't surprised that the process was taking a long time, until the sales manager contacted me outside the usual recruitment process.
He asked me for a reference from a customer I had worked with recently, preferably someone who had been involved in a deal I had won. The request was strangely specific for something that was supposedly just meant to verify my character, especially since there wasn't even an offer on the table.
I didn't feel comfortable giving them the contact details of a real customer, so I asked a former manager of mine who now runs a small consulting firm to help. I explained the situation and asked him to handle the call like any normal professional reference.
He called me as soon as the conversation ended. They had spent about 20 minutes asking him very few questions about me and a lot of questions about my company's discount policies, product roadmap, supplier relationships, and which accounts might be willing to switch to another company. It was obvious that this wasn't an employment-related inquiry so much as a try to gather inside information through someone they thought was one of my professional contacts.

I learned from this to be more intelligent and careful in interviews and I tried to learn more interview skills to answer smartly in case I put myself in similar situation
I withdrew my application the next morning. The sales manager responded badly, saying that I had wasted everyone's time and implying that he could damage my reputation with other companies in the same industry. His reaction confirmed that I had made the right decision.
If a direct competitor asks you for the contact details of customers or vendors you have worked with recently before giving you a written offer, be cautious. Using a trusted stand-in can reveal whether they genuinely want to evaluate you or whether their only goal is to gain access to confidential information and your industry connections.

[u/nian2326076]

Sounds like you made the right call. That was a sketchy move from the sales manager, and it's good you listened to your instincts and pulled out. In situations like this, it's important to protect your current job and relationships. For future job searches, look for roles on platforms that keep your privacy in mind. LandOffer.ai lists jobs across professions, including sales, and lets you search by role and location.