Worst interview EVER!!!!! Care to share?

[Victoria J]

I was called in for an interview at the court house and was greeted by 4 attorneys and 3 judges! They asked dozens of questions EACH and I answered every one of them well and never got nervous. Of course, it helped that my allergies had been REALLY bad and I was under the calming influence of Benedryl. :-)

How ?! How on earth do you interview well in front of 7 people ? That's appropriate for a firing squad not an interview panel.

It isn't possible to do the address the person who asked the question but make regular eye contact with the others thing. It isn't possible to keep track of them all, for the visual feedback to see if they think you've answered fully or to track who might be taking notes. It's just scary and people loom at the side of your vision.

I wasn't doing terribly until the question I just didn't understand (which turned out to be a mismatch of jargon between my organisation and theirs) but just being that outnumbered would have made it a horrible experience.

It was also embarrassing to fluff the interview so totally because they had actually changed the interview panel for me. My then manager was on their board and would have been on the panel but withdrew. One of their people was on our board too, and I used to go to meetings at their offices sometimes. Didn't help.

2 or 3 people seems about right to me. Keeps the interview on track, and less likely to be anything inappropriate. But not overwhelming.

Victoria J

[BlaqueKatt]

I burst into tears at an interview.

background-my husband had just left me-had my mom not taken me in(driving 8 hours to come get my son and myself, I'd have been homeless within 8 hours-military housing). I hadn't worked for two years, and my estranged husband was only giving me $50 a week to live on. I was at such a low point I didn't feel i "deserved" anything

The interviewer asked why I deserved the job, and I just lost it, all I could think of was my son growing up with a mother that couldn't get a job.

Needless to say she handed me some tissue, let me cry for a few minutes, finished the interview, and didn't get the job.

[Bella_Vixen]

Last year at Target.

Got interviewed by two people (seperately).

The two questions/answers that I know killed all chances were:

Why do you want this position (backroom/stock)? I'm tired of cashiering. I also explained that I had done almost nothing BUT cashier for the past 6 years and wanted to get away from that. But that I wouldn't mind being a backup cashier if needed; I just didn't want that to be my main job.

I don't remember the second question exactly, but it had something to do with leadership skills and getting something changed. My answer was not what they were looking for, even though it was the correct answer for the question.

Even after all that, I think I still had a really good chance at the job. Then I told them that I had an offer for another job that was closer to home that wasn't seasonal.

Sometimes I wonder if I should have taken the Target job instead.

[BethB]

I have always hated questions like "why do you want this job?" or "why do you think you're right for this position?". You have to come up with some crazy answer like how you have always wanted a position within the company or some crap(at McD's? Don't think so). I told one interviewer straight up that I needed a job as I was a single mother of 3, one an infant, and needed to support them right away. got that job, though. nothing fancy.

My worst interview was last week. i could just not talk. It was like someone cut out my tongue and brain. no communication there. And it was with 3 people. never had that happen. My mom just said use it as a learning experience but I'm pretty sure that i didn't get it because I don't speak spanish(and I don't really want to learn) but I guess I will be forced to learn it. ugh

[Kiwi]

The worst was a phone interview for the arts counsil of the city I lived in. They needed a general dogs body to work at the counsil owned and run theatre. I had the advert in front of me when she called and it specifically stated that it was a job for the theatre front of house(taking and booking tickets for shows) ushering on play nights, with a little work in the back making sure the dressing rooms were assigned correctly, clean, and well stocked (water, lightbulbs working on the mirrors) etc. When she rang she started going on about cost margins and how fast was my data entry.

They had completely misrepresented the job, it was a data entry post in the counsils policy making department that dealt with theatre/live arts/busking/community groups etc. The job was sitting at a desk typing out things for 8 hours. When I questioned the discrepancy the woman fobbed me off stating I must have read the wrong add. It was the same job number, for the same counsil and the same department but the two jobs were polar opposite. Plus they were WAY under paying for the admin work they wanted (I was offered $18 an hour a week later, they were offering $11).

Needless to say when I realised this I butted in and told her she was wasting both of our times and they needed to be much more honest with their advertising.

[Ben_Who]

At the Target near here, the manager was very clearly working from a script. I was winging it. And, oddly enough, when the "Why should we hire you?" question came up, I was completely floored.

It's a pretty stupid question, especially for a seasonal retail situation. "All my life, it has been a dream of mine to be a temporary cashier for six dollars an hour at a faceless corporate retailer!" Why should you hire me? You need an employee, I need extra cash. I have this experience, you have that position. Tab A should fit into Slot B quite nicely. Just by walking into the interview room, I've answered the first question they wanted to ask. If I didn't want the job, and they weren't willing to offer it to someone, we wouldn't be having this chat.

True, it's not exactly a trick question, but the way it's posed almost always seems confrontational. Of course, she wasn't interviewing some sweaty teenager, but someone with 20 years' work experience in disparate disciplines, so once she tossed the script and we actually got to talking like real people, the interview went pretty well. The only thing that kept me from getting the job was a conflict - I couldn't do their Mandatory Black Friday thing because my other job needed me for the same reason - but we parted on good terms.

I've had weirder interviews; somehow I manage to get interviewers to let down their guards a bit. I had an interview with a McDonald's manager where at one point we were talking about the architecture of the building. ("Actually, I don't think this is a prefab building; I think it's stick built..." "Really?") I missed out on that job because I missed a phone call - my idiot roommate wasn't that good about passing on telephone messages back then.

Love, Who?

[Geek King]

I had a series of interviews with Reynolds & Reynolds a couple of years ago for an IT position. Anyone in the auto-selling buisness will have heard of them, so this would have been a seriously plush position.

The first interview with the local rep went great! The guy loved my willingness to learn new systems and ability to find answers I didn't already know. I had all the right answers, could travel on an as-needed basis, and looking for a company that would provide a stable job for a bit. He set up an interview with the regional VP of the company before I left the building. Understandably, I felt pretty good about the interview.

The interview with the VP was a total disaster. I'm not sure why, but the guy comes accross as hostile from the first question. Not "I'm having a bad day" hostile, but full-on "You killed my puppy and pissed on my Wheaties in front of the kids" hostile. Needless to say, I didn't get the position. I still don't know what caused that kind of reaction, either.

[draftermatt]

The interview with the VP was a total disaster.

You reminded me of an interview I went on.

I've never had what I'd call a terrible interview, or even a really bad one. I've had some odd questions that have thrown me, but I've been very lucky when it comes to jobs (till lately). I've worked 7 different jobs in my life. I was hired on the spot, after reviewing my resume/application all but twice. BK there was a short interview, and the truck stop was more of a "are you sure you can do this job?".

Lately since I've been looking I've only been interviewed by 2 companies. 1 I didn't get because they filled it internally (huge company).

The other...

I drove to the interview and was debating if offered would I take it (long commute).

The President was called away so the office manager interviewed me. She and I hit it off, I felt good about the job and my chances of getting it. We went over compensation, benefits, etc.

On my way out the Pres called so I did a phone interview with him.

Two months later they call me back and ask me to come back for a 2nd interview with the President.

I could tell he didn't like me or want to hire me. Just little cues you know? I knew my fate was sealed when I asked for clarification of their health insurance.

He told me but then said "but we don't need to get into that now, if you were hired I have a packet I give to you that explains all of it."

He seemed to be irritated that I asked. Now don't most of you want to know the kinds of benefits you're being offered before you take a job?

Especially if you are already employed and want something better?

[JLRodgers]

The interview with the VP was a total disaster.

That reminded me of a job I was supposed to have had years ago. Flew across country (well IL->CA) for a "interview is a formality". Showed up and the lady apologized because I had to be interviewed by someone else who decided I would not be hired before the interview started.

It was a sales-based position. He had me play the role of the customer for him to show me "what was right" and he physically restrained me during the interview because if someone was going to leave, you were to hold them hostage until they gave you money! (not verbatim of what he said, but damn close).

I was not given the job that I "had" because of that man. Of course I filed a complaint against him to the company for without permission or anything being physical restraining, verbally abusive and creating a hostile and uncomfortable situation (not lies, he made a number of verbal "threats" showing "how things are done", and at one point I had a flee response kick in I had to forcably ignore).

Shocking thing was, he was the head hiring person! I had to go to corporate (as he was the top contact person at the store based on the website) to file a complaint.

[Plank]

Just been talking to an old friend 'CD' and he reminded me of an interview for a programming job (MSc. work placement thng) he and my brother went to together. They were being shown around the office and it got round to the "Any questions?" bit of the interview:

CD: "Yeah, where do you keep your server?"

Interviewer: "You're leaning on it"

My brother got the placement

[XCashier]

Shocking thing was, he was the head hiring person! I had to go to corporate (as he was the top contact person at the store based on the website) to file a complaint.

What an ae! Do you know if anything was done about him? That guy is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

[Retail Associate]

This wasn't really an awful interview but was definitely different.

I had applied for an office manager job at a little company in town. It was in mid-January and when I awoke on the day of the interview I was greeted with a foot of snow in my driveway.

***Shovel the driveway in a blizzard*** Goody!

The weather was horrible, probably the worst storm we'd had to date that winter. I also had some errands to run in town so I decided to take my son (10 yrs old) with me to the interview and let him sit in the car while I was inside being grilled for the job. Afterwards I would run my errands then we'd get something to eat. The roads were treacherous but I arrived on time. I told my son I'd be out in a few minutes (interviews back then didn't last hours like they seem to now) and left the car running so he could stay warm.

Upon entering the office I was greeted by an older gentleman who was shocked I even showed up in such weather. Even his present office manager called in that day. I told him, "I really need a job."

He took me on a tour of the very small office and went over some of the duties I would be required to perform. The office I would be working in was about 5' wide by 8' long. The walls were plywood, no door, just an opening to walk through and up in the corner was one of those big, round mirrors that was aimed just right so he could keep an eye on the office manager at all times.

We sat down at the office manager's desk to get aquainted with her work area and the computer programs she used. As we sat his pants had ridden up enough to reveal a pistol strapped to his leg. He realized I had seen it so he went on to explain how many times they've been robbed and he wasn't going to let it happen again if he could help it.

At this time I'm thinking about my son out in the car and getting very concerned for him. I mentioned my son and my concern so he said, "Bring him in!" He seemed thrilled about the whole thing and I was very relieved.

We were there for close to an hour and a half. The owner was very encouraging, seemed to like me and absolutely loved my son. Promised me he would be contacting me in the next week or so about when I would start and so on and so on.

He never called.

So, after two weeks or so I called him back and he said they'd hired someone else. Turns out the office manager had a friend (or relative) who needed a job.

[Andara Bledin]

Now don't most of you want to know the kinds of benefits you're being offered before you take a job?

Compensation and benefits are a vital part of the information required before accepting a position.

That guy was an ass.

^-.-^

[JLRodgers]

What an ae! Do you know if anything was done about him? That guy is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Considering I've read the company has been sued a lot for a number of "iffy" practices -- they probably promoted him. I was sort of glad I wasn't hired -- and kind of not. I was only going to be there for a month or two until I had the chance to work in an IT field with a company in the area, but being denied that caused me to have to return home.

[Estil]

As for the "what are your weaknesses?" question, I don't think you can answer that question well. And DON'T think that you can fool them by saying "I'm a workaholic" or "I don't know when to say no" or responses like that. They won't be fooled.