Current Events > Let's talk about the WORST job interview we've ever had

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Here's mine.

I was applying for a purchaser position at an old Du Pont factory in Delaware.

I was seated at a round table with 7 other people. They grilled me like it was an interrogation for murder. I literally couldn't think of answers to their questions because it was so uncomfortable.

About an hour in I told them that I'm not the right person for the job. I said the place was old and creepy and I pity them for having to go there everyday, and I couldn't do it.

It was like something from a nightmare. The interview and the place in general.

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Some job for the social services department of the state government. The interview consisted of 5 people each taking turns to ask questions, they would then silently take notes while I answer. No follow ups, no conversation at all. Half the interview was dead air because they took so long to finish taking notes lol. They didn't even tell me their names. It was a very strange process, and not a single question involved my qualifications for the work I would be doing.


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MC_BatCommander posted...

Some job for the social services department of the state government. The interview consisted of 5 people each taking turns to ask questions, they would then silently take notes while I answer. No follow ups, no conversation at all. Half the interview was dead air because they took so long to finish taking notes lol. They didn't even tell me their names. It was a very strange process, and not a single question involved my qualifications for the work I would be doing.

Sounds way similar to mine.

I remember them writing shit down that I said when I was able to say something. So weird.

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when i was 19 i was interviewed at the salvation army. interview went well, but i was a fucking idiot and asked out the interviewer. i deserved not to get that job.

when i was 22 or 23 i interviewed for an AT&T store position. interview went ok at first, but the lady interviewing me asked a rude loaded question and it caught me off guard. because of the rudeness i was uncomfortable and did not come up with a prompt answer. did not get that job either.

also when i was 23, i had an interview with a local internet provider. it was a group interview with 3 other people...but the lady kept asking me all of the questions first - giving them more time to think. it pissed me off. after the interview, i was asked to schedule a 2nd interview, and i responded to the email with a few dates, but a couple days later i received an automatic rejection letter from them. assholes.

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panel interview for a warehouse job. did the same kind of grilling. only job I never got a call back for, feel like I dodged a bullet tho.

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pojr posted...

when i was 19 i was interviewed at the salvation army. interview went well, but i was a fucking idiot and asked out the interviewer. i deserved not to get that job.

So she said no?


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Spooking posted...

Interviewer: No felonies, that's good.
Me: Not yet.
Interviewer: (._.)'

Be careful about joking during a job interview.

LOL should've added in a finger gun for good measure

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There was a random grocery store position I was trying to get as a summer job in college and they had us in a round table and made it into some social exercise. Just odd, looking back.

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Never had an outright bad interview, but the most memorable question I've had that I still think about was at a big panel style interview with like 7 people. One dude asked why my grades were so bad....I was in the top 10% of my class and had very good grades. The rest of the panel quickly came to my defense but instead of defending myself I caved and was just like "uh well I guess I needed to get into the swing of things before I figured out how to be a good student."

Glad I didn't accept that job
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I guess I'll mention my second worst.

I applied for a sales position at Sears when I was like 20. I had previous experience at Walmart at that point.

So they offered me a stock boy position (getting shit from the back for customers and such).

The woman who interviewed me asked why I left my last job, and I said it's because the manager played favorites and had "friends" who he lifted up and others were treated like trash.

Bad thing to say in an interview I guess. She then said, "Why shouldn't managers have friends? We're people too". Then she ranted on about it.

I was like fuck you I'm not working here.


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CE_gonna_CE posted...

So she said no?

correct

she said "i can't take preference over other employees"

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I tried interviewing for McDonalds once. I was a super awkward teenager whos only worked in a mom and pop restaurant. Unfortunately that place had to close due to poor sales. They gave me a reference number because they liked me.

Anyways, for the interview I had to talk to the manager and he questioned me about the restaurant. For some reason, he was under the impression that I was lying about working there. He basically scolded me for lying without directly accusing me. It was to the point where I walked away from the interview questioning myself. Like did I do something wrong?

got the job though

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Nothing special, I was just 15 minutes late because i thought the interview was an hour later than it was. I was applying for an internship with an insurance company. I would have been a really good gig and they were interviewing 7 people for 5 spots.

I was one of the 2 who didn't get a spot.

pojr posted...

when i was 19 i was interviewed at the salvation army. interview went well, but i was a fucking idiot and asked out the interviewer. i deserved not to get that job.

I'm sorry, I'm sure that's an unpleasant memory for you, but holy shit that is hilarious. That's something I would expect from like George Costanza or something, lmao

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VerisimiIitude posted...

I tried interviewing for McDonalds once. I was a super awkward teenager whos only worked in a mom and pop restaurant. Unfortunately that place had to close due to poor sales. They gave me a reference number because they liked me.

Anyways, for the interview I had to talk to the manager and he questioned me about the restaurant. For some reason, he was under the impression that I was lying about working there. He basically scolded me for lying without directly accusing me. It was to the point where I walked away from the interview questioning myself. Like did I do something wrong?

got the job though

That's some bullshit.

I'm to the point in life where I feel like they need me more than I need them. If it goes south I'm just like whatever. I have a good job now but I feel like applying to other places just so I can tell them to fuck off.

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Drpooplol posted...

I'm sorry, I'm sure that's an unpleasant memory for you, but holy shit that is hilarious. That's something I would expect from like George Costanza or something, lmao

as weird as this sounds, i take that as a compliment that im being compared to george costanza lol

in fact, im surprised there isn't an episode where jerry & george discussed how to make the "switch" in order to date their boss

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I'm positive I interviewed a guy who was either a serial killer, planning a murder, or cooking meth. It was a basic assembly position that had fucking nothing to do with acids, and he kept asking really specific questions about it (our clean room operators use acids) right down to how and where its stored. Weird guy.
He didn't get the job and continued to call and threaten to sue us for discrimination. Eventually he started calling customer service directly and asking where he should send the "surprise". Called the cops at that point and never heard from him again.

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My first job "interview", I was 15 or 16 applying at Walmart. I got there early like I was told to, asked an employee for the interviewer's name and told where to go and wait. Sat there for a long time and nobody came. After about 30 minutes past the scheduled time I asked another employee where the interviewer is, she is in a meeting. I continue waiting because I'm a dumb kid and I don't know if this is normal or not.

60 minutes after the scheduled time I ask again and she is still in a meeting, at that point I just leave wondering what I tell my parents because I don't know if I screwed up. I remember feeling relief when they said that was weird of Walmart and I should not have been there for so long.

mullettron posted...

My first job "interview", I was 15 or 16 applying at Walmart. I got there early like I was told to, asked an employee for the interviewer's name and told where to go and wait. Sat there for a long time and nobody came. After about 30 minutes past the scheduled time I asked another employee where the interviewer is, she is in a meeting. I continue waiting because I'm a dumb kid and I don't know if this is normal or not.

60 minutes after the scheduled time I ask again and she is still in a meeting, at that point I just leave wondering what I tell my parents because I don't know if I screwed up. I remember feeling relief when they said that was weird of Walmart and I should not have been there for so long.

That's fucked up. I would have called the interviewer later that day and asked why they had you scheduled for that time when they had a meeting and made you sit for an hour.

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Pretty much all of them.

I've struggled with employment for 20 years because I always crash and burn at this step.
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I went in for an interview that started out pretty okay, but then like 5 minutes into it the guy i was talking to dropped that it was a management position, which the posting did not say at all and just listed it as a full time position. When I pointed that out things got mildly awkward and I think I held up my end of it well enough but it was pretty clear to me past that point that I wasn't getting the job

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I drank a ridiculous amount of coffee before an interview one time and tripped over all my words and responses. It was pretty terrible and it was the only interview I've done where I knew for certain I'd bombed. It was for a technical support position so I probably lucked out.

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probably I've been in several dozens of interviews so I may not remember the worst one, but one was what I think was an assistant position for this woman in a marketing department at my alma mater. she was thick and had these nasty thighs she kept showing from under her skirt.
then a lot where the interviewers just aren't honest about how shitty it is after dressing the posting in flowery language.

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Kombucha posted...

I drank a ridiculous amount of coffee before an interview one time and tripped over all my words and responses. It was pretty terrible and it was the only interview I've done where I knew for certain I'd bombed. It was for a technical support position so I probably lucked out.

This may sound bad, but I've found the best way to get through an interview is to have a beer or 2 beforehand. And a bunch of mouthwash.

Otherwise I'm a nervous wreck. The ones I fucked up the most on were when I was completely sober.

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I was applying for a software job at some big truck GPS tracking company or something. This was during the time of Hurricane Sandy in Jersey so my interview kept getting pushed back and everything was a mess.

I finally get there, we chat, then he sits me in a room for a programming test and I absolutely fucking bombed it. After 5 minutes I was debating just getting up and leaving because it was such a waste of both mine and his time. But I didn't, I stuck it out then we chatted a bit more and he showed me around. Then I got the email later in the week that they were going to go with someone else.

Definitely the lowest point I've felt. I fucking hate programming tests.

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