Interview Horror Stories:
The Moment You Knew You Weren’t Getting the Job
Interviewing for a job is nerve-wracking, and sometimes the nerves get the better of you. These candidates share their most horrific interview moments, the moment they knew they definitely weren’t getting the job:
How do you forget that?
“I had a job interview where I forgot my own name, so when the interviewer asked my name I just said ‘errm’ for about a minute until I said ‘pass.’ Then I asked for an easier question and they asked why I wanted to work there and I just said my name really loud. Long story short, I did not get the job.”
The worst quality answer.
“Had an interview at a bank. They asked me what my worst quality was, and I told them I had a problem with numbers.”
Is honesty always the best policy?
“I had a job interview at a bread bakery/sandwich place. They asked me where I saw myself in 5 years, and I said, ‘Not making sandwiches.’ The interview was immediately over.”
“I walked up the stairs to the top and met the interviewed. I thought she was gesturing to the door ahead of her so I walked over, opened it, and went inside. It was a storage closet.”
Things your future boss doesn’t need to know.
“Not me, but a friend’s teenage son had an interview at a burger restaurant for what would’ve been his first job. The interview asked, ‘What’s one work that best describes you?’ Extremely nervous, he chose the first word that his flustered mind could come to: ‘erotic.’”
Hangovers and interviews don’t mix.
“I went to an interview really hungover. When the interview came to meet me and show me to the room, she held out her hand guiding the way. In my hungover state, I stood up and held her hand!”
Recruiters interview hundreds of candidates each week, which means a truly memorable interview is either a really excellent or really terrible thing. Here are some of the most memorable, in the worst way:
Who’s the boss?
“I once interviewed a guy who asked me who his boss would be. When I explained it would be me, the person interviewing him, he laughed and congratulated me for ‘getting so far’ but that he couldn’t be expected to just do what I asked him to, and also any woman being in charge of a man was ‘disrespectful.’ He did not get the job.”
Not the best quality.
“I had a candidate tell me ‘I have extreme anger problems and I can’t help but get loud and hands on when someone doesn’t get what I’m trying to say.’ It was for an engineering internship.”
That is a strength…
Interviewer: What’s your greatest strength?
Candidate: uhhh well I guess free lifts, I can do like 80 now
A highly unique answer.
Interviewer: So what do you think you can bring to our team?
Candidate: I’ll infect everyone with happiness and pixie dust.
Hold, please.
“I had a guy tell me to hold on while he answered his phone during the interview.”
At least they were honest… eventually.
Interviewer: Tell me about this on your resume.
Candidate: Oh, I never actually did that. I just didn’t think I’d get the interview if I didn’t put it on there.
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