Most people have had to do the dreadful task of finding a job. Whether it be your first summer job in High School or a new position in an exciting industry it can be incredibly stressful. Especially when we're forced to prove that we possess the skills and experience to your potential employer through an interview. However, sometimes the interview is so horrible that we must pass on the opportunity. Come grab your resumes and enjoy these unfortunate interview experiences people actually went through.
It Isn't Everyday That a Interview Turns Into an Interrogation
The main phase of an interview is the questioning portion where the interviewer asks follow-up and clarifying questions about your skills and experience. Often times this is just a few questions and some follow-up ones that end with a clear understanding of your accomplishment. It does not often turn into an intense interrogation filled with the yelling and other verbal assaults that accompany such intense investigative questioning.
Props to this interviewee for not taking the verbal assaults and walking out of the interview. This interviewer should be the one applying to a different career position like counter-terrorism.
When the Interview Just Has Way Too Many Red Flags
When interviewing for a new position it is not just the interviewer who is interviewing us, but we are also interviewing them and their company. After all, we have to learn if this is a place where they allow people to heat up fish in the microwave. Not only did this interviewer not listen to a single word the job applicant said but yelled at her over a simple question.
The woman's ability to get so angry so quickly and then simmer down just as swiftly serves as a massively bright red flag. I think we will be looking elsewhere.
Probably Not the Most Professional Reaction
How many times have we been caught rolling our eyes at someone's idiotic statement or question? Just way too many times. However, getting caught rolling your eyes at your interviewer might not be the best move when attempting to secure a job offer. Especially when they are just asking for you to put on your mask during the global pandemic that has been rampaging the globe for two years.
When they were asked to put on a mask and they rolled their eyes they cemented their fate. Wearing a mask is just a common courtesy during a global pandemic.
Perhaps Being Brutally Honest Can Help Us Land the Job
Honesty is a great policy, especially when ensuring that we are actually qualified for the role that we might be applying for in a job application. However, there is a balance to how honest we should be in interviews. Surprisingly, when the KFC interviewer asked the candidate why they did not just go work at McDonald their honest answer of "they don't have any spaces left" still got them the job.
While lying about our reasons or experience can oftentimes end up with us being in hot water or being completely out of our depth we don't suggest always being so truthful.
Why Are so Many of These Jobs Postings All Scams?
Why do we need jobs? Some might say that it is to make the world a better place or to fill a passion, but most often it is to make money. When applying to jobs we often look at the pay to see if we could survive off of it. Why would we work a full-time job to remain on a diet of ramen like our broke college days?
This job posting said that they would be making 16/hr, but in truth, it was only 9/hr. This was just way too little for this applicant and they walked out.
"Oh, No Need to Worry About That. Just Sign Here"
Job postings are often accompanied by a general job description and the interview process allows for us to clarify the exact role and its responsibilities. When this person's potential employer informed them that they would just be signing off on work that they did not supervise they smelled a fishy situation. It was the wisest choice to avoid the future liability lawsuits associated with this position by pursuing other career opportunities.
All we are seeing here are massive red flags and unlike us, this person acknowledged those flags and acted accordingly. Can this person become our personal advisor or something?
Knowing When to Not Get Involved in a Financial Scheme
Many could argue that there are sales jobs that feel more like grand financial schemes than actual jobs. This person interviewed for what they thought was a start-up's customer service position, but when the interviewer brought up "door to door sales for commission" they knew that they needed to hit the high road before they got sucked into their promises of grandeur that seem to always accompany such positions.
This person's wisdom in hearing the word "sales" and "commission" and immediately walking out shows an inner intelligence that many of us have not possessed when getting pulled into similar positions.
Can't Go a Day Without Your Daily Dosage of Patriarchy
It is common knowledge that the world has been molded for men by the patriarchal system. Often times this is a topic that one would not think would be relevant in a job interview. When this seemingly male interviewee was asked if they had any questions by a female interviewer their response, "about you or the company," was just a gentle reminder of the patriarchal system we are operating under.
We just got to say, "Bro!" Like she is the one interviewing you, so maybe let's tone down the misogyny a tad bit. Hopefully, this interviewer is still rocking it.
Is This Interviewee Offering to Sell Drugs to Their Co-Workers?
Everyone gets these questions in their interviews: "What can you bring to the team?" or "What is your greatest strength/weakness?". These questions are common enough that we usually have a ready-to-go answer in the back of our minds. The hiring manager must not have been expecting her to answer one of the questions to be happiness and pixie dust. We have to know, is Pixie Dust a new drug or something?
Whether Pixie Dust is a euphoric drug or if she attempting an analogy correlating her energy with that of Tinker Bell we can't blame the manager for not hiring them.
This Company Is in Dire Need of Some Trust Falls
Trust is a vital component of any company's workplace culture. The company has to trust its employees and the employees have to trust their supervisors. When this remote position mentioned that they would be installing a nanny cam into the potential employee's computer they felt that there was an unhealthy lack of trust in this specific corporation. Wisely they decided to not sign up for the big brother surveillance package.
This monitoring software taking videos and screenshots makes us feel like we are living in a dystopian future. Who knows what kind of crazy stuff the HR department must be seeing.
When Those Math Classes We Suffered Through Eventually Pay off
Unless you are a mathematician you probably hate math a decent amount. We always dreaded those math classes and came to loath the common saying that we would need math in the future. This job applicant became extremely grateful that they suffered through those math classes when they spotted a scam in their interview. The company posted a 40k annual job, but in reality, it was merely 5 dollars an hour.
This scam probably led to a revolving door of people fleeing this extremely low-paying job. However, if you did your math homework, like this person, you would have probably been spared.
Wonder Why He Didn't Get the Job
Whoever knew that the interview space would be filled with some of the crème de la crème of misogynists and sexists. One would think that they would tone it down in front of their female interviewers in order to get the job. However, this man could not manage even that and instead laughed at her and congratulated her on her accomplishments. Hello man, since you're the interviewee maybe just don't.
We're impressed that the interviewer did not throw the person out, and even more impressed they didn't murder the interviewee when they said it was "disrespectful" to work under a woman.
If They're Admitting to This What Are They Leaving Out?
This person told their interviewee that they have "extreme anger problems" and "can't help but get loud and hands-on." Whoever this person is they are sending up all kinds of red flags, but on the positive side, they are extremely honest. If they are willing to be honest about their anger issues what kinds of problems must they be hiding? We are with the manager on not hiring this person.
Imagine how they'd introduce this person to their co-workers. "Hey team, meet John, he'll try to hurt you if you don't do your job right." That's what we call a motivator.
Even in Job Interviews Honesty Is Apparently the Best Policy
Retail work such as clothing stores and other merchandise outlets is a part of most people's work history. Either as a first job or during our education we have all had that monotonous job that feels never-ending. While we all recognize that most retail jobs consist of tasks that are utterly mindless and borderline torturous we shouldn't relay those feelings to any potential employers at a retail position.
This applicant informed the interviewer that they're fine with "repetitive boring work" and are good at "zoning out" we assumed they had no chance. Little did we know they'd get the job.
Lying on Your Resume Is a Recipe for Disaster, Always
We do not think that we are alone in exaggerating a bit on our resumes. Maybe we're not quite as fluent in Spanish as we said on our resume, but we still know a decent amount of the language. However, blatantly lying throughout your resume is a bad idea. When this interviewee walked in and confessed that they had not done anything on their resume it was already over for them.
Maybe lying about a second language is not the ethical thing to do, but at least the rest of the resume is factual. This person never had a chance.
Sorry We Are Just Too Busy for a Pyramid Scheme
Part of any job is the training period. Often times this takes place over your first day, week, or even month and you get paid throughout the period. After all, you are putting your time and energy into the training period. So let us just say that it would be a massive red flag when the company informs you that you are going to have to pay for your own training.
Sorry, it's just that the concept of paying for your own training is just so ridiculous that we are left flabbergasted. This person's response of "Yeah, no" perfectly sums up our feelings.
Teachers Are Truly a Special and Unique Breed of Humanity
Anyone who has ever said that teaching is easy needs to spend a week attempting to teach a group of students. The task is not for the faint-hearted. Either you have screaming toddlers pulling hair or you're trying to prevent a drug deal from happening during lunch period. Then this person showed up for their teaching interview and ran a successful game of bingo and even explained why cheating is bad.
Apparently, they didn't get the job because they told a student not to cheat. With this, it is no wonder why so few teachers choose not to flee the profession.
We Can Bet That They Were Not Expecting That Response
The standard questions such as "What are your greatest strengths?" can sometimes be the worst. How are we supposed to answer that in a unique way that the interviewer hasn't heard before? We didn't know until today. When this 16-year-old was asked that very same question they responded with "I guess free lifts... I can do like 80 now." This response just made them perfect for any job and position.
While this interviewer did not hire this applicant we know that we would hire him for any job that he wanted. What an epic response to such a boring question.
This Is Exactly Why Children Should Not Run the World
The interviewer had two applicants. The first candidate told them that when in anger they break doors. The second candidate, when asked how they would respond to such a situation, answered that they would simply do nothing in response. While none of these applicants got the position, we are deeply concerned about where this duo is going in the future. Will they burn down a building or start an empire? Who knows.
These children are going places. We want to keep tabs on these two to see what kind of excitement they'll be getting into. Is there some TV show potential here?
Interviewing Might Include Some Side Effects
If anyone knew that there were such drastic side effects to interviewing then there would probably be a lot fewer resignations. During her interview, a girl lost her ability to speak and mentally fell apart according to the interviewer. This sounds incredibly terrifying but also hilarious. The woman's mental degradation is something that we can relate to on a deep fundamental level when we find ourselves in such stressful situations.
"What are your biggest accomplishments?" asked the interviewer to be answered only with silence and frustrated breathing noises. It feels like speaking might be a major aspect of in-person interviewing.
They Are Always Watching
Another aspect of interviewing is not only the in-person and email exchanges before and during the interview but also your actions thereafter. Presenting a good front in one, but being a devilish chaos bringer in the other might result in your inability to receive a job offer. Such as this candidate who interviewed well but then was seen causing havoc in a store by the hiring manager soon after.
It is safe to say that the hiring manager felt comfortable not offering this person the job after the reign of destruction that the interviewer witnessed. Someone is always watching.
Please Don't Smile Down at Your Crotch During Your Interview
We often have that very important text from your crush or that big deal email that just must be answered right away. Being accused of smiling down at our crotches during class by our professors and teachers usually diminishes the habit of checking our phones during inappropriate times. However, this interviewee felt that burning desire to do just that during a group interview. Kindly, the interviewer didn't call them out.
However, the interviewer did not offer them the job. There is a time and place to check our phones. No matter how sneaky we think we are, we really aren't.
When They Do Everything Right but They Still Spectacularly Fail
Interviewing takes a lot of preparation. Refreshing yourself in your industry knowledge, getting to know the company you're interviewing with and more. This person did everything right and even went the extra mile and researched a good bit of information before entering the interview. However, they did not realize that they actually researched the wrong company. While getting an A+ in the effort they will be receiving an F overall.
Sometimes, even when you do everything right, you still fall flat on your face. We really feel for this applicant and their struggle. It just was not meant to be.
Interviewing Is the Best Time to Highlight Your Best Qualities
The interview process allows the applicant to express their best attributes to their potential employer. This interviewee knew that they had "a smile that lights up a room." However, rather than making such a comment in passing, they decided to go into excruciating detail about this singular fact over two minutes. Obviously, the interviewer didn't appreciate that and it would seem that they didn't end up offering them the job.
Can we really blame the interviewer? Not really. They are probably deeply concerned about this person's ego and worried that it would be too massive for their small office space.
A Warning Ensuring That Your Resume Is up to Date
Keeping an up-to-date CV is a vital part of the job-finding process. The reason for that is so that one does not find themselves in a situation such as exemplified by the person down below. A company pulled a resume off of a school's website and made an offer to the student. After driving six hours and getting partly through the interview the interviewee realized the company had an out-of-date copy.
After attempting to do damage control the student ended up not getting the internship and wasted a tank of gas discovering that their school's website had an old resume.
When the Interviewer Rather Than the Interviewee Has the Fail
Often we are told that the interview's outcome depends on the interviewee and how well they prepared for their job interview. Responsibilities such as arriving on time and bringing a copy of our CV are simple enough. However, it is not always us, the interviewees, who fail the prepare adequately. Here a hiring manager showed up forty minutes late to their own interview. The interviewee wisely left before they arrived.
The manager called her and told her to return, but the interviewee's response, "No, thank you," accurately sums up our thoughts. Remember, our time, not just theirs, is also valuable.
This Feels Like the Human Equivalent to an Error 404
The stress of the job interview can get to all of us. After all, we are all just simple human beings. Our bodies can react to the stress of a job interview in a variety of ways at numberable places. For example, our bodies can compute the human equivalent of an Error 404 message during the actual interview. This person's reaction was to become incapable of answering questions and loudly farting.
This reaction just doesn't seem like the ideal one when attempting to convince someone of your professionalism and ability to do your job. We are guessing they were not hired.
Our Body Language Can Speak Volumes
Seeing how the interviewer reacts and responds to your questions is just as important as how the interviewee responds and reacts. After all, you are both interviewing each other in a way. Such as when this candidate witnessed a massive change in their interviewer's behavior when their manager walked in and they knew that this wasn't saying anything good about the prospects of working underneath that same manager.
A wise choice, if the interviewer hates or is scared of their boss to the extent that you can spot a physical change then that serves as a massive warning sign.
When the Job Turns Out to Be a Pyramid Scheme
A young person, looking for their first job, walks into an interview room filled with panicking men in suits. This was the first red flag. This candidate stayed just a bit to uncover the fact they were running a pyramid scheme. This was the second red flag. Wisely, the 17-year-old walked out of there before they could get pulled in too deeply. However, they soon realized a third red flag.
The third red flag was that they'd worn their shirt inside out the entire time, and no one said anything. So many flags. A wise young man getting out of there.
Warning: Do Not Consume Fizzy Beverages Immediately Before an Interview
A cold pop, or coke, or soda, depending on where you reside, is refreshing and tasty. However, what you didn't know was that they were also hazardous to your future career. As was demonstrated by this person who finished off their soda before entering the interview room and proceeded to burp right into the interviewer's face when they went to greet them. A dire consequence of consuming such a dangerous beverage.
How mortifying to have your first impression be a burp and not just any burp, but one of those nasty, loud after soda burps. We would just die of embarrassment.
Remember to Silence Your Cell Phones and Put Them Away
Having your phone go off in the middle of an interview is a solid, foolproof way to ensure you are not offered the position. It just shows a lack of forethought that you didn't assume your mother would be calling to ask how the interview went in the middle of it. However, this person went a step further and not only left on their phone but actually answered it.
If we were the interviewer we'd have probably walked out at that exact moment. Unless it is the President, which we highly doubt it would be, just don't do this.
Always Eavesdrop on the Staff Around the Office
Eavesdropping and making snap judgments based on our initial reactions are oftentimes discouraged behaviors. However, whenever applying to a new job it is perhaps good to become a little rebellious and learn more about the company. This teacher candidate eavesdropped on some nearby teachers and took in her surroundings and soon realized that this school was filled with some large red flags about how the teachers functioned within the school.
Seeing how unhappy they all were she promptly told the interviewer that they weren't interested in the role anymore. We are just feeling bad for those that were left behind.
There Is Confidence and Then There Is Just Being Cocky
Confidence is key in an interview. The interviewee has to be able to project themselves as a suitable candidate and that requires being confident in their abilities and the belief they can do the job. However, being overly confident doesn't make anyone like them anymore and is certainly not getting them hired. For example, this person who decided to throw a fit and demand that they be given a job.
So, as we said, be confident. However, make sure that you have bashed your ego a few times before entering the interview to balance things out before you embarrass yourself.
Why People Shouldn't Put Their Illicit Activities on Their CVs
When asked for preferences by an interviewer it is usually to figure out whether you are the right fit for the company and the position. In this situation, a candidate was asked what their favorite operational system was for their phones and one candidate answered Android. While this might be enough to be fired someone on the spot it was what he said after that got this candidate the boot.
The interviewee informed them that they preferred Android because it was easier to hack into their systems. Seems a bit sketchy and we can understand why this candidate was not getting hired.
There Appears to Be a Disconnect Between Expectations and Reality
It's not an odd aspect of a job to be required to wear a certain style of clothes or to even have a uniform associated with a specific role. This clothing store requiring their employees to wear their merchandise doesn't seem to be an odd request until you see the price tag. Retail clothing jobs do not exactly afford us the luxury of purchasing clothes that costs north of 50 bucks.
Perhaps a raise is in order with such a requirement or some kind of clothing stipend? Otherwise, these employees are going to have to choose between paying for rent or their clothes.
When the Simple Question Causes Our Brains to Automatically Reset
When preparing for any type of exam or interview we can get super anxious about the heavy questions that might come up. Unfortunately, this can cause us to systematically shut down when the simple ones come around. When this interviewer was asked the question "What is your name?" they responded with odd noises before eventually answering with "Pass." Don't worry, they worked up the courage to yell out their name.
No surprise, this applicant did not get the job. Was it the odd noises she made instead of stating her name? Or, maybe, it was the screaming that sealed the deal.
When the Company Research Turns Into Creepy Stalker Activity Instead
Doing research on the company and the people can be beneficial to any interviewee and make them appear as a stronger candidate. However, there does appear to be a fine line between strongly prepared and stalker as this interviewee discovered. In their research, they learned that one of their interviewers had their resume posted on social media and was willing to relocate. Probably shouldn't have brought that up during the interview.
The candidate did not get the job. Perhaps they were unsuited for the role, perhaps it was because they stalked their interviewers' social media accounts. Who are we to say?
The Miscellaneous "Administrative Fees" Equals Massive Red Flag
It has been seen before that during the interview and job application process people might be asked to pay for either their training or their uniforms or even both. Once again, these seem to be clear and obvious red flags that should send any job applicant running screaming for the door. Like, do the companies believe that slapping the general "administrative fee" label on them will make us more comfortable?
This job applicant seems to know what's up because they agree with us that these mysterious, ambiguous fees seem to be equivalent to the interviewer waving a massive red flag.
Addictions to Cellphones Have Just Gotten Way Out of Control
Cellphone addiction is getting absurd. Like we just ran into a tree because we were busy staring down at our phone's screen. So when this teacher interviewed for this position and told the interviewer that they would remove any cellphones that the student had out during class they were told that they weren't a fit for the school. Solves the mystery as to the state of our education system.
We guess that in this school students have the option of either listening to their teachers' lessons or getting some epic binge-watching done. Who knew that these were interchangeable activities.
Do Not Forget to Check Your Misogyny at the Door
Misogyny is alive and well. Every time we forget it exists it will rear its head in either a demeaning comment or more artfully in situations such as this interview. A "cocky" 23-year-old graduate assumed that the man in the room was the big boss, but was professionally corrected at the end of the interview when the interviewer informed him that the boss was the female sitting beside him.
Her credentials speak for themselves, a Ph.D. and VP of the entire company, so before we make assumptions make sure you're not about to be the one who is getting schooled.