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30 Times Folks Realized They Didn’t Want To Get The Job While They Were Being Interviewed For The Position, As Shared Online
Employment – love it or loathe it, you're never getting away from it. Though the process has been around for thousands of years, our society still fails to make the conditions comfortable. Many organizations are the victims of toxic cultures; microaggressive managers, overly competitive, and, at times, backstabbing colleagues – basically all the things that make your working hours practically unbearable.
Moreover, the job search itself can also be pretty unpleasant. For instance, when you're attending an interview for a position, it's not uncommon to feel like you're being interrogated. Most of us tend to forget that the whole point of employment lies within a service exchange, meaning that both parties are equally important.
"What happened during an interview that immediately made you realize you wouldn’t take the job no matter how much they offered you?" – this online user took it to one of the most popular subreddits to find out about other people's experiences with job seeking. The question has managed to receive over 6.4K upvotes and 2.8K worth of stories.
More info: Reddit
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#1
Stupid interview games. The d**kheads put me at a low table with a low chair, placed water in a carafe with an empty glass - all just out of reach so that I'd have to stand and reach for it, and then interviewed me as a panel of six employees sitting at a tall table with tall chairs. The questions were all more about my character then my skills. The whole thing was so obviously staged to make me feel uncomfortable.
An interview is a conversation, not an interrogation. Treat it like an interrogation, and I'm f*****g out. It's a clear sign of a toxic workplace - I've yet to see an exception to this rule.
- 3 years ago
Wow, they sit the candidates at the kids' table. I'm pretty short, so they'd have to crane their necks to see me. Seriously, I don't understand what this technique is supposed to test.
censorshipsucks 3 years ago
This happened to a friend of mine in undegrad. It was to get into a prestigious university's psychology class. She aced it. She looked at the setup upon walking into the room, said, without sitting down, "Hey, is this meant to make me feel uncomfortable?" And they said, "You're in".
Steph l 3 years ago
This made me laugh so hard. Let's just cut the BS now! Lol
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Bexx 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 3 years ago (edited)
I recently interviewed someone for my company for the first time. He was TERRIFIED in the interview. Which sucked cause I was nervous too, I didn’t really know what I was doing either so I just wanted to have a relaxed conversation but I could see he was uncomfortable - which I get, I would be too, no one likes job interviews. We’re a pretty relaxed atmosphere too, I think maybe his expectations and reading stuff like this online terrified him. He was a kid looking for his first job and thought he’d have to jump through a bunch of flaming hoops for the chance to sweep floors. (I hired him. He’s still here, great guy.)
- 3 years ago
I've only interviewed candidates for one position. Both were nervous. Honestly, I didn't care - it was for web design and coding. I'd only be concerned if it was for a job that requires projecting self-confidence, such as sales.
Load More Replies... Natalia Allen 3 years ago
I once was asked to sit in the centre of a circle with people all around including behind me. I walked to the centre picked up the chair and moved it to the outer circle and said I like to look at people I am speaking to. There was a few surprised faces but no one challenged me. I was not offered the position but I wouldn't have taken it anyway.
Glyn Crisp 3 years ago
I once had a parent teacher interview with similar seating. The teacher in an office chair behind a huge desk and me,the parent seated in a child sized chair. I saw what he was doing and perched on the side of his desk,looking down at him!
David Force 3 years ago
This is actually the norm in elementary school classrooms. The teacher sits at her desk and the parents in the student chairs or desks. Not a power move they just don’t have extra adult chairs in an elementary classroom. Sometimes the teacher may sit at a kids table along with the parents. (My wife was a teacher and principal and I was my child’s “room mom” every year so I’m very familiar with how they operate).
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RELATED:
#2
When she started explaining that my 'role' in handling payments would involve depositing 'client payments' into my own personal account before transferring it to 'the company'.
I may be dumb, but I didn't fall off the turnip-truck yesterday.
#It'sthatonepersonscrolling 3 years ago
Man, people aren't even trying to hide that stuff anymore. That's crazy.
John L 3 years ago
Why not? They see politicians...hell, even our POTUS do it..so....
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Linda Lee 3 years ago
I worked at a place that used a "boutique bank". You had to have like a zillion dollars to even open an account there. I was the one who took the deposits to the bank. Then, months later, the bank decided they needed my social security number to make the deposit. F no, you can't have my SSN! I brought the deposit back to work. The boss could do it himself.
Memere 3 years ago
Good move! That bank doesn't need your personal info unless you are opening an account there.
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Tarhes ~ 3 years ago
But that Prince is never gonna be able to claim his funds if someone doesn't help him! 😉
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Tamara Kroonen 3 years ago
What does he mean by personal account? (not native). His personal BANK account??? Wow
Kathleen R. 3 years ago
Another old one is, I was born on a Friday but not last Friday.
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#3
"and what is the starting wage for this job?"
"Does it matter?"
BYE
Elizabeth Molloy 3 years ago
WTF is wrong with American employers? The only reason ANYONE works is for the money!
Bexx 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 3 years ago (edited)
EXACTLY! I’m actually lucky enough to be doing something I’m passionate about right now - but if I woke up tomorrow and suddenly this passion paid $0? You bet I’d be getting myself another job asap. We work for money so we can live our lives and explore our passions, that shouldn’t be frowned upon.
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Tigerpacingthecage 3 years ago
I used to be the one who said "no". Or when they asked "what are you asking for?" I said "Oh, that's not my main motivation why I want to work here" (very cringe but always got the job...). That was until I became friends with a co-worker and learned she earned significantly more than me even though I had more experience and education. She told me she always asked for more than she was willing to accept. In this case they just gave her what she asked for. I felt so fooled and naive for sort of thinking they would pay everyone roughly the same for the same work without me asking for it.
RezFidel 3 years ago
Is this really a thing in the US that employers do not tell people what they are gonna pay them?
Matthew Fox 3 years ago
I'm willing to apply online for jobs that don't have the wage range in the job description (provided the application process is efficient.) But if they call to set up an interview I ask over the phone. Aren't willing to say over the phone? Then "I wish to withdraw my application at this time."
Mtg Wolfie 3 years ago
Well let's see... I have rent for housing, unless you want to offer me room and board. I need food, unless you want starved employees, I need fuel to get to work, unless you want me literally living in the break room, I need to pay my utilities, unless you want me freezing to death so you'd have to hire and train someone else. So yes, it matters.
Alma Muminovic 3 years ago
This is so ridiculous when jobs do this, I won’t apply if there is no wage listed. And if they get offended if I ask about pay Ill just save myself some time and leave. It’s total a*s.
Jazzy Mc. Jaz 3 years ago
omg i started working for subway for a couple weeks to find out i was being paid 12.75 and tax doesn't help, because they tax the tips when people tip from their cards cause they go straight to the paycheck.. always tip in cash if your gonna tip
Sarah Stalder 3 years ago
I worked in a restaurant that only did cash tips. Like, you could use the cashier (me) as an ATM to get $10 cash for a tip. Nothing on the books. The servers made a killing. Once I realized I was never going to get moved to a serving position because I was too good at my job-I bounced out of the service industry to work for a man who's been to space. Oooooo, but the highest paid entry level job around. I make $4 more than minimum wage.
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clifton tesh 3 years ago
I had a recruiter call me about a job that I hadn't applied for but they needed people with the credentials I had. I asked them what the pay was and they said they couldn't tell me until I sat down with HR. I said you can't tell me that it's between *.** And *.** And they said they couldn't so I told them that I'm not buying something that I don't know the price of. I don't understand why employers think we will want to work somewhere without knowing the pay first.
#4
I interviewed at a "no excuses" charter school. They gave a scenario where a student comes in to class and doesn't have his homework done. He says it's because he spent the previous night in the ER because his brother was shot. School policy is that unfinished homework is a mandatory detention.
I could not, in good conscience, answer that question the way they wanted.
Jim Schue 3 years ago
One word comes to my mind for such a policy: "Ree-f**king-diculous".
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shodokai 3 years ago
That's not education, that's organized bullying and punishment worship. Nope the hell out of there in a hurry.
Nightshade1972 3 years ago
I mean, I know a lot of ER time, esp for the families, is "Hurry up and wait," but seriously? They think you're gonna be able to concentrate on your homework while you're waiting for news about whether your brother survived?! That's beyond cold, that's frozen.
Dog Thievery 101 3 years ago
no kiddin. even the arctic winds felt a chill go down their spines.
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Aaron Proctor 3 years ago (edited)
And THIS is why no tolerance policies are bull s**t. They never take into consideration any perspective but the administration... Like, kids DO have lives outside the classroom, and no, their lives at home should not bend to the will of the school, but the other way around. A child has EVERY RIGHT to defend themselves from a bullies harassment or attacks, and blanket no tolerance policies tend to protect bullies, simply because half the time bullies don't use violence, but instead push buttons until the kid being bullied snaps, making it the victims fault.
CL Rowan 3 years ago
Every situation can have extenuating circumstances. It's called, "Life." Take your Nazi~a*s job and shove it!
#5
I had a 3 hour interview where everyone on the interviewing team was friendly, enthusiastic and making constant comments about "you'd fit in well here", "you're a gamer? we are too - we could organize some LAN games", "you know XX? We really need someone with that experience".
Then the C-Levels came in. They feigned disinterest, had side conversations and comments to me were all in the line of "maybe we'll go with you, maybe we'll just outsource - why don't you convince us", "maybe we should just take you on a contract basis to start until you prove yourself", "maybe we'll just hire two juniors for that salary you're asking for" - while the team cringed.
I cut them off saying "it seems like you've got a great team here, but I'm not interested in working for hostile management". Then they completely changed their tune and were trying to backtrack. It was obviously their idea of "salary negotiation". They called several times afterward asking me to come back in, but I wasn't having it.
Surprise, the company was sold not long afterward and I hear they cleaned house.
Molly Whuppie 3 years ago
Not sure why you are getting downvoted. Pretty sure you meant that the interviewer failed the interview which is correct. Employees should interview their intended employer. It does go both ways.
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Nightshade1972 3 years ago
A friend of ours got a position, through a recruiting agency, for one of the big oil/gas firms in Houston, doing IT. They hired him as a contractor, with the carrot, "If we like you after a year, we'll take you on as a full time Company employee." He accepted. A year goes by. "Gee, we're sorry, it's just not in the budget right now to take you on as an employee, will you stay anyway?" Grudgingly, he agreed, but only after he got them to promise that *next* year they'd hire him as a Company employee. Second year wraps up. Guess what? They try pulling the same stunt a third time. At that point he'd been at Company long enough, he looked them in the eye and said, "Eff that. I know what I'm worth. I know what you promised me two years ago. I know what you promised me last year. I know there have been ppl who've come onboard after me, whom you've hired as full-time Company employees. Either hire me as a full-time Company employee, with full benefits, or I'm leaving."
Nightshade1972 3 years ago
That's what it took for them to hire him on full-time.
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Tricia Whu 3 years ago
Luckily here in the UK, employers would never get away with doing this. Thank goodness!
Greggory Rauton 3 years ago
Are You A "GAMER"...??? Are We Gonna Break Out To And Play "PAC-MAN"...???
#6
The interview was uneventful, except for at the very end, when he asked: "Is there anything I need to know about you now, before you start, that would be a problem if it came out later?"
Me, entirely confused: "...Like what?"
"Oh, I don't know, if you have a criminal record for example, or if you're gay"
- 3 years ago (edited)
The only time I've heard of someone's private life being a justifiable interview question was for a top-secret clearance job. Even then, a candidate (who did get the clearance) told me, "They don't care if you're gay, as long as you're not hiding it." That level of intrusiveness was to prevent secrets being extorted out of someone keeping secrets of their own. To be fair, the secret service also checked candidates' finances - to ensure they weren't tempted to sell secrets to pay off debts.
Aussie panda 3 years ago
In Australia, everyone working for a financial institution has to get a full on security clearance to avoid bribery and corruption. It’s a legal requirement here even if you’re just a very entry level employee.
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DC 3 years ago
One guy asked me if I did drugs. I don't, but just said I'll always be sober on the job, and whatever is outside of work is none of their business. Did not get, nor want, the job (there wee other red flags ... guy came in complaining about his secretary having called in sick to go to the vet with her cat, who had an accident the night before ... hit by a bicycle or so ... "Can't she just get rid of that stupid piece of furry shid?" ("Kann die nicht diese Kackwurst mit Fell einfach abschaffen?" were his words exactly), making fun of vegetarians ("I like them - they're delicious!"), and generally, he appeared like someone I don't wanna know, let alone meet on a regular basis. Well, ... I didn't have to nope out, when he asked me why I was there, I said I need a job, cos the vet charges me so much for every repair those damned cats made themselves need (they didn't, but ...). He outnoped me before I could even nope out, but at least, I didn't cave myself into that toxic hellhole...
LagoonaBlueColleen 3 years ago
I was once asked if I had a boyfriend and unavailable. It was a small business, mainly male workers. Super sketchy. I didn't bother inquiring further.
S. Mi 3 years ago
That there is a Canadian human rights violation. Sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression are all protected here
K Wit 3 years ago
Soon to be the law in 12 states in the US when scotus repeals gay rights.
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Stannous Flouride 3 years ago
If the Rethuglicants get their way and follow Alito's clearly laid out path, those two things will be the same.
HappySquirrel 3 years ago
Accounting company pursued me pretty hard for this position, which was a significant increase over my current salary, better benefits, plus it was for a very prestigious local accounting firm, biggest one in the city. I was taken to lunch for first interview with head of HR, then 2 interviews with internal staff, 1 interview with VP and final interview with HR over lunch again. VP asked things like, "Where do you live?" (It was on my resume, which was in front of him.) - when I said I lived locally, he asked, "No - where SPECIFICALLY do you live?" This guy was asking for my address - which, again, was on my resume. Why ask me to say it? That was the first red flag. The second was, "...And you live there with...??" - he was asking who I lived with - specifically, if I was married, followed by if my marriage was a happy one, etc. I advised the head of HR at the final interview the next day that I was no longer interested in the position - and told her why.
#7
Asked me if I would be willing to take a three month deferment while under a "Probationary" period. If after 3 months, they didn't like me, they'd let me go and give me a check for $0.10 on the dollar for every dollar/hr worked. If they kept me, I'd get a check for all my hours, plust a bonus of $500 for office supplies, but I could only buy out of their selected catalogue. I almost laughed in her face.
Mary Rose Kent 3 years ago
If this was done in the U.S., I’m pretty sure they’re breaking labor laws and should be reported to the Department of Labor!
Aussie panda 3 years ago
Yes this sounds totally illegal. You’d have to be completely desperate and no self esteem to accept this. Also, so many people couldn’t afford to go for 3 months without pay…
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Barbara Kayton 3 years ago
Even in a probationary period (they have them in Australia) you are paid FULL wage and any entitlements.
Aaron Proctor 3 years ago
Me as I'm getting up to leave, completely serious attitude: So... Do I bill you directly for wasting my time, or do you have an office for that?
Donna Caloway 3 years ago
I'd laugh in there faces too and then ask them what kind of employer are you looking for? A stupid one? Because if anyone accepts these terms, they are as stupid as they come
yellowphantom 3 years ago
I had an interview for a clinical social work position that was all driving to people's houses, many of them hours away in rural areas with no ability to use navigation. Wouldn't even have an office. The pay was really low, but it was my first job after grad school so I was not too surprised. Then they said they didn't reimburse mileage, unlike almost every other place. I calculated, based on previous work-driving experience, and after expenses and taxes, I might clear 2 or 3 thousand A YEAR! Since the US government took away the employee business expense deduction, I would not even be able to get any tax benefit from the driving costs. They wonder why there is a shortage of therapists in the US.
#8
The first 30 minutes of the interview was the woman who would have been my boss listing off her accomplishments. She was the director of a tiny museum in a small town where we had just moved to for my wife's job. It was uncomfortable, and the two board members present looked even more uncomfortable than I was. I don't know if she was intimidated by me (I was more qualified to work there than she was), or if she just liked singing her own praise, but I immediately thought, "you couldn't pay me enough to work for you." After her 30 minutes of self-congratulations, there was approximately half a minute of silence. Then I looked at the two board members and said, "Right. Were there any questions for me." I was called that night and offered the position. I turned it down. One of the board members who was present called and asked if there was anything they could do to get me to come on, pay was negotiable within reason for a tiny museum in a tiny town. I was candid and said I would never be able to work for that director. Board member said, "believe me, I completely understand."
shodokai 3 years ago
I usually respond with this one. "I'd pat you on the back, but your hand is already there..."
David Henry 3 years ago
Okay let me pat YOU on the back for giving me such a useful bullet to load in my chamber next time I meet a braggart.
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E.g. Hoffman 3 years ago
Worse is when they don't set up an interview with the person to whom you will report. You talk to several people, they make an offer, and yet you've never talked to your proposed boss.
Mtg Wolfie 3 years ago
I was half expecting a "well, you could have her job". Kinda glad it didn't go that way though.
#9
This was a grad school interview, so slightly different, but still fully convinced me to divert my focus to other programs and interviews completely. I was asked to prepare a five minute presentation that I would give via zoom at the start of the interview. About a minute into the presentation, the interviewer got up and walked away from her laptop before returning about a minute later. She missed 20% of my presentation.
I kept giving my presentation because there was also a student representative on the call, but the faculty interviewer neither apologized nor acknowledged leaving during my presentation. If I am not worth five minutes of your attention as a prospective student, then your program is not worth my tens of thousands of dollars. Lucky for me, I was accepted into my first choice program that same day.
Gary Harkins 3 years ago
My problem with these posts is that people do not say anything. Especially considering that upon being accepted, you would be forking over thousands of dollars! I know some people can feel intimidated or think it is out of line, but I also believe that an interview goes both ways. The way the person/people conducting the interview acts is very telling, and if something is questionable it should be brought to attention.
Kimberly Harvey 3 years ago
I am happy for you. My daughter is so discouraged now after 2 attempts for a PHD program. Any words of wisdom will be appreciated.
#10
They called me back for a… 5th interview… after that I had enough and told them it was getting a bit much and I’ll take a pass.
Octavia Hansen 3 years ago
I had the interview -- then interviewer said I had to come back another day to take a polygraph, which would take 3 - 5 hours. I told them my freelance rate was $125 an hour. Lady was shocked. I said she was booking my time, that prevented me from working freelance or taking another job. My time was valuable, too. She said they never paid anyone to take the test. I didn't want the job at this point but I liked to see her uneasy. I was easily qualified but the peripherals were just stupid . . . acceptable business attire (I was not going to meet the public), a list of do’s and don’t’s. Evidently I was the only one who met a lot of these standards, but it didn’t mean I wanted to work there. She finally declined. Felt great to walk away before it became corporate oppression.
Barbara Kayton 3 years ago
I sure hope someone tells this company that polygraphs don't actually work.
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Drea Benoit 3 years ago (edited)
I went through this, too. They were super proud of their “grueling” hiring process, which included a 60 minute assessment and four 60 minute interviews. I noped out of there after the test and second interview, and landed a different job paying 15% more with just one 20 minute interview. The ironic part is both jobs were at the same company, just different teams
The Starsong Princess 3 years ago
5 interviews s fine if they are hiring for a very high position. If you are going to be a CEO making millions, it’s more than five. A regular employee? 2. An executive would be three.
Jill McElroy 3 years ago
Unfortunately, this has become the norm in high tech. 3 interview minimum for any job.
Load More Replies... Alma Muminovic 3 years ago
That’s a total bs game. I get irritated if I have to go on more the one and my limit is 2. 5 is just someone bored trying to justify their own job.
Disgruntled Pelican 3 years ago
The need for any more than 3 interviews raises soooo many red flags 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
Mermaid Elle-Jaye 3 years ago (edited)
How is it legal to have 5 interviews ? Seriously I’m just a hospitality worker and performer/entertainer. What job would do this and why, that’s so s**t if you’re dirt poor between jobs etc
Bexx 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 3 years ago
I think a lot of companies forget that a job interview goes both ways. They’re not just interviewing a potential employee - the potential employee is interviewing them too.
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Laurie Rivesman 3 years ago
Had a manager look for reasons to fire her employees. Then I found out she was fired by the GM for wrongfully dismissing get employees and she wasn't allowed to fire them over petty reasons. KARMA!
LynzCatastrophe 3 years ago
Recently accepted a summer job working on a ferry. I've talked to 6 people so far and have yet to actually meet anyone in person! And in the past 4 days have recieved endless paperwork. For a job only 4 months long, I haven't stepped on the boat yet and am already annoyed.
CL Rowan 3 years ago
I had a Community college in Aurora, IL pull that c**p on me, including asking me how to do the work step~by~step on the computer, *from memory*. WTF, this is supposed to be a job to put together school promotional materials, not teach a class on how~to! After the 4th interview, (it was betwern me and one other person)I declined the 5th. I kept expecting a two~out~of~three falls challenge next.
#11
Three of four people who interviewed me spent the entire time talking about how bad the company was and why I really don't want the job. The fourth was the CEO. His story was different.
I didn't take the job.
R L Walker 3 years ago
Either they were honest, or they didn't want competition. The latter is a greater reason not to work there.
Aussie panda 3 years ago
So they were bold enough to say this stuff in front of the CEO but none of them were working to fix it? Also did the CEO seem to address any of their points or just disregard?
Busy Panda 3 years ago
I think they were interviewing the candidate on different occasions.
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Robert Turley 3 years ago
You got played. They had someone in mind already that they wanted to hire so they scared you away.
#12
"Let's start with a prayer" F*****g nope.
Lu 3 years ago
Had a guy who after 2 weeks decided he wanted to leave no notice, okay cool. But before he left he wanted to talk to me about “Jesus”… I was the guy person who hired him, and told him buddy you’re barking up the wrong tree.
John Dilligaf 3 years ago
"Let's start with a prayer" OK, do you know which direction Mecca is from here ?
Denise Painter 3 years ago
"Prayer? Well, okay...." I stand up and start unbuttoning my blouse. "What are you doing???!?" In panicked voice. "You said you wanted to pray. We pray skyclad." "Excuse me? What is skyclad?" "Naked. I'm Wiccan."
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Firearms Sanctuary 3 years ago
thing is the Satanists are actually better people then the rest of the religions lol. guess cause they know it is all fake and don't have preconceptions that they are better then everyone else.
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Michael Largey 3 years ago
It was their all too obvious way of doing religious discrimination in hiring. No prayer, no job.
Eat Dirt Crow 3 years ago
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Susan Reid Smith 3 years ago
There are days where the last line of that is "the wisdom to hide the bodies."
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Kirk Lau 3 years ago
Next time do this: "Great idea! I'll start...Our pasta, who art in a colander, draining be your noodles..."
-mafīafrog- 3 years ago
Miranda Gorail get over the fact that not everyone believes in your "god". And you sure aren't gonna be able to convert anyone if that's what you think you're doing
#13
I was told the person I would be supporting as an Executive Assistant was on his third wife, he has 6 kids and that I should include the wife in certain decisions so that she doesn't feel insecure (being the 3rd wife and all). Ain't nobody got time for 3rd wife insecurity drama
Scott Crowell 3 years ago
Well I guess we all know who isn't getting invited to the 4th wedding.
David Henry 3 years ago
I bet the third wife will get invited though. She might feel insecure if they leave her out.
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Celtic Pirate Queen 3 years ago
I worked for a guy whose EX wife came to the office and started asking me all kinds of questions about the company finances (I was the bookkeeper). I looked her straight in the face and said "Absolutely none of your f*****g business and you need to leave. Now" (he'd warned me about her trying this before in order to get her child support increased). Unless the wife is a company employee in a "need to know" position, I ain't sayin sh*t.
Adrienne Mcginley 3 years ago
Make sure you have a list of local divorce attorneys for your boss.
Jessica Walker 3 years ago
At this point im sure he has a regular on call 😆
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#14
I tried getting a job as a telemarketer once. The interviewer had me go into another room and call her, and she would pretend to be a person I'm trying to get money from. I started into the scrip, and she said, "Oh, but I'm just a poor college student with no money!"
Even though I knew she was just pretending, I still felt terrible. I knew that I could never do that work in real life. I told her that my coming there was a bad idea and I had to leave.
Scott Crowell 3 years ago (edited)
I can't sell water to a thirsty person in the Sahara. I would be like "how much do I have to pay you to take this water?"
VikingAbroad 3 years ago
My uncle used to sell sand in the Sahara. I though it was just a wild story as a kid, but it turns out desert sand is really uneasy to use in the building process because it is round (or something similar). But I'm still in awe of my uncle 😂
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Connie Forney 3 years ago
Had a guy call me last week and said he was from "Reader's Digestive". I told him, if you are going to try to scam me, at least get the name right. Would have slammed the phone down, but hard to do with a cell. Need to work on that.
Nicole A 3 years ago
Seriously they need to invent a slamming the phone down sound effect you can use during an angry phone call. Pushing the end call button doesn't have the same gravitas as an old school slammed phone.
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Nightshade1972 3 years ago
A few years ago, before the last US presidential election, I answered an ad for "telephone surveys." It became instantly clear, from the sample questions they showed us, that they were all skewed to elicit a pro-Trump response. The interviewer had to leave the room for some reason or other, and I took that as my chance to escape.
AnxietyRiddenMom 3 years ago
I did collections for private student loans. Not federal loans with an interest rate of 3%, these were credit based with an average interest rate of 18% or higher and most students were not really clear on how the process worked. Thought if they quit school, they didn't have to pay. Culinary school was the worst. Everyone thinks they are going to be Gordon Ramsay and they end up starting as a line cook at waffle house with a huge loan payment. I hated it.
Laura Mandado Cacho 3 years ago
I could never work as a telemarketer, selling someone something they don't want is not something I am capable of
LagoonaBlueColleen 3 years ago
It takes a certain person who don't gaf about anyone else but themselves to do that kind of job.
DeeDee Borick Burlington 3 years ago
I had gotten a job in a telemarketing company.. Never did this kind of work before. Their training was for me to push a certain product that these small companies would not benefit from! In any way.. They wanted me to basically lie to them! Nope!!!
Mattie Comer 3 years ago
Not many are able to do this type of work. I feel for those who "have"to do it for survival and abhor those who do it because it brings them joy to bring misery to others.
Deborah Harper 3 years ago
Scott Crowell🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣..You made my day!!!...Selling does require a lot of self confidence and one has to be people friendly...
Aaron Proctor 3 years ago
I've worked customer service on and off for 15 years, a big part is up selling and membership cards... I tell my employers I have no problem trying to up sell, since I see it as selling more product keeps them in business and I can't work a job if the business closes. But I don't do membership programs I think are useless, if I try it and I don't use it, I won't do anything to convince people to join. I find out if it's someplace I want to work from their response to this statement. I've refused jobs where attracting memberships was mandatory.
#15
This was during a phone screen rather than an interview. Time frame was 1997, during the height of the .com boom. I'm a programmer. The screener told me that they were a 'fast-paced company' and I asked for some clarification on what exactly that meant. After some evasive answers, I asked more directly what kind of hours people worked and found out that many people were working 60+ hours a week. I politely declined. The company did have an IPO in early 1999 that could have been lucrative for me, but I had an 18 month old daughter and another on the way - I was changing jobs to be able to spend more time with them, not less. I feel very good about that decision.
Chich 3 years ago
I once had an interview where they used some buzz word (can't recall what it was). I asked them for clarification/definition and the three of them just looked at each other. They had to admit they really didn't know.
David Henry 3 years ago
This is such a Dilbert moment. I love calling employers on their b******t. I also let buzzwords force me to decline any job offer: if they're using words they obviously don't know, they're trying to lie and manipulate. That's an instant "no" mentality for me: being a doormat should never be part of the job.
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Mtg Wolfie 3 years ago
I've been asked to sacrifice hours for another employee who had children. Despite me having children. I've been asked to sacrifice my home life because another employee couldn't work as much due to their home life (different employers). And the only time I didn't mind it, was when I worked overnight security. I ended up working 16 hour, overnight shifts for a month and a half. Because the only other person in the company trained for the post was a 68 year old man, and he was already doing days for that company. And being an armed position, I wanted a good candidate, not just a quick hire.
Memere 3 years ago
And actually being home with & for your spouse & kids!
Load More Replies... #16
They took issue with me saying I wanted to watch my daughter grow up when they asked how much overtime I was willing to work. Yes, it was sarcastic and I said it in a way I knew would torpedo the interview. I was insulted by the question. I'm not a slave.
Adrienne Mcginley 3 years ago
Family first, family always. No amount of money will ever compensate you for missing your child take her 1st steps, or hear her 1st words.
Sunny Day 3 years ago
There's a good chance you'd miss those things even if you weren't working. Sometimes you have to be the adult and make the hard choices to provide for your kids, even if you'd rather spend 24/7 staring at them.
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Nicholas H 3 years ago
When answering that question I always say, I never work overtime. I'm highly competent and finish all work in less then 40 hours I use the extra time to make my life easier by finding ways to do things faster. When I get effecient enough I eventually pick up extra work from other areas but not until I'm ready. If I were to work overtime it would really cut into my efficiency. It would be a waste of my time and a waste for the company.
George Offenberger 3 years ago
That could come off slightly cocky and jeopardize you opportunity.
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J L 3 years ago
My younger sister called me after an interview where she was told that she would have to devote everything to the company, they came first. I told her not to take the job because her personal life was more important than any job. She went with a company that was less intense. Fast forward nine years. She developed stomach cancer and died. But...she lived her life, got married, had two beautiful children. Had she taken the first job, she would have unknowingly cheated herself of so much happiness.
Daniel LaDue 3 years ago
My boss used to ask me to work weekends a lot, but I refused half the time to be with my son. He asked "can't your mother babysit him?" I said, "this might surprise you, but I kind like hanging out with my son."
Jill McElroy 3 years ago
Don’t live to work. Work to live. Or be so passionate about your work that you don’t consider it work. We’re so focused on being #1 (corporate) that we lose sight of the really important things. Being #15 is fine too. Especially if it means your employees had the weekend off to spend with their families. (As they should.).
Beth Shea 3 years ago
I interviewed at a place while on maternity leave (I had about 6 weeks left of a 13 week leave.) They asked me if I would cut my leave short to come work for them. That was my cue. If they can ask that, they would have no boundaries when it came to work-life balance, respecting vacation time, etc.
Aaron Proctor 3 years ago
Flip the script. "That depends, how much family time are you willing to give?" ... Tone it so they know you're not asking, but pointing out how rude the OT question is.
John Crandall 3 years ago
And some people take all the overtime they can get. Seems legit to ask. And you were legit to pass. Your great resignation indignation, however, is just that.
#17
My brother once had an interview for a cooking position at a local restaurant. He walked in and immediately ran into a female employee who was crying and yelling "F**k you John!"
John was the guy who interviewed him.
GirlFriday 3 years ago
I was once in the lobby of a company waiting to be interviewed and I heard a man yelling (I assumed it was into a phone as I couldn't hear the other person), and he was calling someone stupid and ignorant and a bad choice and "maybe you just need to quit and sit at home and collect welfare." It was painful to listen to. After that call ended, a woman called my name and told me that the interviewer was ready for me and pointed me towards the office where the yelling had been. I said, "that's OK" and walked right out of there.
Mountainslady1 3 years ago
This is kinda similar, but no yelling. Was at a lobby, waiting to be interviewed. The building was undergoing renovations, so it was empty where the interview would be taking place. I came and was to wait for the interviewer. I immediately felt uneasy. Their was no building/room that fit the description of where I was to go. Nor did anyone at the building even hear of the company interviewing me. I immediately felt like those pizza guy horror stories where they get set up. (Sent to the wrong place then jumped). So I left before anything happened.
Mermaid Elle-Jaye 3 years ago
That’s just restaurants, it can get intense sometimes, doesn’t mean it’s a s**t one to work at. But I was literally conceived in a kitchen, maybe I’m conditioned to the lifestyle too much, it’s aggressive, messy, loving and full of surprises.
George Offenberger 3 years ago (edited)
That’s part of the problem. Everyone in that industry accepts that behavior as part of the industry. So it repeats its self. And YES you have been conditioned to think “that’s just how it is” but it’s not how it should be. I also worked in that industry. 4 and 5 star restaurants owned by very well known chefs. It can be very tense. A lot of people think it’s easy and you are correct, it is probably one of the most difficult industries to work in. But it DOES NOT have to be hostile or degrading. That boils down to the individuals and their behavior. I find that the up management have what I call “rockstar head” and they need to get over themselves. Ok.., I’m rambling off point lmao. It doesn’t have to be that way. It starts with change. If you accept that behavior then you are part of the problem.
Load More Replies... #18
I interviewed for a job that was ostensibly a tech role: updating and maintaining the company’s website. Midway through this hourlong interview, they asked me if I’m comfortable with sales, because they said half the role would be cold-calling customers and there’d be minimum monthly sales targets to meet.
I am one of the most introverted people to ever introvert, so no, I would not be comfortable with that. I wouldn’t have even applied for the job if they’d been at all explicit in the listing about it having a significant sales/customer contact component.
They didn’t call me back, and I was relieved.
Mary Rose Kent 3 years ago
Why didn’t you just excuse yourself from the interview when you found out they hadn’t been forthcoming in their job posting?
Remi 3 years ago
An introvert doing something like that? I don't think so. Internal cringing and one word answers for the rest of the interview seem much more likely
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Vivian Ashe 3 years ago
At least they disclosed it in the interview. I was once hired for a job where I specifically asked if I would have to do any sales, and I was promised I wouldn't. About three months in they hit me with sales targets and a weekly quota for cold calls I needed to make. When I said I was promised I wouldn't have to do sales, the response was, "Oh, come on. EVERY job is really a sales job. Everyone knows that." I quit soon after.
Jan Eivroc 3 years ago
This is the same as my situation now. I applied for the job and has verified for a couple of times that the job posting is for local employment. Relieved, I went through the interviews and pass all the language assessments for 2-3 long months as a bilingual. I was supposed to have a meeting with the hiring manager when an email came asking if I am willing to relocate overseas to which I immediately declined saying I don't know the country, let alone speak the language and I am not interested in the country itself. I added that had I known that the position was meant for overseas, I wouldn't have bothered applying in the first place. I've asked if they would reconsider and since then has yet to hear any feedback. Truth is, I felt scammed and disappointed in their false advertisement. During the assessments, I've been feeling that something is off with the company and as the day runs by, my gut feeling is being validated.
Aussie panda 3 years ago
Sorry this happened to you. It really sucks! I hope you get a great role soon.
Load More Replies... Ann Dennis 3 years ago
LOL! I love, "I am one of the most introverted people to ever introvert...." May I borrow that when appropriate, please?
Memere 3 years ago
I'm gonna be using it, I'm sure you can too! All of us introverts should be able to use it!
Load More Replies... Mtg Wolfie 3 years ago
"Oh, so you lied in the description? Thanks for the opportunity, but no thanks on the job".
Miz Chelle 3 years ago
I worked for a company like that once. Advertised the position as customer service. After I got hired they told me it was outbound sales. I couldnt sell water to someone dying in the desert. After two months with no sales, I just packed up my desk and left.
Jill McElroy 3 years ago
Thing is, it’s a waste of their time too. Now they have to start the process over again. And they wonder why???? Maybe because you hired someone who didn’t want THAT job. Had they been honest & hired someone who wanted that job & was trying to work at it then they’re not having to retrain someone every 3-6 months. Go figure.
Load More Replies... Douglas Mock 3 years ago
As soon as they show that they are psychotic, run for the door! They'll shoot you if you have a broken leg.
Garritt VS 3 years ago
From what I've been reading recently, I'm pretty sure that if sales is 50% of the job and they don't include it in the job posting, that's actually illegal.
Alma Muminovic 3 years ago
I don’t know why anyone thinks it’s a good idea to lie about the role and try to spring it on someone during the interview.
Memere 3 years ago
At least the OP found out during the interview instead of after accepting the job & maybe turning down better offers! But yeah, it sucks when a company is deceptive in the job posting.
Load More Replies... Aaron Proctor 3 years ago
... I'm sorry, no, I applied for your web design position, not your marketing position. If I had been aware cold calling customers was a function of this position I would not have applied... And I'll be sure to put a paid advert on Google informing prospective applicants of yours that you posted your employment advert under false pretenses.
#19
One of the interview questions was would I be willing to immediately fire a single mother who depended on the company Heath insurance for her register being off 50 cents.
Michael Largey 3 years ago
It's actually possible that they were looking for a manager who knew how to be reasonable and that the desired answer was "No. No way." In my career, I would never have hired anyone who answered "Yes" to that question.
Rick Seiden 3 years ago
I was recently asked if I would have difficulty firing a person. My response was yes, and I don't think you want someone who doesn't. I then talked about what it would mean to me to be fired--I have a mortgage and a family that depend on my pay and my health insurance. I would have a hard time firing someone, even if they deserved it, because I would feel bad about taking away their security. But, sometimes you have to fire someone, so you do it, even though it's difficult. I was told it was the right answer.
Danny Phantom 3 years ago
The question is a valid one though. They might not be looking for a “yes” answer. If, however, the question is also their expectation, they suck and should be out of business.
Load More Replies... Mtg Wolfie 3 years ago
Nope. General rule of thumb is that within a dollar is acceptable. If your company can't handle missing $0.50, you've got bigger problems. But you could always take it from my check. I'll allow that to not orphan those kids.
Matt Smith 3 years ago
I suppose it's possible (if unlikely) they were hoping for a "no" answer...
#20
The doctor interviewing me asked what I feel I can improve upon. I said that I hoped to have better boundaries with my patients and my job. She immediately said, "Oh, I have NO boundaries. You can't have that when you own your own practice."
That was my red flag moment 🚩
I won't ever work for someone that cannot recognize the worth of having appropriate boundaries. It is a recipe for burnout.
Lisa Hewes 3 years ago
Also sounds like the type of place where you need to be available 24/7, OR ELSE.
Mtg Wolfie 3 years ago (edited)
Oh, I've seen a company get slapped with a lawsuit for wrongful dismissal. Why? Employee was called in, said they couldn't show up. Because they (not even a family member. The employee themselves) was in the ER with appendicitis, and going into surgery prep in less than 15 minutes. The managers literally told her that she had to choose between living and her job. Only reason I know her side of the story is that I saw her a couple weeks later, and we stopped to chat. After that, I put in my notice and took my 2 weeks of vacation i had saved.
Load More Replies... Mtg Wolfie 3 years ago
Oh, no boundaries? Perhaps you'd be okay with me testing that? Oh, who am I kidding. You literally just said you don't have ANY boundaries"
Kym Derose 3 years ago
The word boundaries means different things to different people. A discussion might have helped clarify what each of you meant.
David Henry 3 years ago
Sounds like she wants all her employees to feel like her friend so she can bully them into things they don't want to do or legally she isn't allowed to ask (like breaking basic labor laws). I've met so many bosses and managers who have that exact "style" of management (befriend them so they'll work for less/free) to the point they have GOT to be specifically training managers and bosses to do this. It's got to be intentionally taught, it's just too widespread and by the same formula and script for there not to be a course on the material.
#21
I went to interview for an entry level marketing position in the film industry. Two hours in the boss slipped in that I wouldn't be paid for the first few months while they trained me. It was a full time job. He also wanted me to start immediately that day using my personal laptop. I made up an excuse and left shortly after.
Mary Rose Kent 3 years ago
Don’t make excuses, tell them that what they’re doing is unacceptable and then gather your things and go!
Teresa Taylor 3 years ago
Working for free during training? Sounds like that would be illegal. Aren't there Labor Laws protecting people against this type of thing? What's to say the "training" isn't a bunch of "gopher" work that isn't actually training at all. Then, the employer says the guy isn't cutting it and fires him during the unpaid "training" period. The employer can potentially get free grunt work this way for years.
Aussie panda 3 years ago
They could get away with a lot being in such an attractive industry where so many people are trying to get a break…
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Uber Mensch 3 years ago
They're not going to learn if you make up an excuse. Tell them straight up why you're leaving, then GO.
ALICE the GAME LAND 3 years ago
Depending on the country you are in, you should report them to the Labor bureau for breaking thr law. People need to start reading up on their labor laws
Patty Cook-Northrop 3 years ago
It kills me when jobs advertise "PAID TRAINING" like its a bonus. Darn right you're paying me during training!
Jen 3 years ago
Ive had a couple jobs like that where the training was extra time above the normal work time - got more hours during training week than the rest of the time. A couple summer camps offered paid optional training that if you did it you also got a bit added to your salary because you could do more.
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Sugarblossom86 3 years ago
I don’t know why you’d make an excuse? Simply tell them that’s unacceptable for what you need. Say No thank you and leave. Know your worth and you won’t need to slither away from anything.
#22
After 2 panel interviews, was invited for a lunch with the team - I pretty much knew I had the job, the offer was just a formality by that point. Went to a random buffet restaurant at a forgettable hotel miles from the job site (which was really odd). Carpooled with the team and it was a very weird vibe during the ride and getting to the table - everyone was walking on eggshells around the manager, laughing too loudly at her jokes etc. As soon as we sat down, the manager went up to get her food, and the rest of the team stayed at the table - when her phone started ringing (she'd left it on the table), they were panicking to be the first one to get it before the 2nd ring. They were so deferential (almost comically so), and so worried about what might happen if the manager got upset, I just couldn't see myself working there. I turned down the offer when it did come in the next day. Saw the job advertised again a few months later, wasn't surprised. Always trust your gut.
shodokai 3 years ago
Real leadership is rather rare lately. Particularly the last 20 years or so.
Aussie panda 3 years ago
Jobs are becoming much more specialised so there is a growing issue of people being promoted to people leaders for their subject matter expertise not their leadership skills…
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David Henry 3 years ago
Holy f**k, I'm shocked one of them didn't rush to go with her to do all the putting of food on actual plate.
#23
Wasn't the interview per se, but I caught a glimpse of a whiteboard in HR that had a bullet point list that seemed to be things to talk about to convince people to join the company, and one of the items was, "Not a cult."
- 3 years ago (edited)
The image is from another source, not from the writer who posted the comment on Reddit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nicasaurusrex/2258137879/
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Marc Lauzon 3 years ago (edited)
That would be the kind of joke I'd write. Actually sounds like a nice place. A manager and I were goofing up and designed a "nippletalk" sign language. I had some free time and drew it up on a large cardboard. He began showing it off to nearly every employees and delivery guys passing by. One employee bought a new truck and the seller had his picture taken to be on thier FB page. My manager did a bit of layout "Congrats to our new advertising actor!". Store owner told him to have it plastered all around the backstore. "Can't beleive I'm paid to do this"
David Henry 3 years ago (edited)
Way number one on telling if you're joining a cult or not: "we're not a cult!" is a line item in your introductions.
#24
1) He was looking for a “personal assistant” and I don’t even think he asked me my name, much less anything about qualifications. But he did sit next to me on the couch in his office ( the only seating other than his desk chair) and told me I looked perfect and to come back tomorrow morning to start right away. I felt lucky to get out of there without be assaulted, obviously never went back.
2) I was interviewing at a Dr’s office. The office manager was running late and another tech was showing me around. She was casually telling me “who sat here and who sat there” and how long they had worked there. I quickly realized, in a staff of about 16-20, EVERYONE, including the office manager I was about to meet, had been there less than 6 months. Nope! There’s something causing a lot of turnover and I don’t need to know what. I asked the tech to apologize for me and said I couldn’t wait, I had to pick my stepson up from soccer
El Dee 3 years ago
Ask how the vacancy arose. If it was someone leaving ask if they were promoted, left, sacked. Ask about the company's turnover rate. There should be an HR in the room who can tell you. And ALWAYS ask the STARTING PAY and holidays. It IS legal to say the range of pay and conditions but you may find (happened to me) that the starting pay is the very bottom despite your experience and is unaffordable..
Kristen Bellefeuille 3 years ago
I once interviewed for a position where I would have been the 7 assistant in 2 months, stupid me I took the job the boss was an overly aggressive creepy pain in the a**. I didn't stay more than a month.
Somewhat-Guilty 3 years ago
Back in my early 20's I went to an interview for a perfume shop inside a shopping mall. There was about 15 of us waiting. My third question was if I was married. I gave him a funny look so he said that sometimes I'll have to stay late and didn't want my husband to get upset. I said I wasn't married so he then asked me if I had a boyfriend lol. After the interview and taking to the other girls, we found out that the owner was into brunettes lol.
#25
Asked if I had a family first interview. They don't want someone who has to leave on time to take care of kids or is interested in their own life
- 3 years ago
"Yes, but don't worry, I'm an orphan, plus the hubby's in jail for life and CPS took my kids away permanently."
Scott Crowell 3 years ago
Hey do you know where to get any crack? Asking for a friend.
Load More Replies... Mermaid Elle-Jaye 3 years ago
I hate how as a childless person, I’m assumed to have nothing important to leave work for 😂 like f**k off 😂
Aussie panda 3 years ago
This used to happen to me all the time at a previous workplace- I was given extra projects and expected to stay late bc I was child free. It’s rubbish.
Load More Replies... Laura Mandado Cacho 3 years ago
In Spain asking personal questions like that is against the law, if someone has the gall to ask ignoring the legality of the question you can refuse to answer, they probably won't hire you, but for me it's a red flag anyway
Francisco Manuel Teruel Gutiérrez 3 years ago
Do you really want an employee for whom family is not the first priority? If he/she doesn't care about family, imagine about your company...
Adrienne Mcginley 3 years ago
I'm blood type (A,B,O, pos/neg) because y'all must be vampires who will suck my life out.
David Henry 3 years ago
"Nobody wants to work anymore!" says the group of people mad the rest of us have finally drawn the line between "employment" and "abuse".
Sarah Schumm 3 years ago
It goes both ways, too. I found out I was being paid significantly less than a male in my position at the same company "because he had a family"
#26
I talked to a company who offered 125k a year. On the next phone call I was told he had no right to offer that and dropped it a significant amount. So I hung up in the middle of my talking to them in a very calm voice. It’s an old trick, they never believe you’ll hang up while you’re talking calmly.
SelkieBlackfysh 3 years ago
Doubt it has any more or less impact than hanging up while emotional.
Nimues Child 3 years ago
True, but it keeps them from feeling superior because you were "too emotional"
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Brandi VanSteenwyk 3 years ago
It is always fun to react to a situation in the opposite manner than expected. Not just this scenario.
John Crandall 3 years ago
In the middle of talking? Making it sound like you got disconnected? Never heard that as some kind of technique.
Mtg Wolfie 3 years ago
Nah, leave it in their wheelhouse. They make the offer, tell them you'll only accept it at the salary previously offered.
Tim 3 years ago
Or do the crazy negotiator tactic. Initial offer: $125k. Second offer: $65k. Your counteroffer: $300k. Third offer: $50k. Your next counteroffer: $1M.
Load More Replies... Noir Maiden 3 years ago
He had no right to offer you that, you have no right to deal with a bunch of liars.
Andrea Malarkey 3 years ago
Had that happen with a bus company. Offered $19 an hour 50 hours a week. Then they tried to take it down to $15. I got it back up to $17.50 50 hours a week, I lived an hour from the yard thwy needed me at. A week before Christmas they cut me down to 30 hours, laid off 2 people and sent another one 5 hours from home to work. As soon as I got the $1000 bonus I left and never called them back. I never burn bridges but that place can f**k off. I was there 110 days.
#27
They interviewed me for the job they thought I should have, not the job I applied for.
Rick Seiden 3 years ago
This happened to me at my last two jobs (the second one starts Monday). In both cases they were interviewing me for a better position than I applied for because they thought that I had the experience and skills to do the, "next job up." It was a good thing for me both times, but I can imagine if they looked at your resume and interviewed you for the, "next job down" instead. That would not be good.
David Henry 3 years ago
Sometimes even the next job up can be bad if it's a bad fit for the person themselves. Doing this without any input from the person is just another way employers treat employees like empty robots.
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Michael Wolff 3 years ago
That happened to me at the start of my career and things could not have gone better. They felt I was overqualified for the role I applied for and interviewed me for a much more senior role despite my age (21) got the job and it ended up being the foundation of an extremely successful career
Zero 3 years ago
That did happen to me once, but it was in my favor. The job I had applied to was lower level than the one they interviewed me for and ultimately accepted. I was really confused at first when he was asking questions for something other than I had applied for so asked, and he straight up told me that they thought I could do better than the one I applied for. He was right.
Susan Hills 3 years ago
I will say that I had this happen to me once, but it was for a much better position that had just been posted.
Cydney Golden 3 years ago
Made me think of the show The West Wing when the guy is interviewing for a mail room job and they start interviewing him to be the assistant to the president. One of the best scenes.
Seadog 3 years ago
More than once I've had places tell me I'm over qualified. Just because I've been a store manager before doesn't mean I want to be one again. People get fed up with the headaches and stress of being at the top and are happy at a lower pay scale doing a given job while letting someone else deal with the daily stress. Didn't accept any of them when they finally did call me back. If they can't see the advantage of having management grade people without the higher cost then I don't want to work there anyway.
Jen 3 years ago
Not bad if it is a step up. That is how I got my current job. I applied for the only position they had posted (after school support staff) but the morning of my interview they learned that one of thier co- coordinators wasnt coming back from maternity leave full time and they had just added 2 programs to the other so she couldnt take over that half of the postion so they were going to post it the next day. But if I was interested it was 10 hours more a week and paid $2 more an hour plus came with a guaranteed full time summer position. I said yes and the rest of the interview was for that position. Im still there in an expanded role (2 promotions adding hours and programs to full time year round).
#28
The amount of lies discovered during the interview itself. They tell you one thing online and in emails, only to see something different when you show up and go through the interview.
If there was already that much lying and falsehoods seen during the interview, no telling how much worse it actually can be. Could understand why the person left.
Mermaid Elle-Jaye 3 years ago
I hate this, this is a good sign of a bad job with illegal s**t happening.
Nikole 3 years ago (edited)
Ugh, reminds me of one of mine... It was supposed to be helping executives write resumes but instead I just did a bunch of cold calling in sort of a reverse head-hunting scheme. Oddly enough, it was called Marston Mills... it felt like a mill. I got fired after three months because I didn't come in on Saturdays (even though I had never been asked to).
Load More Replies... Beth Burgh 3 years ago (edited)
I applied to and interviewed for what I thought was the scheduling of water purifying techs. Come to find out that it was actually going to be cold calling people to set up appointments to test their water, to sell them a water purifying system. I told them, you don't need a scheduler, you need a salesperson. And that won't be me. Never understand why places lie to get you in to interview, but expect you to be ok with them lying to you.
Mtg Wolfie 3 years ago
Used to work for a place thats shall remain nameless (but its definitely *not* a mart for walls), where the specifics of the policies were up to individual interpretation by the managers. So if one manager says "1-3 days called out counts as 1, means that 1 day, 2 days, AND 3 days", another can turn around and write you up for 2 callouts for 2 days called out. And both would be valid. So there was literally no way of knowing what was ACTUALLY allowed. One manager said that my uniform had to be outermost layer. Another said that I could wear a coat on break and lunch. 1st tried to write me up for wearing my coat while I was outside at lunch. I wasn't even being paid then.
Seadog 3 years ago
4 major auto parts chains in town, I'd worked for 2. A third wanted me...bad because of my connections with the commercial customers. Took me to lunch where we discussed what I could do for them business wise. I told them what I'd need to make it happen (number of drivers and delivery vehicles). That's when they revealed they didn't want me all that bad. SO I stayed where I was and continued to kick their butt on sales.
Mountainslady1 3 years ago
Sounds like the job I am trying to get to right now. It's a sailing job, and the capt said on the phone job interview, that he would cover the price to get me out there, (it's out of state) and today he had someone say he never said that, and that I have to find my own way to get there..they also keep asking when I will be coming up... I honestly don't know what to do as I don't have the money to get up there myself....
Rachel Smith 3 years ago
If you find a posting like that on indeed or whatever you can report it. I've reported several post, usually the company posting has to rewrite it
#29
Back when I was unemployed long term, I was applying for roles anywhere I could find really.
Got an interview for a retail position, not great but better than nothing.
First interview is a group one, I get through that fine.
Second interview is with the manager of the store.
He spends like 10 minutes telling me how s**t my resume is.
LagoonaBlueColleen 3 years ago
Retail interviews are weird. I've gone on a few for various types of stores and most of the time the managers seemed to be playing games, asking trick questions, or asking what you would do in a situation you've never experienced, implying they don't want to train. I have no clue what they want.
Mtg Wolfie 3 years ago
Its about giving them a good feeling. Seriously. I used to be an interviewer at a retail store. The training for it was "feel it out, and see if you feel they could do the job". Other than that, they want someone who is loyal but smart, obedient but self thinking, submissive but self starting, and independent but a team player. You literally cannot meet all of their expectations.
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Marilyn Russell 3 years ago
Most of us long enough in the game and have been laid off and had to take jobs just to pay the bills. Sometimes we stay in them too long when we don’t know our own worth. At one interview I went to the interviewer said something about a place I worked at was “a bit of a career comedown, wasn’t it?” Wow. Thanks but I wouldn’t call my employment experiences a career exactly, just jobs. Should have said that - would now I’m over 50 and don’t care about offending offensive people - and let them know I wouldn’t be interested in a workplace where they denigrate people.
Chay 3 years ago
I once worked at a clothing store for like, a week. Two days in they changed the entire layout of the store on my day off and I went back in to work, everything was literally upside down, had no idea where anything was anymore, by the fourth day the keyholder told me I'm too slow and I should know the layout by now. Yeah, if you DIDNT SWITCH EVERYTHING AROUND MAYBE I WOULD. I argued with her that they couldn't expect me to know in two days when I was hired four days ago just trying to learn the first layout, I found a new job real quick and left without notice on that job.
Rashid Patch 3 years ago
Tell him how shitty the reputation of his company is, and ask him to convince you you'd ever want to work there...
James Copping 3 years ago
I can't speak for the manager but I also can't speak for your resume.
#30
I'm a senior level programmer and the company was only offering two weeks vacation, non-negotiable. Lol....hell no.
Adrienne Mcginley 3 years ago
That's more than most jobs in the US offer....IF they even offer a PTO package at all.
Adagar 3 years ago
For sure, but those who have the power to negotiate should. If companies are forced to raise PTO to get in-demand talent it benefits all!
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Sanne Dutch 3 years ago
Here in the Netherlands the legal minimum is 24 annual days on a 40 or 38h fulltime job. But most have more. This doesn’t include sick days, they are just paid (up to 2 years actually). I never understood “sick days” in the US. What if you have surgery or something serious?
Warren Peace 3 years ago (edited)
Imagine having paid time off. The nerve of some f*****g people. What a whiner.
Aussie panda 3 years ago
In Australia the minimum is 20 days annual leave, 10 days personal leave (which includes sick leave and also leave if you need to take care of sick kids etc) and most companies also offer bereavement/ compassionate leave. We also accrue mandatory long service leave which is payable after 7 years and we have a mandatory 10% superannuation contribution on top of our base pay. Come to Australia! We need more talent- the job market is ridiculous right now!
Justme 3 years ago
My husband gets 10 days paid time off per year. Total, for any reason (sick or injured, doctors or dentist appointments, vacation, etc). And it doesn’t roll over to the next year if he somehow miraculously doesn’t use it all. His boss is anti vax anti mask and in January of this year he got everyone sick with COVID. No dentist appointments, routine checkups, or 3 day weekends this year.
Samantha Floyd 3 years ago
My husband has similar PTO, and unpredictable yet unadjustable hours. I was trying to schedule a dentist appointment for him (he hasn't been to the dentist since he was a child), but the only place that takes his EMPLOYER'S insurance has a 6-month wait. That's a big no, because he has no idea if he can attend something so far out.... and if he has to cancel, will it be another 6 month wait?
Load More Replies... David Henry 3 years ago
What's sad here is that, as an American, two weeks ASSURED paid vacation would absolutely make me feel like I'd found the giants golden goose. Logically I know that's s**t considering I know enough people from around the world to know not only can you offer more but it SHOCK! doesn't break the company to do so. But that other hand always has to make itself heard and having grown up w parents who never had assured vacations and never having had them myself...it still manages to sound heavenly. You don't have to subscribe to a cult if you live on their campgrounds: you'll absorb some by osmosis anyway. And American work culture is VERY cultlike when you think about it. F**k, everything we do is cultlike. Wtf is wrong with us?
R L Walker 3 years ago
I worked for a company once that offered one week vacation, use or lose. With short staff and seniority issues, I lost vacation for two years. They made vacation carry over when I threatened to quit. In a side note, I think PTO, especially non-transferrable, is one of the worst cheats ever imposed on the American worker. I knew a man who retired from a company that gave sick time and vacation time. He cashed out a couple of months of sick time, and he got paid during his first 6 months of retirement. PTO eliminates that incentive, and usually has penalties for excess "incidents", including not giving a day's notice, even for illness.
Jenny Shmurak 3 years ago
In my country, if you work 5 days a week, legally you get 12 vacation days minimum. If you work 6 days a week, you get 14.
Sanne Dutch 3 years ago
Here in the Netherlands the legal minimum is 24 annual days on a 40 or 38h fulltime job. But most have more. This doesn’t include sick days, they are just paid (up to 2 years actually). I never understood “sick days” in the US. What if you have surgery or something serious?
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Mickie Shea 3 years ago
Wow! You only get 2 weeks pain vacation, being a senior programmer and all.
#31
The CEO of the company asked us (yes, it was a group interview) to make a vow. He said that every time we made a mistake, his accountants would calculate how much money our mistake cost the company. He asked for us to promise that any time this happened, we would voluntarily choose to pay the company for what they determined their lost revenue was.
SelkieBlackfysh 3 years ago
Sure. While we're discussing that, let's say you'll pay for full, nutritionally rich meals, compensate us for our fuel expenses - going both ways - and agree upon an amount of money to go towards maintenance of our vehicles to get to and from work.
Jerry Mathers 3 years ago
I was thinking more along the lines of "Based on that vow, every time I make an improvement or a suggestion for change that benefits the company, I will receive 10% (or whatever) of the money I made the company". Then keep running accounts and deduct any error costs from your gains. If you get em to agree, suggest replacing the CEO for a lower paid one and start your account with a few million ahead of the game. :-)
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Francisco Manuel Teruel Gutiérrez 3 years ago
"to promise"... indeed, because this abusive clause couldn't be admitted in a contract.
#32
Back in 2008, I saw a posting on Craigslist for a writing job. During the interview, it became clear to me that the actual job was to create and maintain hundreds of fake email accounts and post fake reviews for products I never used. I hadn’t heard of this concept before (hey it was 2008), so I just chuckled at one point and blurted out, “Isn’t that illegal though?” Thankfully I never heard back from them.
#33
A no-harm-no-foul approach to child protection. I was interviewing for a teaching job, arrived at the school, said why I was there and before I even gave my name they waved me through, past the locked doors and into a waiting room. Nobody asked for my name, DBS or ID, and within 10 minutes I was on my own with 2 children being given a tour of the school which included parts of the grounds that were pretty far out of sight of the building. The interview date was posted on the job listing online so literally anyone with Internet access could have found out the school was hosting interviews that day. They hadn't taken a single step to check I wasn't a convicted child molester, kidnapper or murderer. When I expressed my concerns upon meeting actual members of leadership, they *then* asked my name and to see my DBS, then said 'Well, they should have checked, but it's all fine, isn't it?' I left.
#34
I made a joke about being multilingual but that Japanese wouldn’t be useful for this job. (There we’re near no Japanese speakers where the job was) the interviewer insisted I speak Japanese to this Chinese woman who was in the building to prove I could speak it. Then when I refused because the lady was CHINESE he laughed and said he knew I was lying. I walked out.
Metallicd3ath 3 years ago
If I wanted to be cheeky, I'd have completed the rest of the interview in Japanese.
Tammy 3 years ago
So is the insinuation that the Chinese woman was incapable of ever learning Japanese as well? I don't get this one. Reaks of BS.
Lu 3 years ago
No, the interview asked him to prove he could speak Japanese thinking Chinese was the same language when it’s obviously not.
Load More Replies... #35
After the job interview they said they will call me in one week. A month has passed and I still didn't get a call so I decided to call them myself. They said "oh yea.. we remember you.. yea.. Um sorry about that we completely forgot to call you back. We already found someone (better)". Turns out That that someone then turned the job down and so they contacted me again to see if I was still interested after two months. I said "No thanks. I already got a job."
Tobias Reaper 3 years ago
something similar happened to me i had a telephone interview which i passed and they said they would invite me to an assessment centre which is basically a fancy interview to see if can do the job they sent me this and an email but i never heard from them again
Seadog 3 years ago
Worked at a store where a girl got hired solely because she could speak Spanish. Beyond that she had no knowledge or skills for the business. The big kicker? NONE of our South American customers want her speaking Spanish to them. As soon as she would start, they'd stop her and tell her this is America and they speak English. Not to mention the fact that not all of our SA customers were from Mexico, as the company assumed, therefore some couldn't understand her anyway.
Mikey Kliss 3 years ago
I was on the hook for 6 months waiting to hear back from a job. I really wanted that one too
#36
I was interviewing at a nationally known survey company back in the early '90s. I was a database administrator and they were planning on migrating their data from flat files to a database. The last guy I interviewed with would have been my direct supervisor. One of the things he said in the interview was that he didn't think they really needed a database. Database administrators were in short supply back then and you could essentially write your own ticket. There was no way I was going to waste time trying to work with someone who would fight the very concept of my job description.
Leodavinci 3 years ago
I've know people like that. Back in the days of the PC revolution when the paper I worked at was increasing the computerization of their facilities, I had a supervisor who didn't want to have anything to do with computers. So much so, she left rather than try to learn anything.
#37
I got through the interview and a day of training for a sales associate job in the hand bag department of a big department store and was shadowing an employee before I got in the schedule. It was going pretty well, I like everyone I met and the person I was shadowing (who would be my co-worker in the department) was very sweet and helpful……but then I met the only other worker in that department. She was an older woman who, before I could even introduce myself, immediately starting criticizing what I was wearing, how I was standing, and how I was smiling. Apparently my eyes were blank, my smile was dull, and I looked “simple”. Then just walked away. I was a little too shocked by her abruptness to respond right away and just stood there. The sweet coworker apologized up and down for the other one’s attitude, but the damage was done. I had a moment of pristine clarity and knew if I didn’t leave now I’d be stuck with that awful woman in a terrible job for years. I called the HR office the following day to explain the situation and all they said was “if you quit over the phone you’ll be blacklisted and can never work at another DEPARTMENT STORE NAME again”. I told them I was perfectly comfortable with that and hung up. It was a blessing in disguise really. About 2 months later I had a very nice, well paying office job and heard that department store was laying off half its work force.
Seadog 3 years ago
MY son went to work for a national retail chain in the assembly/pick up area. Went through the paid training and upon starting the job, walked in to meet the rest of the crew. They were sitting a a table playing cards. He of course assumed they were on break. Wrong. They soon made it clear they were working and considered themselves to be busy. He went back to his direct supervisor who also said "oh yes, we're busy" He quit right there. When asked why, he told them he came to work, not sit around and play games. That particular store was one of the first to go on the chopping block when the corporation began their death spiral. The company, founded in 1892, is all but nonexistent now although the biggest reason for their demise is credited to their decision to cease their annual catalog. Companies simply can't grasp that people want a book to shop from, browsing a web page will never replace that.
#38
I had a scheduled interview and was sent to wait upstairs at the “executive level”. The woman who was to interview me had been called and told I was coming. I took a seat in front of her office window. I sat there for 45 minutes past my interview time. I almost left again and again because the whole setup seemed odd. She made me sit there, but never even stuck her head out the door to say “I’m running a little behind” or something to that effect. We did finally have the interview. I took the job because it was a really great job in a small poor county. It was the worst job I’ve ever had, ever. Turns out she was a complete nut. The entire staff was scared to death of her from the yard guys that didn’t even work in the building to every person that worked directly under her. No one would work upstairs on the “executive level” because of her! They all crammed themselves in offices on the first floor and left that level empty to get away from her. People would confide in me because I had to work closely with her. They’d tell me, when I get out of a conversation with her I feel like a crazy person! The woman who had my job before me had apparently quit after having sort of a mental breakdown. She treated employees like dirt and was the single most paranoid person I’ve ever run across. She thought people were breaking into her house to steal jewelry (with no sign but the missing jewelry) and also thought her daughter was lying to her about what books she needed to take a teachers degree in college. She thought people were recording her phone calls as well. She refused to give employees training or instructions so no one could ever say that she told them to do something that later turned out to be wrong. I was sat in my own office on the “executive level” and told to search a word document for how to do the job. By the time I left I’d be sick on Sundays thinking a out going to work on Monday, and that’s no way to live. I don’t care how good the job is. Lesson is, if your gut tells you something is off in the interview, run.
Mama Penguin 3 years ago
I'm sorry but she doesn't sound mentally stable. Like she needs a therapist big time.
Guido Pisano 3 years ago
The worst boss I had was one that told what to do, you did exactly what she told (I used to let her write email ) and when she said I did wrong and I pointed that she asked for she used to reply "I didnt meant that"
#39
had me wait for 2 and a half hours while the guy that was supposed to interview me was in his office with a buddy and they were laughing (and probably drinking)
edit: i forgot to mention that the “interview” was a 2 minute conversation and it went like this:
-Have you worked in a similar position before?
me- no its my first job ive never worked anywhere
-Well we need people with experience so we cant hire you.
Matthew Fox 3 years ago
Never wait more than 30 minutes, and that's pushing it but things happen in business so I get it. Anything longer without an offer to reschedule due to an emergency means they're not worth it.
Octavia Hansen 3 years ago
I used to send a bill to interviews that wasted my time. Never expected them to pay but always had a response. So I would send a 2nd bill with a 10% penalty. Just mind games from me.
Nikki Sevven 3 years ago
You shouldn't have waited longer than 30 minutes. Any company that doesn't value your time while you're interviewing definitely won't value your time once you're working for them.
Uber Mensch 3 years ago
If it isn't important enough for the interviewer to show up within 15 minutes of the appointment, they obviously don't need someone. Adios!
#40
I disclosed my autism and the interviewer asked me if I was going to "run around screaming with my hands in the air" if I was having a bad day.
Jo Johannsen 3 years ago
I would have been tempted to throw my hands in the air and run screaming from the interview, but that's just me.
censorshipsucks 3 years ago
I'd have said yes it happens some times but i think denying someone work or firing them on grounds of mental conditions/disability is an offence..
ChariotLee 3 years ago
No I won't do that...but I will block my ears like a child, shut down, and stop talking.
#41
It wasn't an interview but a "taster session" where I had to work there for 3 hours then make my decision.
A lot of the hardware didn't work, the guy training me was away and had to train me over a video call so whenever anything went wrong I was f****d and he would loudly sigh every time I needed something explaining. Because how dare someone need something explained to them on their first job
Scott Crowell 3 years ago
I'm disappointed in you. How dare you not know everything and not have 10yrs previous experience before even applying for the job. I mean really?
#42
I went for a job interview and aced it, knew I would get it as soon as I left. A few days later I got called by the recruitment agency that advertised the job online and told me to go to their office to sign a contract. I head up there, and got this 10 page contract telling me that they will hold my pay and only pay me after they take a percentage every month. They may or may not also hold my pay for some other reason should they deem fit ie: if you were to take sick leave during probabtion etc etc. They said that the company Im working for will hand my cheque to them and then they will pay me. I read it, said I need to go downstairs for a drink and never came back. They called me for months and I just ignored them. To think, that there were people out there who signed these dumb things.
Zoe's Mom 3 years ago
I don't understand 'disappearing'. Just tell them no thanks and be gone.
shodokai 3 years ago
They are parasites. So give them nothing. No word, no attention, no thing.
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#43
The very first question was if I was comfortable with working long hours and often on the weekends. Edit because this seemed to resonate; separate your rate from your worth, always. Work to live, don't live to work!
LeighAnne Brown-Pedersen 3 years ago
I work many weekends (fri & sat). And I’m off almost every Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. I get a night and weekend differential. But, no I don’t work extra.
shodokai 3 years ago
That's a shifted weekly schedule as you still get a weekend off... it's just the days of your weekend are shifted. Most live theater jobs are this way... our weekends are Monday/Tuesday.
Load More Replies... Seadog 3 years ago
Job I had required nights and weekends at the first of the month - every month. They hired one kid who once hired made it clear he wouldn't work on Sunday because that's the Lords day. We worked around his restricted schedule for a while but eventually he got moved and then fired for insubordination. Don't agree to terms if you're not going to follow them anyway.
Michael Largey 3 years ago
At least they were up front about it right from the start. Sometimes you don't find out until you're hired.
#44
I was once told, "it is very important here to not let your morals get mixed up with doing good business". I took the job due to desperation and man was it a shady company. they started asking me to straight up lie to customers about their investments about 6 months in and I was fired when they realized I was telling my clients the truth. The company ended up going bankrupt and getting several lawsuits against them. I gladly helped the DA with the most recent one and am happy to say the company lost. f**k that company and their supposedly " good Christian" owners. edit: just to give a further idea of how s**t this company was, they were partially an app development company and taking people's pretty large investments to do the apps while not actually having a team of people that made the apps. they were telling me to tell people it would be done soon when it hadn't even been started on yet. they were also an idea development company that took money from people with even the most hare-brained crazy ideas (one woman had a vibrating vest for instance. another had a cane with Christmas lights on it) and promised they could get them into a ton of big box stores while not actually having any contacts in those stores (and simultaneously claiming they were amazing ideas). the company's founder was in various reputable magazines as a "brilliant young up and coming CEO" and got the business featured on various "fastest growing and most promising start up" lists. when it got to the breaking point with the apps they claimed hackers erased their main database with all the finished apps on it and did some interviews on the "very real dangers of corporate hackers". they didn't even have a centralized database, nor the finished apps to store on one if they did.
Michael Largey 3 years ago
If your employer tells you not to mix morals and your job, then you he's telling you to feel free to embezzle from him.
#45
Production Facility - interviewing with plant manager for Quality Control position. Plant manager had another plant’s quality manager sit in for the interview. Plant manager was super critical of everything I said. Bashed some of my training courses and credentials. They’re super common trainings in my field, but the plant manager wanted more “official” trainings since he was a retired Navy officer who got all of his training through the government and not my globally recognized “third party” credentials. The interview just kept getting more uncomfortable and I kept wondering if this guy was just trying to make me leave. The other manager was super nice and asked questions related to my field and seemed really happy with my answers and credentials. It felt like good cop bad cop. The quality manager ended up taking me on a tour of the facility. We talked candidly quite a bit. He was pretty sure I’d be offered something. I asked his opinion of the plant and the manager. He just replied with “well…you’d have to work with *him* every day.” And gave me a knowing look. They offered me the position, I declined. The plant manager called me himself to let me know I wasted his time. This would have been a 40% increase in my pay. Most would call it life-changing. But my line of work is stressful enough without a j**k plant manager breathing down my neck. I ended up finding a similar paying job that is virtually stress-free compared to my last job and I couldn’t be happier. I have since received many, many calls and emails about that position and I have let the company know I have zero interest in working there. It’s been over a year and the position is still open. Wonder why?
Cody 3 years ago (edited)
Yep, that's it. I just checked the original Reddit post. Apparently "jerk" is now a bad word.
Load More Replies... Seadog 3 years ago
I've run into this kind of thing many times with ex-military people. Don't get me wrong, I have great respect for the military but people come out feeling that because that's the way the military does it then that is the ONLY way and therefore the right way. I've seen people that build ships that couldn't get a job welding in the private sector because their military credentials don't give them certifications required where people lives and lawsuits become an issue. Truck drivers have to go through school to get a CDL. Even had a retired Marine that didn't even know how to properly mop a floor.
#46
I once had an interview where I spent the majority of the day there. They took me around and introduced me to everyone (about 30-ish people), had a group lunch, etc. While everyone was very nice and the work seemed interesting, I noticed everyone looked very tired. At one point during the day, I was making small talk with a manager and the topic of travel came up. He then mentioned it had been years since he last took a vacation. After some questioning I soon gathered that not taking vacations was pretty common there. I happened to run in to the same manager about a year later and he was happy to report that while he hadn't taken a vacation yet, he actually had one booked. He still looked exhausted.
Fintch 3 years ago
Damn, USA work-environment kills people. Literally. In european countries, even in the not so wealthy eastern ones, you have to take your (minimum) 1 month vacation-time.
#47
I had an interview at a small law firm once, with the owner. At the 10min mark of sitting in a meeting room alone, I got up and started heading down the hallway to leave. Was met by the owner, never said sorry, just said that it was a busy day.
Sat, talked, she explained that she wanted to up-end LegalZoom by creating the same service and expand it slightly to encompass a couple of other items. Mind you, they have no tech people and this was a small firm, very boutique. I stood up, shook her hand, told her good luck, hope she does well, and left the office promptly.
Hilariously, I got an email 2 days later that **they** were moving forward with other candidates. Laughed.
#48
He asked me if I was a crier because I “looked like a crier.” I was fresh out of law school and just told him I didn’t think it would be a good fit when he offered me the job. If someone asked me that now, I would walk out of the interview.
Michael Largey 3 years ago
You should have replier "Are you a moron? Because you talk like a moron."
Ashley Galyen 3 years ago
Even better reply. Because they won't call back to annoy you if they are insulted.
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#49
It was a low paying retail job, but I’ve been interviewed at the same time as someone else. The issue I had with this is that it pits two people against each other and it becomes incredibly awkward. I was interviewing against a woman who had lost her job and was talking about supporting her kids. I felt like I had to make a stronger case saying that I didn’t know how I’d afford college without the job.
If an interviewer doesn’t have time for 2 separate interviews then just walk out because things will only get worse.
Lydia Owen the Bi-tch 3 years ago (edited)
I had an interview with a bank, they had an open interview with 3 workers from the bank, and SIX of us interviewing
L1z 3 years ago (edited)
I was in a similar situation once but instead of interviewing against the other person, I welcome her and made the employer do the work. She had tried to give the interviewer what he wanted but I was just too casual and totally disarmed her. I ended up being offered the job but declined it over how they tried to pit us against each other to essentially compete for a job. I'm not interested in manipulation tactics
#50
After I got my bachelor's degree in engineering I interviewed for a position in a reliability lab. As part of the interview one of the people I met with was a woman with a masters degree in the same field who I would be working alongside. In addition to talking with her I got to see what she was doing and between what I saw and what she told me it was clear that the job they had her doing was way below her capability. For context, I had worked as a technician in the field while I was in college and my tech job was both more challenging and had provided me a much greater amount of responsibility than what this woman who was clearly very capable and had a masters degree was doing. I certainly hadn't gotten my degree to take a downgrade in responsibility. The field I'm in is pretty small and I later ended up working with some other people who had been at that company and they all told me I made the right call.
#51
I was hanging out with friends in a diner in Los Angeles one night way back in the early ‘90s when I was approached by a producer for MTV’s “The Real World.” She said they were casting for the second season and invited me to audition. It sounded like it might be fun so I said sure why not, and proceeded to make it far into the process, through like four rounds of interviews, meeting the executives, etc. At first, all the questions were about my interests, my aspirations, my background, that sort of thing, but as it went along, ALL they wanted to know about was what sort of people I hated, who I could see myself in conflict with, what personality traits were most likely to make me angry. Suddenly it didn’t sound like a lark anymore; it sounded like a psychology experiment, and not in a fun way. So I said thanks but no thanks and noped out of there. It sounds naive in hindsight—it’s reality TV, wtf did I expect?!—but this was early days. If the same thing happened today, first I’d be flattered, and them immediately I’d be like hahahano.
Scott Crowell 3 years ago
Sounds like the scrip to most reality TV shows now adays. Who's fighting who and drama, drama and more drama.
Matthew Fox 3 years ago (edited)
I made it to the phone interview stage (after the video submission and in-person on camera test) for the short-lived American version of a European reality show. They had advertised it as a "Survivor" type reality show set in a post-collapse world. Think something like Discovery Channel's "The Colony" but not that. Turns out it was going to be nothing like that and they ended up getting sued for that and using people's images without permission, among other things. Ended up getting a (very) small settlement as part of the class-action after the show was canceled before the first season ended. Glad I didn't make the cut.
TheEndIsNigh 3 years ago
Wasn't an experiment with different perspectives and personality types the whole point behind the original "Real World"?
#52
Not the interview but orientation. I sat down with the young woman and she just sighed and shrugged and said, "Look. I'm quitting by the end of the week. My boyfriend now makes enough money for me to be a stay at home mom. I don't care. Do you care? I don't really care. We're just going to watch the video and we'll just kind of hang out. Sound good? Great. I'll be back." She then waddled over to press play on the company video and left me there for almost an hour. I declined the job and left.
Alex Foster 3 years ago
Have you seen a heavily pregnant woman walk? They have a very lovely waddle.
Load More Replies... #53
When I was job hunting last, at one of the places I got an interview, the recruiter straight up lied to me about what the position was, and the posting on their site was vague enough that I was suspicious, but didn't catch it before the interview. It turned out that I wasn't qualified after all, so they didn't offer me the job and of course it was very embarrassing. They wanted a database admin, and my experience was essentially in desktop and below, so Qt apps, embedded, and occasional kernel hacking. Even if they had though, the recruiter lying to you isn't a good sign. Their office was super gloomy too, although that was mostly the weather.
Guido Pisano 3 years ago
I had an interview with an agency that was looking for a developer for a client. When I had interview with client they said "but we were looking for a jboss administrator"... and that was all
#54
I came from a gig as a junior developer, I interviewed for a developer role. I got in and their API was slow, their website basically a joke, and most of their reporting stuff was barely functional. I thought "Wow, I can really of purpose here. Why does it feel like I'm over qualified for this role though? It's just basic programming stuff and no advanced math." They seemed super excited and I said "So what's the compensation range for this role?" and their response was "This band can go up to $36,000 for the right candidate." ... and that made it all make sense. They never have had a developer because that's below entry level rates.
censorshipsucks 3 years ago
In our country, 36k USD is a great salary. It's upper income. That will get you a 1.8 million ZAR house with a garden, three bedroms, plus a car.
#55
Showed up and it’s a mass interview of 25 people mlm Ponzi scheme b******t.
Edit: I have a bachelors of science in psychology and sociology from FSU, which isn’t very lucrative. For a while, I went through a plethora of s***ty call center and marketing jobs. You find yourself at these awful interviews.
AnxietyRiddenMom 3 years ago
When I first met my best friend, she and her husband tried to sell me hard on amway
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Ben Churchill 3 years ago
I had an "interview" like this too. It felt like a bait-and-switch. It was not what we were led to believe, and halfway through the interview a bunch of us looked at each other and noped right out of there.
Gwyn 3 years ago (edited)
I had that happen to me once, was called to come in for an interview that was NOT advertised as a sales or mlm, only to find out when I got there that they had at least 30 of us there to watch a video about selling their stuff. I walked out, they tried to get me to stay, I said no thanks. Waste of so many hours to get dressed up, drive there and back. What still gets me, to this day though, is all the people who just dumbly stayed and didn't seem upset at all about that deception. I wonder sometimes how their lives turned out.
censorshipsucks 3 years ago
Hmm a degree in sociology stuff here would be ok, you might do well in a political office or low-level stats research office.
#56
A few years ago, I had a meeting with a startup. When I entered the office, I was greeted by all the founders and a couple other employees, and they were just so weird and cold towards me. Even before I sat down in the conference room, I knew the whole thing was a joke and that I wouldn’t work with them for any amount of money.
#57
Not me, but this kid in my scout troop applied for a custodian job or smth once. He said that the guy interviewing him was trying to subtly turn "custodian" into "personal assistant." Some of the added tasks were to pick up Starbucks for his boss, drop off his dry cleaning, and work unpaid overtime to polish his desk.
The kid wasn't even 18 yet.
Edit: I should clarify that the kid was a senior in high school at the time, so it could've been a mistake by the employer. Either way, though, that's not a good business practice.
#58
Hiring manager asked me if I could start before day x, because they have a monthly hiring plan. The company wasn't expanding
#59
I really had a strange interview yesterday, but it didn’t put me off for the job. Before attending it, a coworker on another team told me she interviewed with the same dude for an entirely different position before accepting the position here. For context, dude is South Korean, about 10 years older than me, definitely ESL, and we are in the South. I moved here from Miami almost 4 years ago. He said that he’s very competitive. I interpret that as his parents, uh, parented him hard on the path to success. He asks me where my name is from. It’s Polish. Great Grandmother came over during WWII. He casually mentions Ukraine and their impending invasion. This grows into a cultural conversation and if I feel any attachment to that and if I’ve ever traveled to Poland (haven’t). I push back on to him and he says he’s South Korean, and he goes back. This wasn’t confrontational. It felt share-y, genial. He then asks me if I’ve traveled. Internationally. Yes, Canada, Iceland, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Colombia, Hungary, etc. We talk about that for a bit. He segues this into international work I’ve done and where I’ve worked. He works in that the company is owned by a parent company in the UK and we will work heavily with our European contingent for materials and supplies stateside. He asks me if I’m okay with traveling for the position. Yes. I tell him I don’t have any children, but I am married. He gave me what would you do hypothetical situations, which he called imagination questions (an ESL thing, but I knew what he meant). He asked me at what point I would notify him, to which I replied, when you needed to know, or when I resolved it. I think I convinced him I knew what I was doing because he seemed satisfied with my answers. He basically ended the interview by saying he sees me as a good fit for the position but we need to interview again. He tells me I’m not like most Americans he’s met. He follows that up by saying I’m definitely not like anyone here (the South), “I’m sure you know what I mean.” When I compared notes with my coworker this morning, she told me she didn’t get the job. One of the reasons being he told her that he didn’t like that she didn’t travel internationally (by choice).
Scarlett Barbee 3 years ago
Ooookkkkk...so what is the bottom line here? Interviewer came across to me as sexist and discriminatory...
Metallicd3ath 3 years ago
Where did you get sexist from? Weirdly I got the feeling op was female, though if course I have no way of knowing.
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#60
The company had a system where if your application wasnt totally dog s**t you could send in an interview time out of a time window. I schedule my interview for something like 3 o'clock so I arrive probably around 2:55 and i tell the host that im there for an interview. she runs to the back and comes back handing me a paper application and tells me i need to do that. all good not a big deal even though I did one online. I hand it back to her and she says "uh the managers are busy rn can you wait a minute or two for your interview" again all good, ive got nothing else going on i can wait. I end up waiting for 45 minutes (i should have left then but listen it my second ever job i didnt really know better) until a guy comes out to talk to me AND HES NOT EVEN THE F*****G MANAGER THERES FOUR MANAGERS AND THEY COULDNT GET ONE TO COME TALK TO ME FOR LIKE 2 MINUTES. anyway theres more to this, so i talk to this guy and hes the head server, super chill dude he tells me if it were him he'd be happy to hire me and if i can come in the next day at 2 to talk to the manager. I regretablly agree Come back the next day and the place is packed, 20 minute wait for a table and then whole lobby is full so im not really expecting much. the manager comes out and she brings me to a table that had yet to even be bussed, like I know your busy but id rather be standing up than sitting at a table with a half eaten burger in front of me. the interview lasts about 3 minutes and she tells me to come back the next day for paperwork. I come back and theres another girl there also waiting to start her onboarding. we waited for 30 minutes until the manager came out to do our paperwork. And I still work here to do this day... honestly really weird place super weird but i get like 15/hr plus tips for a hs job so ill take it
What do you think ?
Grabthar's screwdriver 3 years ago (edited)
Interviewed for a database Dev role once, had 30 mins with the manager, went well, chatted to 2 Devs, going great guns, then some guy walks in and it goes quiet and everyone looks uncomfortable. He tells me his name but not his role, he's asking me very surreal and inappropriate questions, at one point he says "are you enjoying this interview?", I don't want to say no so I squeak an "um yes?", His response "well tell ya fooking face then!", we're all squirming and uncomfortable and he thinks he's hysterically funny. I literally ran out of there, complained to the recruiter, couldn't remember his name though. The recruiter phoned me back furious, he just complained to the CEO about the CEO and the CEO was not happy that I'd called him obnoxious, inappropriate and a bully.
Brian Wood 3 years ago
I have always insisted on being interviewed by the person I would be reporting to directly. I don't want to interview with some floozie from "HR" who feels entitled to tell you about a job he/she has no clue about. I want to get a feel for the person I am working for. Would NEVER apply for a job through an agency, where the $6/hour receptionist decides if you are good enough to even fill out an application form! You would be surprised I got some of the best jobs I ever had. Always moved on and up, with best wishes from my ex boss, with lasting friendships.
Load More Replies... Chich 3 years ago
Was interviewed for a full time entry level position. They had a few part times also being interviewed who had been there for several months. The questions were not entry level and some very site specific, you had to have worked there for a while to know the answers. I finally just asked them to check my name against the one of the person they had already picked and it would save us all a bunch of time.
Lyone Fein 3 years ago
Almost every interview for a teaching job in higher education is a multi day exercise. You are basically auditioning for the role of professor, and they have you for a full 48 hours. It is completely exhausting, and you can never relax. Even during meals, there is constantly someone with you talking about the field, or trying to see if you will fit in with the rest of the department, etc. This is all after you have made it through two previous rounds of elimination out of about 200 or more other candidates. And the job only pays 60k. And you work about 60 hours a week.
Tiredofpayingforothers 3 years ago
My first college degree was an associate degree in electronic engineering. After 2 years of college and part-time jobs, I really needed a good paying job so I could continue my college education. So I applied for this job as a repair technician at a local repair shop. Again it was one of those jobs where they didn't post the salary, but I was hopeful it would be better than any part-time I had. During the interview he commented about needing me in the shop for hours than I had expected, but I figured I could work through that. Then I asked what the starting pay was. I assumed it wouldn't be much more than minimum wage because I had no experience yet, but I was shocked when he said pay? I'm not going to pay you a salary. This job is a learning opportunity for you. I just got up and walked out. A couple weeks later I started a different job paying me double what minimum wage was. Why some people think young adults don't have bills is beyond me.
Loretta Franklin 3 years ago
Interviewed for a position for medical billing. Supposed to have a start date in 2 weeks. The second week was actually for my honeymoon which we were going to Hawaii, all booked and paid. Interviewer then demanded that I be there the second week as she really needed me. Nope, not doing that to my husband.
Alex Foster 3 years ago
I got this interview for a job as kitchen custodian basically at a university- so of course it's a massive cooking area and they need a dedicated cleaner or several. I was psyched since getting it would also give me a tuition waiver. Got to the interview, which was just in a fancier section of the cafeteria, and waited a few minutes. The interviewer was late which sucked but things happen. Except he also seemed really uncomfortable interviewing me. He also kept asking questions over again. Like "You said on your application that you can lift eighty pounds easily" And I said yes. "but what can you actually lift?" I was trying not to frown but answered "At my last job I used to lift about 120 pounds frequently but that much caused my shoulder to act up. I'm still confident in 80 pounds though." "no really, how much?" It took until just before the end of the interview when I asked when I would hear back and he kind of softly muttered that I "wasn't what he was expecting"
Alex Foster 3 years ago
That's when I finally pieced it together. He had chosen the resume of Alex Foster and thought I seemed like a good guy for the job. And then he saw that I am AFAB, and am quite curvy. And didn't want a *girl* working there.
Load More Replies...
Adam L 3 years ago
Was working a call center for a catalogue company and put in for promotion in September. Needed to be interviewed by three separate people: HR, my floor manager, and dept. manager (to this day I still don't know the difference between floor and dept. managers...). Got the HR and floor manager interviews done within the month and went great, but it went through the new year with no word on the final interview, so I started looking for something else. I eventually found something better paying in February, and I had to tell the person I was waiting to interview with that I was giving my two weeks. This person had the gall to ask "what about the promotion?" I kept it professional and told her I was being hired as a supervisor in my new job (which I was) and left it at that. A few months later and the call center I was working in closed down and everyone either had to move to the other location they had or be unemployed. Dodged a bullet.
Susan Flewelling 3 years ago
I went for an interview many years ago that was a pip. The guy's fly was open - he says, "if that gets out you'll be in trouble". So I said, "no, if that gets out, YOU'LL be in trouble!" Needless to say, I didn't get the job. 😄
The Cute Cat 3 years ago
Once I have interview with a startup company. I realize that most of the employee look afraid of speaking too loud near the big boss. Spent 2 phase interview and the last of is of him mocking my skill on IT, while he is clearly not understand technically. Says like his friend could hack my site in an hour or two.. That is very ballsy for a man that know small amount it. 4 years later, never see his startup to take off..
Jay Cie 3 years ago
My favorite interview story was the one where the guy said I was a great fit I'd just need to get certified to do the job. But it's ok as they offer the classes and normally it costs $1000 but I could get a discount of $200 and after I completed the course I'd be hired. Needless to say didn't accept that job.
Grabthar's screwdriver 3 years ago (edited)
Interviewed for a database Dev role once, had 30 mins with the manager, went well, chatted to 2 Devs, going great guns, then some guy walks in and it goes quiet and everyone looks uncomfortable. He tells me his name but not his role, he's asking me very surreal and inappropriate questions, at one point he says "are you enjoying this interview?", I don't want to say no so I squeak an "um yes?", His response "well tell ya fooking face then!", we're all squirming and uncomfortable and he thinks he's hysterically funny. I literally ran out of there, complained to the recruiter, couldn't remember his name though. The recruiter phoned me back furious, he just complained to the CEO about the CEO and the CEO was not happy that I'd called him obnoxious, inappropriate and a bully.
Brian Wood 3 years ago
I have always insisted on being interviewed by the person I would be reporting to directly. I don't want to interview with some floozie from "HR" who feels entitled to tell you about a job he/she has no clue about. I want to get a feel for the person I am working for. Would NEVER apply for a job through an agency, where the $6/hour receptionist decides if you are good enough to even fill out an application form! You would be surprised I got some of the best jobs I ever had. Always moved on and up, with best wishes from my ex boss, with lasting friendships.
Load More Replies... Chich 3 years ago
Was interviewed for a full time entry level position. They had a few part times also being interviewed who had been there for several months. The questions were not entry level and some very site specific, you had to have worked there for a while to know the answers. I finally just asked them to check my name against the one of the person they had already picked and it would save us all a bunch of time.
Lyone Fein 3 years ago
Almost every interview for a teaching job in higher education is a multi day exercise. You are basically auditioning for the role of professor, and they have you for a full 48 hours. It is completely exhausting, and you can never relax. Even during meals, there is constantly someone with you talking about the field, or trying to see if you will fit in with the rest of the department, etc. This is all after you have made it through two previous rounds of elimination out of about 200 or more other candidates. And the job only pays 60k. And you work about 60 hours a week.
Tiredofpayingforothers 3 years ago
My first college degree was an associate degree in electronic engineering. After 2 years of college and part-time jobs, I really needed a good paying job so I could continue my college education. So I applied for this job as a repair technician at a local repair shop. Again it was one of those jobs where they didn't post the salary, but I was hopeful it would be better than any part-time I had. During the interview he commented about needing me in the shop for hours than I had expected, but I figured I could work through that. Then I asked what the starting pay was. I assumed it wouldn't be much more than minimum wage because I had no experience yet, but I was shocked when he said pay? I'm not going to pay you a salary. This job is a learning opportunity for you. I just got up and walked out. A couple weeks later I started a different job paying me double what minimum wage was. Why some people think young adults don't have bills is beyond me.
Loretta Franklin 3 years ago
Interviewed for a position for medical billing. Supposed to have a start date in 2 weeks. The second week was actually for my honeymoon which we were going to Hawaii, all booked and paid. Interviewer then demanded that I be there the second week as she really needed me. Nope, not doing that to my husband.
Alex Foster 3 years ago
I got this interview for a job as kitchen custodian basically at a university- so of course it's a massive cooking area and they need a dedicated cleaner or several. I was psyched since getting it would also give me a tuition waiver. Got to the interview, which was just in a fancier section of the cafeteria, and waited a few minutes. The interviewer was late which sucked but things happen. Except he also seemed really uncomfortable interviewing me. He also kept asking questions over again. Like "You said on your application that you can lift eighty pounds easily" And I said yes. "but what can you actually lift?" I was trying not to frown but answered "At my last job I used to lift about 120 pounds frequently but that much caused my shoulder to act up. I'm still confident in 80 pounds though." "no really, how much?" It took until just before the end of the interview when I asked when I would hear back and he kind of softly muttered that I "wasn't what he was expecting"
Alex Foster 3 years ago
That's when I finally pieced it together. He had chosen the resume of Alex Foster and thought I seemed like a good guy for the job. And then he saw that I am AFAB, and am quite curvy. And didn't want a *girl* working there.
Load More Replies... Adam L 3 years ago
Was working a call center for a catalogue company and put in for promotion in September. Needed to be interviewed by three separate people: HR, my floor manager, and dept. manager (to this day I still don't know the difference between floor and dept. managers...). Got the HR and floor manager interviews done within the month and went great, but it went through the new year with no word on the final interview, so I started looking for something else. I eventually found something better paying in February, and I had to tell the person I was waiting to interview with that I was giving my two weeks. This person had the gall to ask "what about the promotion?" I kept it professional and told her I was being hired as a supervisor in my new job (which I was) and left it at that. A few months later and the call center I was working in closed down and everyone either had to move to the other location they had or be unemployed. Dodged a bullet.
Susan Flewelling 3 years ago
I went for an interview many years ago that was a pip. The guy's fly was open - he says, "if that gets out you'll be in trouble". So I said, "no, if that gets out, YOU'LL be in trouble!" Needless to say, I didn't get the job. 😄
The Cute Cat 3 years ago
Once I have interview with a startup company. I realize that most of the employee look afraid of speaking too loud near the big boss. Spent 2 phase interview and the last of is of him mocking my skill on IT, while he is clearly not understand technically. Says like his friend could hack my site in an hour or two.. That is very ballsy for a man that know small amount it. 4 years later, never see his startup to take off..
Jay Cie 3 years ago
My favorite interview story was the one where the guy said I was a great fit I'd just need to get certified to do the job. But it's ok as they offer the classes and normally it costs $1000 but I could get a discount of $200 and after I completed the course I'd be hired. Needless to say didn't accept that job.
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