Category: job interviews

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People Break Down The Job Interview Red Flags That Scream ‘Toxic Workplace’

The drama surrounding the job search is real.

Everyone wants to work, but not in an environment of crazy.

We all deserve a peaceful, well-run place to make a living. Is that too much to ask?

But sometimes, no matter how desperate you are for a job, the indicators of an unhealthy workplace are right there in front of you even at the interview stage.

Redditor RexJgeh wanted to discuss all of the best reasons to run as fast as you can from a job interview…

They asked:

“What are some red flags during job interviews that scream ‘toxic workplace?’”

Chat about the worst you’ve seen when job hunting. Go.

I owe you nothing! 

“The family one is a huge red flag for me. I worked at a place that always talked about the team members being like a family.”

“It meant you felt horrible about calling in sick, they’d guilt you into working over time because of the culture, and when you finally put in your leave or told them you where leaving you where treated like nothing.”

“Bosses use the family thing to guilt you into being a slave!! My boss even tried to guilt us into coming in on the weekend and working for free!!!”  ~ Turtbergs

So happy to be gone! 

“I was trying to find a better advertising job and during an interview I asked about how much overtime I could expect.”

“Owner of the company goes ‘Well, you know, we try to get home on time, we do try. But, hey, this is the life we chose.’”

“Dude, you make billboards for restaurants… you’re not saving lives here.”

“The most frustrating part about working in advertising is that so many of the late nights could be avoided with slightly better management and less over-promising to the client.”

“Glad I’m out of it, now.”  ~ SeaTie

Too Many Hats

“’Fast-paced, dynamic environment’ can be code for ‘look, we don’t have our crap together.’” ~KinkMountainMoney

“I had a boss one time that was on that crap.”

“He’d always say ‘I have to wear two hats’ because he’d write us up and then show up at the disciplinary meetings and defend us as our union rep.”

“I was always like ‘you know YOU’RE the reason we’re here, right?’”

“And he’d act all innocent and say he had to wear two hats. Dude! Just pick a hat!”  ~KinkMountainMoney

It all begins NOW…

“No interview, just ‘can you start tomorrow?’”  ~ Reddit

“Lol the only time I’ve heard this was when I was applying to summer jobs in high school and one place I applied to was Vector marketing (a pyramid scheme company).”

“Luckily, someone told me it was a pyramid scheme before I actually started ‘working’ there.”  ~Think_Tie8025

Nobody stays…

“For an hourly job as a cashier or a server or something like that I don’t think that would be that big of a red flag, to be honest.”

“There is high turnover even in well-run places in those industries, and if a good candidate is in front of you sometimes it’s best to offer a job before someone else can get them.”  ~ sofingclever

Meeting the Owner! 

“I interviewed for an administrative management position with a smaller magazine publisher. There were rumors about the owner of the publication (not an easy person to work for).”

“I sit with an interview panel first for thirty minutes – Shipping Manager, Accountant, Legal, Layout Editor.”

“Each of them introduces themselves in a very clipped manner. Each asked one question, read from a piece of paper.”

“As I answered the question, no one took notes, no one asked any backup questions.”

“Then I met with the CFO. The receptionist had to go back to her desk to get the office keys because the CFO’s office door was locked.”

“It was always locked. Meet with the CFO, and he asks the exact same four questions the panelists asked.”

“He, too – no notes, no follow up questions.”

“The I met with the owner.”

“His office looked like it was meant to be a training room. Huge amounts of space, and lots of dead-animal themes art-ing up the place.”

“I sat with the owner for about an hour. It seemed a pretty reasonable discussion. Then the final couple of questions.”

“Him: ‘You’ve met most of my primary managers. What do you think?’”

“Me: ‘To be honest, they all seemed disinterested in the interview.’”

“Him: ‘I know they are. I’ll make the decision on who to hire. I just want them to have a favorite.’”

*’DING DING DING DING!!’*

“Effing creeepy vibes. Lock-down environment. Managers dealing with a psycho boss. And the money person’s office always locked? Nope.”  ~ Yabloski

We’ll take anybody! 

“The shorter the interview, the more desperate the company is to just hire someone.”

“Bonus points if the person currently in the position you’re interviewing for has worked there for less than a year.”  ~ EfficientAnteater995

Work to the bone…

“If you hear ‘We work hard, but we also play hard’ pull the EJECT! handle.”

“The translation of that phrase is ‘We’ll work you like a dog, then insist you attend ‘team building’ activities w/o pay.’”  ~ LilShaver

Management Issues

“The important duties are super concentrated on that one person that is super close to the ‘Boss,’ that one pretentious person will reap all the bonuses and benefits, while the ones that do the heavy lifting will just form new health and mental issues down the road.”  ~ Longpenn

Am I ALL the staff?

“I had the entire job change in an interview once! I came into a first interview for selling IT solutions to companies who’d signed up through a webform.”

“We did most of the interview and the hiring manager said ‘You sound great for this! Just a few details! It’s not actually a IT solution, it’s fire alarms. It’s not to companies, it’s to regular customers. Oh and they haven’t signed up anywhere, it’s cold calling. If you’ll just follow me we’ll get you set up at a work station!’”

“I noped out of there immediately.”  ~ EchoingEchoes

Now you know the signs of whether to run or stay.

Don’t settle for anything. If it feels off… it’s off. Bring track shoes to get away faster.

They’ll be other jobs, sanity first,

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Should You Have to Explain the Gaps in Employment During Job Interviews? Here’s What People Said.

It happens to the best of us…

Something unexpected happens in your life and you’re thrown for a loop and you don’t work for a while.

Maybe you needed a break, maybe you got laid off, maybe you had a baby, the possibilities are endless!

But sometimes these gaps are looked down upon in the professional world.

Do you think people should have to explain gaps in employment during job interviews?

People debated this question on AskReddit.

1. Not their business.

“Taking a year off to focus on yourself, take care of a loved one, or simply think about your future shouldn’t be the business of somebody interviewing you. There’s nothing wrong with wanting a break from work culture.

If you can afford to do so, and it’s what you want, I encourage it. Take a break, find yourself, sleep longer than you usually can, pick up a hobby, and enjoy your d**n life.”

2. You can try this.

“I put “relevant work history” in my CV and haven’t had any issues in the past.

If the interviewer wants to ask what other jobs you’ve held, you can answer without giving set dates, just how long you were at each place.”

3. Don’t care as much.

“I’ve taken time off 3 times in my career.

New employers don’t seem to care anymore like they used to. They only want to know that you left on good terms.

My previous employer just rehired me last month at a significantly higher salary after an 18 month sabbatical. I had given them 5 weeks notice before I left, documented everything, trained as many people as I could.

They were so appreciative and always kept the door open if I wanted to return. It’s all about maintaining good juju.”

4. Wow.

“I lost my job in march 2020 when I got covid and nearly d**d but I haven’t been able to find a job that pays remotely close to what I was making before.

And every single interview they’ve asked “oh wow, you haven’t worked since March of LAST YEAR?”

Then they ask “what happened” but in a way that shows that they really don’t care at all as to why, only that it makes me look like a s**tty potential employee.”

5. Shouldn’t be an issue.

“It’s usually never an issue if you have a good reference from your last employer.

They are more making sure the gap wasn’t because you got fired, then actually giving a s**t.”

6. It’ll be noticed.

“It’s not an issue at the interview, but it is noticed. Consistent employment with no long gaps is a good filter. Given two equally qualified candidates, employment history will be a tie breaker.

Employers want someone that will show up for their scheduled shifts. Not someone who works because they have nothing better to do.”

7. Might be other problems.

“People rarely give out jobs based on a resume, they tend to skim off as many of the best candidates as they can afford to interview and offer the position to the best candidates.

If you’re not regularly being selected for interviews there are likely multiple red flags in your resume.”

8. Does it work?

“I would usually take this time to tell them the heart wrenching lie about how I had to take care of elderly uncle/aunt and was a full time care person for them.”

9. Good advice.

“The best “lie” is usually one that reveals nothing, but implies weight behind it.

“I had to take time off to deal with a personal matter that has since been resolved. I gave [previous employer before the gap] notice, and we parted on good terms.”

The implication in that is “I did it on purpose, but do not ask me why”. Most interviewers and hiring managers know full well not to pry on such issues – it’s actually a potential liability for them to do so.

It’s far better than “I lost motivation to work and spent a year playing video games on my parents’ couch until they told me to get a job or they were going to kick me out.””

10. Explain it.

“As someone who has interviewed many people:

Taking a year off to travel before life gets in the way, spending a year to pursue professional gaming, or having difficulty finding a job in a down market have been answered people have given me where I have still offered them a position.

In almost every case explaining the gap is probably better than trying to hide it because deception will lead people to assume the worst.”

11. Frustrating.

“I was denied unemployment after being let go last spring due to bureaucratic BS and have yet to find a job despite dozens and dozens of applications. Most have just outright ghosted me, and I can’t help but wonder if they see a year of unemployment and toss my resume out.

What should matter is am I qualified, experienced, and willing to work; none of which can be determined based on an employment gap.”

12. Just don’t get fired.

“As long as your weren’t fired from your previous job it’s usually not an issue. Providing you have the experience to back it up when you jump back into the work force.

Lots of large gaps in a young persons resume make you seem unreliable. I’m not saying it’s right, but that’s the harsh reality in the eyes of most employers.”

Do you think people should have to explain employment gaps during job interviews?

Talk to us in the comments and let us know.

Thanks in advance!

The post Should You Have to Explain the Gaps in Employment During Job Interviews? Here’s What People Said. appeared first on UberFacts.

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People Talk About the Worst Job Interviews They’ve Ever Had

Let me set the scene for all of you out there: I was 16-years-old and my mom was really hassling me to get a job.

A friend of mine told me he got hired at the new Walmart in town, so I thought to myself, “hey, if he can do it, I can do it!”

Guess what? I couldn’t do it…

The interview was for a position in the stationary section of the store and the guy in charge of hiring people acted like I was applying for a job at NASA. It was the most ridiculous and most uncomfortable job interview I ever had…and I didn’t get hired.

All for the best, I think!

What’s the worst job interview you ever had?

Here’s what AskReddit users had to say.

1. First one ever.

“My first interview in my life was for a fast food place and I was way too honest.

Why do you want to work here?

“Mostly for the money. I like the food here too.”

What do you do on your free time?

“Video games”

Did not get a call back.”

2. No way!

“When he said I’ll give you extra hours if you bring me smokes every day, then put his hand on my leg and said his wife gives him passes to have fun.

I also got a speeding ticket on the way to the interview.

Was not my month.”

3. Time to leave.

“I interviewed for a project management position.

The interviewer describes the job: basically it was pure research and data entry of potential clients, then cold-calling them and documenting the results. The job ad mentioned exactly none of this but was an average project management job ad, else I wouldn’t have applied in the first place.

I asked what exactly was the project management part, and got told that could (could, not would) be down the road, maybe 2-5 years in, but really only maybe. I thanked them for the interview opportunity, we wrapped things up and I politely left.”

4. See ya later.

“It was my first “professional” law firm interview. I was SO nervous.

I had applied for a legal secretary position. The attorney whose name was on the door would be interviewing me so I was a nervous wreck. When he walked in the room, I stood up, introduced myself and shook his hand. He looked me up and down and said “yeah, you’ll do”.

I turned around and walked out without saying another word.”

5. Wrong company.

“Showed up looking good in my suit with a ton of knowledge on Capital Partners.

It turned out I had researched the wrong company named Capital Partners.”

6. Stress interview.

“Had a phone interview and the woman kept asking more and more intrusive questions, kept hinting I’m a total piece of sh*t who’s totally unfit for the job (it was the easiest job description ever) and jumping to conclusions about my life that were completely untrue.

For example I found out that being a freelancer who gets a lot of decently paid work each month is apparently living off my parents. She kept going on and on like that for quite a while before I told her to p*ss off and hung up. Didn’t really need that job too badly but it was in a different country so the trravel aspect was the main reason.

Years later I found out it was a “stress interview” which apparently is a thing. F*ck those people.”

7. Hell no.

“I went in to apply for an administrative assistant position and the guy kept asking me questions about liking kids and are my passports up to date…etc.

I was SO confused. Turns out what he really wanted was a nanny for his two young kids to travel with him and his wife back to India.

I was so p*ssed he wasted my time. I noped right the f*ck out of there.”

8. That’s weird.

“At an interview to be a county street sweeper, guy asks me if I have a girlfriend, proceeds to rant for 5 minutes how young people dont get married anymore.

Then he asks me what I want to avoid at the job. At the time I had no idea how to answer as I’d never been asked that in an interview before. So I ask him to clarify, to which he just repeats the question, over and over until he gets super angry that I dont know how to answer that, then asks me to leave.

To this day, biggest wtf interview I’ve had.”

9. Still salty.

“I was interviewing for a job in Houston, and lived in Austin, about 2.5 hours away.

I drove to Houston for the first round of interviews, and they said it went well and wanted to being me in for a final interview, so i drove there again. It seemed like it went well and they told me they had one more interview to conduct and would have a decision tomorrow.

So the next day came and went, I emailed the manager to ask if any decision had been made, nothing, waited a couple more days, left a voicemail, nothing. Then a couple days later, I just called the main number for the company and told the receptionist why I was calling. She was like “well, someone just started in that job yesterday”.

They ghosted me after I drove a total of 10 hours to interview twice. Still salty about that 11 years later.”

10. That’s bad.

“Had an interview, went well. I was offered the job on the spot and accepted.

The HR manager went to get the needed paperwork, came back 10 mins later and said “I must have forgot that we already filled this position. I’m sorry, but we don’t have an opening. I could call you if something opens back up”.

I said no thank you.”

11. Great job!

“I told them I couldn’t answer their questions, farted audibly out of stress and thanked them for their time.”

12. Sorry I wasted your time.

“Applied for a desktop support position. $15/hour advertised. A bit on the low side but I was out of work and needed to pay bills.

Sat down for the interview with two guys. Interviewer A introduced himself as the manager / network / project manager and introduced interviewer B as the server guy. Indicated he was looking for someone to bridge that gap between the two of them when things got buys.

He wanted someone who could take the overflow of work and handle project management tasks, network configs, server admin work, and handle the day-to-day desktop requests of the office. Cue my eyes getting as big as saucers.

I apologized and indicated I thought I was in the wrong interview. I had applied for a desktop support position for $15 an hour. His response, “Oh no, you’re in the right spot! It’s desktop support, and a few other tasks as we need to assign them to you. There was a typo in the job advert though. It’s only $13 an hour.”

I just stood up, grabbed my coat from the back of the chair, apologized for wasting their time, and left.”

13. Sir, yes sir!

“I had a skype interview with a private practice and the lady interviewing me literally made it sound like a stern military parent.

“You can NEVER be late” (mind you the job was an hour away)

“Even if you have a cold you can NEVER call in sick” (idk if this was meant for pre or post-covid)

“We’re a small company so you won’t have much of a work/life balance”

“PS our pay for all this dedication is only 3 dollars more than the measely pay your getting now”

Just a whole interview of Red Flags. And the last one was when the lady messaged me immediately after saying I got the job and had to leave my job at maximum, five days’ notice, regardless of me kind of bombing the interview and claiming there were other interviewees in line.

I could see why they were having trouble hiring people.”

Now it’s your turn.

In the comments, tell us about the worst job interview that you’ve ever had.

We can’t wait to hear from you!

The post People Talk About the Worst Job Interviews They’ve Ever Had appeared first on UberFacts.

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What Was Your Worst Job Interview? Here’s What People Had to Say.

Have you ever been at a job interview and you know right from the start that it’s a bad idea and there’s no way in Hell you’re gonna get the job?

Yeah, I’ve been there, too! And those interviews are the worst!

But, like my father always said to me, every interview, whether good or bad, is practice for the next one, so you might as well do as many as possible.

Still though…not a whole lot of fun.

Folks on AskReddit shared their worst job interview stories. Let’s take a look.

1. Humiliated.

“The interviewer insisted on knowing why I’d left graduate school.

Now, I had left graduate school because my advisor died in a car accident and the whole small department was thrown for a loop and no one seemed to know or care what was going to happen to me or my just started research project.

The *sshole interviewer wouldn’t even accept “My advisor died suddenly” and dug into the gory details until I was almost in tears (even intimating that I must have had “feelings” for my advisor.)

I couldn’t wait to get out of there and in my haste to leave I knocked some solutions off a cart (which had no business being in his office BTW) on my way out. I’d never been so humiliated in my life.

After that, I was sure I’d never get a job in science.”

2. Downsizing.

“Company was downsizing.

All employees in a specific yet exclusive division were fired and ordered to reapply for their position plus two other jobs in the company. You’d either get one of those jobs or be terminated.

The subsequent interviews were conducted with a manager and an HR person.

First interview in executive suite: Manager asks why aren’t you applying for this key supervisory slot? (I had listed it second on my list.) Me: I would prefer to stay in my expertise in which I won a National award. HR: I didn’t know awards like that existed.

Second interview: Current boss likes me for my existing job (for which I was heavily recruited from another company). HR: Wow, so you’re the guy who does this job? I had no idea a real person did it.

Third interview: HR person says he’s never heard of my division or that employees actually worked at night. I had listed this job in which I merely served as a minor manager as third on my preferences. Really didn’t want it but had to list three.

The results: I was retained but transferred to the third dead-end day job. My old award-winning job was given to an aging staffer who never worked in that position or had a clue. The supervisor job went to a brilliant colleague who wanted and deserved it.

I quit very soon thereafter and joined a bigger company with better benefits. Skill pays off.

After all that, my old company, seeing the error of its ways in lost production and general lack of ability, offered me a bonus to return.

Nope, nope, nope. And I’m returning the corporate knife you stuck in my back.”

3. Not a good one.

“I drove an hour away to an interview at 8:00 am. I waited outside the interviewer’s office until 8:30 am with no one to tell me where to go or where she was.

Finally, another employee walks by and I ask if they know where this woman is to interview me. They had no idea where she was, why she was late, and told me if she wasn’t there yet, I should leave because she probably forgot (…ok?).

I decide 45 minutes is the cut off (especially standing in a government building looking like a creep waiting. 8:45 on the dot she rushes in, flustered, wet hair, and in casual yoga pants.

With all the resurgence of patience I could muster, I greeted her and was met with a passive aggressive scolding of how the interview was at 9, not 8. (Uh… I tripled checked the email asking me to interview and it was 8. We had conducted a phone interview and she followed up with an email request to an in person interview at 8. I was 100% positive on this, I hate being late.)

Even with this, and i did say, “I’m certain you said 8 am, ma’am” she wasn’t having it. Conversely, she also went on about why she was late, surmounting in, she went to the gym and forgot her underwear to change into and had to stop at a store and buy new ones after working out, before coming to work.

She told me this. In the first 5 minutes. Why? I didn’t ask her!

Regardless, she looks at my resume, apparently for the first time, because she proceeds to tell me how it is unimpressive and my graduate studies should have yielded numerous publications after 1.5 years. (In my field, most don’t publish until after 3-4 years.)

Even still, she kept saying how I had “moved up the interview time”, showed me the work spaces and told me I “probably wouldn’t be interested in what they do there”. I politely told her I had driven, at her request, to be there and interview for employment, I was VERY interested. She waved me off.

As we left, I just tried to hold it together (I was very poor and very desperate for a job), thanked her, and she told me how great it is to work for the government, how good the benefits, the pension, the time off are. On and on. She said, “If you can find an opening working for the government, you should try to check it out and get hired on!”

I just looked her in the face and said, “Yes, ma’am, that was my hope with today’s interview. Thank you.”

And left.

And sat in my car and bawled the whole drive home like the desperate loser I was.

That was a low one, to be sure.”

4. What’s wrong with that?

“Was invited for an IT “helper” position when I was 17.

Would help fix computers for people at a shoddy PC fix shop.

They asked me “Whats the first thing you check if a customer calls and says their screen doesn’t turn on?”

I said “Well, you gotta check if they have it plugged into a socket”

They laughed and said thank you that will be it. Then led me to the door and gently pushed me out.”

5. Ugh.

“At an interview, they asked me, “If you could be any animal, what would you be?”

I answered “Otter” because you know, fun, active, and work well with their hands. They debated whether or not to hire me because of that answer because, “We only hire predators, never prey”, and they weren’t sure how to quantify an Otter because none of them had ever paid the least bit of attention to any sort of animal documentary or read biology or you know, visited a zoo recently.

God that job sucked hard.”

6. A twofer.

“Two of them.

1- the recruiter started to fold my cv into a paper plane during the interview. (Didnt get the job)

2- was pawned off unsuspectingly to the CFO of a company five mins into my interview with the CEO. The CFO had no idea what to ask so he went the “tell me your biggest flaws” way. I was so dejected that I said “you’ll have to hire me to find out”.

Interview ended five mins later. I spent 30 mins crying at my hubris and stupidity in the parking lot. Got the job.”

7. Not a good start.

“In a group interview, the interviewer crossed a line through my name on the list he had after I told him what I graduated in.

This was within the first 5 minutes of a 40 minute meeting…”

8. Rude.

“I walked in at 2:45 for a 3:00 interview.

At 4:00 I asked reception for the last time if I was going to be interviewed. Finally they showed up 5 minutes later.

There were two people doing the interview. They were hostile. Rapid fire questions. Half of which had nothing to do with my experience. One kept asking me where I worked during such and such a time. Despite the other one looking at my application with all that info.

Then they told me that IF they hired me it’d be for a position below what I applied for. Much lower pay and I couldn’t take time off.

Finally they basically told me they’d be watching me like a hawk and if I did drugs I’d be fired and arrested. I have never even smoked pot. I stood up and told them this wasn’t for me and walked out.

It was bizarre. I felt like I was being interrogated for a murder investigation as the prime suspect.”

9. No, thanks.

“Job was for a vibration analysis engineer.

I knew how to do the job well. I knew the pay should be around 95k, and they stated 55k (in the interview). When I tried to discuss my point, they said, “don’t worry, there’s plenty of overtime”.

They also mentioned since they weren’t involved with many balancings at the moment, I would assist the cleaning crew with a lot of the cleanings.

I’ve never been so uninterested in a job in my life.”

10. Totally exessive.

“Five interview rounds with the last interview round being with the CEO all for an entry level customer service job.

During the last interview, the CEO said you weren’t allowed to get sick, and you weren’t allowed to leave at the end of the day until all of the work had been done. So even though the job was 8-4 the CEO said customer service reps often stayed until 6 PM or later.

She also asked if I would be comfortable secretly reporting to her about what the customer service team is up to. I declined the job offer and the company harassed me with emails asking why and what they did wrong.

Really glad I didn’t take the job.”

11. Let me ask you a question…

“In the middle of my interview, the manager asked me if my current workplace (that I was trying to leave) was hiring.

When I said I didn’t know, he asked if I’d be willing to drop off a resumé for him anyway.”

How about you?

What do you think is the worst job interview you’ve ever had?

Share your stories with us in the comments. Thanks!

The post What Was Your Worst Job Interview? Here’s What People Had to Say. appeared first on UberFacts.

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People Discuss the Weirdest Questions They Were Ever Asked During Job Interviews

Job interviews are uncomfortable no matter which way you look at them, but when you get inappropriate and weird questions thrown your way, things get even more uncomfortable.

But, that’s unfortunately what happens sometimes when you go in hoping to land a job.

It’s time to get weird and inappropriate…

Here are some quality responses from AskReddit users.

1. Testing you…

“I was asked over the span of about five questions if I would let employees steal.

“What would you do if you saw a customer walk out the door with product?” “I would tell the manager and not confront them” (the correct answer for almost all retail companies, but not this one apparently)

“What if it was your store? ‘Gmony Retailers’ and you are the manager?” “I would try to stop them or call the cops”

“What if it was an employee trying to steal something really cheap like a $1 water bottle?” “I wouldn’t let them steal so I’d tell a manager”

“What if they have been having family troubles and their checks haven’t come in so they have no money but need that water” “I would offer to pay for them so they don’t feel like they have to steal”

“What if you left your wallet at home that day?”

What am I even supposed to say to that???”

2. Just looking for a job, buddy.

“This was quite a while ago, and I was interviewing for a janitorial position at a private middle school.

The interview was going well. The interviewer was asking me why I wanted to work there, what my previous job experience was, etc. The bog standard interview questions.

Out of absolutely nowhere, he asks ” You’re not attracted to underage girls, are you?”. I was taken aback for a moment, and just sort of stared at him waiting for clarification.

I think it only occurred to him after having said it how weird the question was, and he quickly started to give some context. Turns out the previous janitor had attempted some sexual advances on some underage students.

I was just there to sweep the floors for some cash. Not commit a felony.”

3. That’s outrageous.

“What are the chances of you leaving your spouse if we relocate you? You mean… for a period of time until we figure out our living situation? No, I mean would you divorce him if you had to move to, say Europe, for the job?

Wow

Also, this was a local advertising agency. They didn’t even have that many national clients.

But also, the interviewer then continuously called and messaged me for days after I declined their offer. So I don’t know.”

4. Waterloo!

“I had a guy end my interview by asking me what my favorite ABBA song was. I was so caught off guard and honestly kind of creeped out, because I couldn’t figure out how he knew that I loved ABBA.

I found out later that when he spoke to my references, he asked them to tell him something about me that wasn’t on my resume, and my old boss told him that I was a huge ABBA fan.”

5. Sweating bullets.

“First question of an interview: “Wait, aren’t you the guy who owes me that thousand dollars?”

Realized after three of the longest seconds in my life that he was joking, but boy that caught me off guard.”

6. What a dick.

“I had an adversarial interview once.

Passed the skills interview and was sent on to the guy who would be my manager if I got the job. He made a big show of throwing my resume in the trash and told me the next best use would be to “wipe his ass with it” since he went to Yale and I didn’t, and why did I think I deserved the job?

I didn’t say anything, just got up and walked out. (This was at AIG, remember them? Lol).”

7. Don’t worry about it.

“”What does your father do for work?”

I was like 24 years old…pretty sure he was seeing how little he could pay me.

8. Excuse me?

“Would I be ok with going shirtless?

Small private casino company that mostly did charity fake money events with prizes like champagne and chocolates. Corporate gigs etc.

I was hired as a blackjack croupier and thats the job I went for, advertised as above. Corporate events and charity events, dealing blackjack. Must be good with people (if you knew me that would make your gut bust).

The woman interviewing me, gave me the job, then asked would I be willing to wear just collars and cuffs like a male stripper.

Turns out they also did stag and hen nights and would ask new employees if they’d like to be considered for those shifts. But it requires the women to wear bikinis and men to wear only collars and cuffs, no shirt but wearing dress pants. They paid twice the rate for it.

Was not expecting that question I can be honest.”

9. Well, that’s a funny story…

“I was asked if I’d ever had sex with animals. That question certainly caught me off guard.

This was for a job as a Sheriffs deputy.”

10. Really getting the third degree.

“I was a private nanny.

I have been asked many questions that wouldn’t be considered appropriate in any other job interview. I’ve been asked: How often I shower. Whether I have ever been to a therapist/psychiatrist. If I am promiscuous. If I have ever had an affair with an employer. How much I typically eat in a day.

Do I have a partner. What religion I am. Whether I was gay or straight. If I had ever been bribed or had anyone ever attempt to bribe me. Whether I had ever taken nude pictures. Etc.

Not all in the same interview.”

11. Ummmmm….

” Can you make your breasts smaller? They might be a distraction for some of our patients here.” This was at a hospital. And I wasn’t wearing anything provocative, I just have big boobs.

I didn’t get the job, they told me it was because I was too inexperienced.”

12. You FAILED.

“Lovers (an adult toy/accessories shop) handed me an elephant-sized, wiggly dildo and asked me to describe it.

You giggle you lose.

I lost.”

13. What’s more important to you?

“They asked me if I could stop my dialysis treatments so I can be more available.

Yeah Karen, let me just die for less that 15 an hour.”

14. A bear?

“Had an interviewer who unexpectedly asked me, what my spirit animal was at the end of the interview.

I didn’t know what to say but the first thing that popped out of my head was a bear because the thought of hibernating and being lazy on cold seasons sounds like something I’d do… it’s the most stupidest reply I could give.

He ended up being one of the best, if not the nicest and funniest boss I ever had.”

15. That’s classy.

“Listen I have nothing against hiring a chick for the job, but I can’t afford to have you go off on maternity leave, so are you planning on getting knocked up in the near future?”

16. Not getting hired for this one.

“I was once asked about my religious upbringing in a job. I’m a teacher. The new principal was apparently a heavy born-again Christian-type.

My friends who had recommended me for the position had not had similar questions with the previous principal and were completely shocked I was asked this question.”

I am not religious and did not get the job.”

Ugh…weird stuff…

Has anything like this ever happened to you during a job interview?

If so, please share your story with us in the comments.

Give us all the dirt!

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Hiring Managers Share the Strangest Interviews They’ve Ever Experienced

A lot of us know how stressful it is to do a job interview. You realize that someone else has the power to make sure you can make a living, and that’s a pretty big deal.

Of course, hiring managers also run into some strange scenarios that probably make them question their life’s choices. Next time you have a job interview, remember these stories and have a little sympathy for the interviewer.

10. The Nude Livestreamer

One hiring manager did a video interview with a candidate that was nude even though he knew it was a video interview.

 “We told him we could see him and he said “sorry” then covered up with a sheet. We asked if he wanted to reschedule and he said no he was good. So yeah we decided to pass.” — Boxman 75

9. The Prima Donna

A hiring manager found a candidate who felt competent and confident. Things went south once she requested a limo and wouldn’t take anything else.

“I tell her thank you for taking the time to fly down but not even our own VPs get that treatment and to go ahead and change your ticket to fly home, now.” —blatentpoetry

8. The Teary-Eyed Candidate

Think you’ve seen everything? One candidate made things awkward by crying during the interview – three times.

“She cried three times during the interview about how much she hated her current job. My coworker had to get up and grab a box of tissues for her. When she finally calmed down, she informed us that she’ll need a special desk chair due to an injury she sustained at her current job.” —accidentalhorse

7. The Candidate Who Can DEAL With People

One interviewer received an uncomfortable reply to his question.

“The one I won’t forget is when I asked him “how well do you interact with people?” He said, “I used to be a bouncer, I know how to DEAL with people..” I immediately said okay this interview is over, thank you for your time…” —Bubblesintroubles

This bouncer didn’t get the new gig.

6. The Candidate That Should do a Podcast

It’s routine for interviewers to ask about your strengths and weaknesses.

“To start the interview, I asked him to tell us (3 people) a little bit about himself.

35 minutes later, he stopped talking. Usually people answer this question in 1-5 minutes. It was incredibly awkward and I was tempted to interrupt him but then truly wanted to see how long he would go.” —DefinitelyYoda

5. The Candidate With The Exes

No one ever wants to run into their ex at work, except a candidate that gave the names to every ex of hers that worked in the company she interviewed at.

“She listed all of her ex-boyfriends who currently worked there and said she couldn’t wait to see the look on their faces when she showed up to work.” —lovelanguage_sarcasm

4. The Interviewee That Just Didn’t Know

Going on an interview can be nerve-wracking and admitting that there’s something you don’t know can be a good thing. Just don’t do what this interviewee did:

“They answered literally every question, ‘I don’t know, man’ or ‘Can’t think of anything right now.’” —Webhead1287

3. The Hugging Candidate

Admittedly, some of us have committed certain faux-pas during the interview, but just be glad you didn’t hug your potential employer.

“My manager and I were doing this second interview, and when I called him in, he gave me a huge hug and proceeded to talk to me like I was his best friend. ” —tittyelf

2. The Stalker

Have you ever gotten lost at an interview? That could happen, just don’t do what this guy did:

“While waiting in reception, the applicant wandered into the CFO’s office. She was on the phone, so he stood in her doorway and stared at her while she was on the phone.” —fievelm

1. This Totally Inappropriate Candidate!

One hiring manager evaded a total HR problem by not hiring this candidate:

“Had a candidate who came in and asked how hot my administrator was and asked if she was single or ‘open to freaky Fridays.’” —gmabarrett

There are people who truly don’t understand how to conduct themselves during an interview. Are you a hiring manager that wants to vent about such things? Share your stories in the comments! We look forward to hearing them… or cringing along with you.

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People Share the Best Weaknesses You Should Share in a Job Interview

Job interviews are pretty rough for interviewees. The nerves are palpable, and the back-and-forth between employer and job prospect can often be rife with landmines.

Then there’s the dreaded question: “What’s your biggest weakness?”

Ugh, now what? Well, we’re all in luck. These AskReddit users shared their opinions on how you should answer the most infamously difficult question to get “right.”

1. Awareness

“When I was graduating college I got interview tips from my dad who was heavily involved in the hiring process at his company for his department. His advice on this one, which I’ve used ever since and has gone great, was:

The whole “say a weakness that’s actually a positive” has been done to death and is such common knowledge that it’s no longer a clever “trick” and is now seen as avoiding the question. People want to see some self awareness, obviously don’t bring something absolutely terrible up, but mention a real flaw and most importantly what you’ve done to address or work with it.

For example the one I tend to use is that I can be forgetful so I now keep multiple sets of calendars, reminders, notes, etc to cover as much as possible.”

2. Nervous excitement

“One of my actual weaknesses: when I get nervous/excited, I tend to speak really fast and breathlessly. This can actually have a negative influence on my job as I work in healthcare and have to respond/communicate during emergencies.

For my next interview, I will bring this up, and say I have discovered that taking a second to collect myself and take a deep breath seems to calm my nerves and allow me to do/say what is needed in a more collected manner.”

3. Might work?

“What’s your greatest-”

“Weakness? Finishing other peoples’ sentences.” Calan_adan

“That’s what I was gonna’ say!”

4. Sharing

“For my current job, I said that I had a hard time sharing my ideas with new groups.”

5. Controlling

“Actual weakness: Taking on jobs by myself, not taking time to train other people to do them. In the end, I’m usually “the guy” and find myself feeling burnt out.

Probably could be worded better at an interview, but this could sound like you’re a “go-getter.” It might also encourage your employer to find opportunities for you to train other people to do things you particularly don’t like doing.”

6. Dedicated

“I said “I don’t like letting go of unfinished projects” during my interviews. I feel like it shows that I’m dedicated to the work I take on.”

7. Brutal honesty

“Show enough self awareness to know your actual weaknesses and mention how you’re working to reduce their impact on your life. For example, I have an issue with speaking compassionately. For a long time, I believed brutal honesty was the best way to go about things, but it often backfired and made people less willing to work with me because they respected me less and they thought I respected them less.

My wife has helped me with this by, for example when I say something and it’s phrased badly, she’ll say “stop. Try it again.” And I’ll rephrase it to be more empathetic and kinder while still getting across the information I want to communicate.”

8. …Yet

“If you are changing industries, your biggest weakness is not knowing the industry… yet.

If you are younger, say inexperience. Anything to show your willingness to learn and develop.”

9. Good move

“I work in healthcare and always say “Not speaking Spanish” and odds are the interviewer is also not fluent in Spanish so it comes across as not really a weakness. WIN-WIN!”

10. How will you respond?

“Frame it in terms of something you’re looking to improve. “Well, at my last performance evaluation I received some constructive criticism regarding X, so since then I’ve been doing Y and Z to focus on improving in that regard.”

Honestly though, if an interviewer asks you that ridiculous cliched question either they have no idea what they’re doing and/or don’t give a crap, or they aren’t looking for an answer but just want to see how you respond to being pushed.”

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Teen Job Hunter Gets Ridiculously Mean-Spirited Rejection Text After an Interview

Looking for a job can be a full-time position in and of itself, and the interview process can be especially daunting. It’s important to remember, however, that professionalism in a job interview goes both ways – the employer needs to respect you as a person, and a rude interviewer can be a major red flag about working at that organization.

18-year-old Megan Dixon was on the job market and had recently interviewed with Miller and Carter Steakhouse, in hopes of gaining experience as a server. After the interview wrapped up, Dixon was told she’d be hearing from them in a few days.

But she actually heard from them within minutes of her leaving – via text – and to say the potential employer was being disrespectful is putting lipstick on a pig.

Photo Credit: Twitter

Dixon told the Sun:

“At the end of the interview, I asked when I would hear back. She told me it was never more than a few days and she had my email. But I got the texts a few seconds after leaving.

“I was shocked. The least she should have given me was some proper feedback.

“And the laughing face emoji was so unprofessional. It was a really bitchy thing to do.”

“Maybe because I’m 18 she thinks it’s OK not to be professional with me? I don’t know.”

Apparently, that text was meant for someone else internally.  Shantel Wesson, the assistant manager who interviewed Dixon, refused to comment but a Miller and Carter spokeswoman said:

“We can’t apologise enough to Megan.

“It was never our intention to be disrespectful or upset her in any way. The texts were sent in error and were intended for our manager, not the candidate.”

She also said this situation was being taken “extremely seriously” and is under investigation.

Which – good! Because how hurtful!

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Here are the Best Weaknesses to Mention in a Job Interview

Job interviews can be nerve-wracking. Public speaking is already tough enough, but now you’re adding getting a job on the line? Yikes! It’s no surprise that so man people get nervous during interviews, and the back-and-forth between employer and job prospect can often be rife with landmines.

Then there’s the dreaded question: “What’s your biggest weakness?”

Ugh, now what? Well, we’re all in luck. These AskReddit users shared their opinions on how you should answer the most infamously difficult question to get “right.”

1. Sharing

“For my current job, I said that I had a hard time sharing my ideas with new groups.”

2. Controlling

“Actual weakness: Taking on jobs by myself, not taking time to train other people to do them. In the end, I’m usually “the guy” and find myself feeling burnt out.

Probably could be worded better at an interview, but this could sound like you’re a “go-getter.” It might also encourage your employer to find opportunities for you to train other people to do things you particularly don’t like doing.”

3. Nervous excitement

“One of my actual weaknesses: when I get nervous/excited, I tend to speak really fast and breathlessly. This can actually have a negative influence on my job as I work in healthcare and have to respond/communicate during emergencies.

For my next interview, I will bring this up, and say I have discovered that taking a second to collect myself and take a deep breath seems to calm my nerves and allow me to do/say what is needed in a more collected manner.”

4. …Yet

“If you are changing industries, your biggest weakness is not knowing the industry… yet.

If you are younger, say inexperience. Anything to show your willingness to learn and develop.”

5. Might work?

“What’s your greatest-”

“Weakness? Finishing other peoples’ sentences.” Calan_adan

“That’s what I was gonna’ say!”

6. How will you respond?

“Frame it in terms of something you’re looking to improve. “Well, at my last performance evaluation I received some constructive criticism regarding X, so since then I’ve been doing Y and Z to focus on improving in that regard.”

Honestly though, if an interviewer asks you that ridiculous cliched question either they have no idea what they’re doing and/or don’t give a crap, or they aren’t looking for an answer but just want to see how you respond to being pushed.”

7. Good move

“I work in healthcare and always say “Not speaking Spanish” and odds are the interviewer is also not fluent in Spanish so it comes across as not really a weakness. WIN-WIN!”

 

8. Dedicated

“I said “I don’t like letting go of unfinished projects” during my interviews. I feel like it shows that I’m dedicated to the work I take on.”

9. Brutal honesty

“Show enough self awareness to know your actual weaknesses and mention how you’re working to reduce their impact on your life. For example, I have an issue with speaking compassionately. For a long time, I believed brutal honesty was the best way to go about things, but it often backfired and made people less willing to work with me because they respected me less and they thought I respected them less.

My wife has helped me with this by, for example when I say something and it’s phrased badly, she’ll say “stop. Try it again.” And I’ll rephrase it to be more empathetic and kinder while still getting across the information I want to communicate.”

10. Awareness

“When I was graduating college I got interview tips from my dad who was heavily involved in the hiring process at his company for his department. His advice on this one, which I’ve used ever since and has gone great, was:

The whole “say a weakness that’s actually a positive” has been done to death and is such common knowledge that it’s no longer a clever “trick” and is now seen as avoiding the question. People want to see some self awareness, obviously don’t bring something absolutely terrible up, but mention a real flaw and most importantly what you’ve done to address or work with it.

For example the one I tend to use is that I can be forgetful so I now keep multiple sets of calendars, reminders, notes, etc to cover as much as possible.”

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10+ of the Most Cringeworthy Job Interview Horror Stories Ever

Looking for a job is a LOT of work! Between searching for openings, prepping resumes, and writing cover letters, it’s basically a full-time occupation in its own right. Then, once you’ve got your foot in the door, it’s time for the all-important interview.

Honestly, interviews are no fun – even when they’re not actually that bad. Then again, as these Buzzfeed users revealed, sometimes it can be downright horrible!

1. Wow, never heard that one before

“I had an older cousin who worked at a temp agency when I was in college, and he offered to help get my friend and me a job. We arrived to our interviews on time and he offered to do our interviews and drug screens together. I passed mine but apparently my friend had been partying all night. I have never seen a 12-panel drug screen with EVERY PANEL MARKED. It immediately went from a job interview to an intervention.”

2. That’s…odd

“My dad told me he went to an interview on Halloween once, and the HR woman was dressed as a scuba diver with a fishbowl as a helmet. Every time she spoke she was muffled behind this glass bowl.”

3. A bloody mess

“I had two interviews in one afternoon, and the first one ran over. As I was rushing down a brick sidewalk (in heels), I tripped and fell forward onto the ground, ripping my pantyhose and scraping my hands and knees really badly. I had to walk into the second interview with blood dripping down my legs and hands, and ask if they had a first aid kit. I sat through the interview trying not to cry from pain and embarrassment. I did end up getting an offer, but I turned it down because I was too embarrassed to go back.”

4. That sounds made up

“I had an interview that took over two hours. They had already given me the keys to the store and when we were about to sign the contract, they asked me how long I had been unemployed — I had been unemployed a couple months. They said they had some weird rule that they only hire people who have been unemployed for at least two years. I didn’t get the job because of that.”

5. Hang on, please

“I got an asthma attack during a Skype interview and the interviewer just sat there while I was coughing.”

6. Check the tags

“I drove two hours for a series of interviews with a company that I wasn’t quite sure about working for. The interviews went great and we finished after almost four hours. I left and later realized the tag on my blazer was still attached the entire time.”

7. Kicked out

“I had done several very long tests for a job with a company in NYC and they wanted to fly me up for a final interview. I got incredibly carsick on the drive from the airport to the company’s offices and barely managed to not vomit. By the time I arrived, I could barely stand up straight and was totally delirious.

One of them said I didn’t seem smart enough to have done so well on the technical tests they’d given me, and accused me of having someone else do them on my behalf. They insisted I do another one, and I felt like death thrice warmed over. I started writing code and burst into tears, and they kicked me out of the building.”

8. Run!

“I listened to my mom who said, ‘No place takes the time to call your references when you are applying for a position that’s less than part-time.’ I put made-up people with fake phone numbers on my application because all I needed was a third job for a few hours a week. I was sitting in a call center, waiting for my interview, and a lady sitting at a near desk was on the phone and said, ‘Hello, this is ____ calling from ____. _____ listed you as a reference on a job application with us….’ I literally got up and ran away.”

9. Good thing you didn’t hire him

“One time I was interviewing someone, and the entire interview was a flop. I decided not to hire him, and a couple of weeks later, I get a phone call from someone who was asking about this guy, thinking he had been hired. I told them that he hadn’t been hired and he didn’t work there. They then asked me ‘Would it be possible for you to describe him to the police?’ Turns out he was a person of interest in a murder case. So yeah, I was face to face with a possible murderer.”

10. Hang up on that guy

“I had decided to become an au pair in the Netherlands or Germany. I did an interview by video call with one family and it went crazy. The man tried to change my vegetarian diet and said veggies and vegan food were not allowed in his home.

We talked about my duties as an au pair (taking care of the kids and the house) and he told me I had to work for him in his own business. He wanted me to go to shops and find good clothes so he could sell them online. He even said I was not going to be paid for this work. I hung up the video call.”

11. Damn bronzer

“An older woman managing a beauty store told me that being a perfectionist was rare for a millennial. On the floor test, she asked me to apply bronzer to a pale white employee, and when I couldn’t find a bronzer light enough for the employee, she said, ‘You need to work on applying makeup to people with light skin.’ They ended up not hiring me because I wouldn’t give up my part-time job and give them 100% availability.”

12. Farting

“I got recruited by a founder of a popular travel app who had just founded a new tech company. The entire interview consisted of him interrupting me (34 times, I counted) and farting LOUDLY (7 times, also counted).”

13. Intense

“Made the mistake of eating spicy food before an interview. I barely made it off public transportation, and I had explosive diarrhea in the bathroom of the business next door to where I was interviewing. The manager interviewing me was running late, and I thought for sure I’d poop again. I was so nervous and sweaty during the interview, anticipating the next poop, and it was the most intense interview I ever had.”

14. No callback

“I was feeling sick that morning when I woke up, but I decided to ignore it. While in the interview, I immediately felt vomit come up. I ran to the drinking fountain and threw up lots of red vomit in the drinking fountain ( I ate red vines earlier that day). I tried to clean it up and then went home to get some rest. I never got a call back.”

15. This is a test

“I went in for a group interview and was told to be at the store at 6:00 A.M. When I got there, the store was closed and a sign on the door read that it opened at 6:30. I thought that maybe the manager gave me the wrong time, but five other people had shown up as well. We got into the store and were told that the manager would be in at 7:00.

We waited and waited until she came in at 9:00, but she didn’t even acknowledge us until 11:00. By 4:00 P.M, two people, including myself, were still waiting. At 7:00 P.M, the manager came over and said, ‘This was a test to see if you really wanted the job!’ We had waited for 13 hours. Sure enough, it was a toxic environment and the worst job I have ever had.”

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