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Congratulations, your application has landed you a job interview! Now it's time to do your homework, put on some nice clothes, and sit down face to face with your possible employer. What's the worst that could happen?

Turns out, a lot. A few days ago, Twitter user Kristin (@fencheeks) described a ridiculous experience she had with one recruiter, and it gave people the courage to share their own similar stories. From making mistakes and underselling yourself to creeps who think sexual harassment is OK, continue scrolling and check out some of the most popular replies to Kristin's tweet.

Image credits: fencheeks

For one of our earlier articles, Bored Panda Becca Carnahan who is an experienced career coach located outside of Boston, MA. She is dedicated to helping early and mid-career professionals find fulfillment and joy in their work, and told us that every job interview is different and the same.

"The skills and competencies interviewers screen for will differ significantly based on the role and the company," Carnahan said. "However, you will almost always be asked a variation of 'tell me about yourself.'"

#3

Terrible-Job-Interviews

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Viviane
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

An 8-hour volunteer position?? Does this restaurant do a lot of "trial shifts" with different candidates? I've done unpaid tests for graphic design jobs - they were an hour long at most. For restaurant work before that, I did paid shifts; I wasn't good at it, so I lasted anywhere from an hour to two days.

dfreg avatar
Leodavinci
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Never do unpaid trials for anything, let alone graphic design work. A good portfolio and verifiable (employment or freelance) work history should be enough.

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Hugh Cookson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Chef here. Back in the day it was common practice to ask someone to come in for a 'stage' (work trial), normally to see what your skill level was, and if you would be a good fit into the brigade. If it was far from where you lived, you would be given a room in the hotel, or at least put up locally, fed, and be given a few beers whilst chatting with other members of the team - basically a day away from home, and regardless of whether you were taken on it was good for all concerned. Wind on a few years, I've been asked to go an a full day (10 hour) 'stage' 80 miles from home for no stay over, no food, no beer and no expense payment, and that was one of the less delusional employers ; the answer, of course was f**k off. Too many dickhead employers out there.

peitschen331 avatar
Gaby Almodovar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hi, also a chef here. As I see, you are from US. I'm from Germany. Here is legal to have 1,5 workday trial-day, unpaid. You may see it as horror, but there is something.... if you get to have a trial-day, you can be like 90% sure, they will hire you (if you don't make some idiot mistake). In hotel-jobs, here is also common to offer an one-night-stay, if someone is coming from another town. And something else to mention: here not just the kitchen-staff has normal wages, the waiters too. Tips are usually divided daily, equally between the folks working on that day, even reception. Because, here doesn't really matter, because you have anyway a decent salary. Tips are just kinda gifts. "Oh, I can buy now that 70 euro perfume, how nice! "- kind of things, and not source of freaking, like "I didn't get enough tip for the month to pay my rent/bills". It must be awful working in such financial-threatening conditions. And it also must be hell to work for 3 dollars/hour. It's just slavery!

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hell, since the pay is so low to wait tables (in the US at least), we’re not talking a huge amount, but they could’ve at least let her keep her tips, ffs.

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Spinstapink
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's illegal. Paid training is the law and that employer should be sued for wage theft.

christysmith_1 avatar
Christy Smith
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's just a smack in the face when a company tries to pull that s**t.

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Riley Quinn
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's illegal in the US and, I imagine, most countries. Paying people in training is a financial chance employers take.

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Erik Ivan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you live in my country, not paying sallary is - judicial - seen as a proof of the company being insolvent. The worker can apply for the company being declared bankruptcy at nearest court. And the court will approve if the sallary is not payed when the proceedings are up in front of the court. And yes. I have helped emplyees do that in my line of work as an accountant.

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Tobias Rieper
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i had a similar experience at a job trial day i did get paid for it but while i was there the person who was leaving who i supposed to be replacing they convinced to stay while i sill there got home and the employment agency called me to tell me that they dont have a job for me at the moment

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Mark Kelly
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even if you worked I'm pretty sure you could sue and get paid

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Juliette Dauterive
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Trial shift. If it doesn’t work, they pay you for your time and you don’t get the job permanently. WTH do they think they are?

ldyshkspr68 avatar
Tracy Jones
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i worked at a small town diner for 4 hours. not even officially hired. and they paid me for my time. that place should have told you up front what was up

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Wistiti
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've done trial-shift years ago for a hotel. It last 4 hours (normal shift-length). I didn't get paid but free (staff) dinner and drinks was offered at the end (for me). Others started when I was leaving and they were offered food before they started. And uniforms was included (if they have your size). Otherwise, you have to buy it and give them the bill. All fair.

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ERIKA H.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Trial interviews are required to be paid by law in California

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Anne S.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

US Chef. Stage shift is still the standard step after a sit down interview.

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Jane Dore
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wouldn’t get a chef job then. I do 4 hours minimum a week for free. Every week. And if I go off sick they don’t pay me the time back or pay me overtime. And it’s compulsory. You can’t just walk out after 40 hours

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Ian Campbell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

4 hours minimum a week for free? I thought slavery has been abolished. Find another job.

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"There are subjects that are not just off-limits, but also illegal for interviewers to ask," Carnahan highlighted. "Questions around marital status, children, ethnicity, religion, race, and age should not be asked in an interview. Keep in mind, the laws in your state as well. For example, in some states, employers cannot ask about your salary history."

According to the career coach, while some inappropriate or illegal interview questions may be asked off-hand or with innocent 'get to know you' intentions, it is fully within your rights to not answer the question. "You can state that you would prefer not to answer, you can redirect the conversation, or directly ask 'Is that relevant to this position I am applying for?' or 'Can you help me understand how this question is relevant to the job I am being considered for?'"

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Carnahan said it can be intimidating to respond in this way but it's also important to protect yourself and your boundaries. Just like Kristin did!

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Viviane
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow, the nerve and then trying to neg/shame a candidate. If they pay minimum wage, they'll be very lucky to get an inexperienced person who just wants experience for their next job.

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just wasting the time of someone who could be at an interview with a company that would pay them what they’re worth—-and tell them the range BEFORE making them take a slew of stupid tests!

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#11

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Lyone Fein
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What makes people think they are so much better than others that they get to waste your time?

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#12

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DKS 001
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

what a twat. The interviewer should know better.

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#14

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NsG
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They... wanted you to bend spacetime? NO ONE can do more than an hour's worth of walking in an hour. It's against the laws of physics.

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#16

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iBlank
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

haha, yep good to play it cool whether the "wow!" is good or bad

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Had an interview for what sounded like a really great job, but one for which I couldn’t find a salary range anywhere online, even on sites like Salary.com, Glassdoor, etc. Their first question was if I had any questions. So I asked, point blank, what the salary was. They gave me a ridiculously low number. I asked if they could do any better than that, but they said that was the top amount they were authorized to offer. So I said I wasn’t going to waste their time anymore, and got up to leave. They asked me what I meant, so I told them that I didn’t work so hard to get my Master’s Degree (just graduated, in fact) to accept such a low salary offer. Their jaws dropped to the floor, like they couldn’t believe someone with a graduate degree wouldn’t be thrilled to work for a pittance. I just thanked them, then turned around and left.

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Dynein
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To summarize using more understandable grammar: Group interview, interviewer says the job is only for 2 months, EVERYONE leaves, OP has same reaction as everyone else (which is to be shocked/confused, then decline and leave)

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What happened wanna bet the asshole only wanted to hire this one particular applicant he was attracted to, or is related to, or was a frat bro, so had to make the other interviewees walk out so their choice would end up being the only one.

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#26

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third molar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Companies expect honesty only to tell on others. If its about the company then its bad attitude!!

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