Red Flag at job interview? inspired by MrsPiglet

[fantasymagic]

I love the thread about job interviews.

Do you have any "red flags" that signal to you that you should be cautious?

For example, I have discovered the following on 2-3 occasions. A prospective employer says "My family is important to me." I initially took that to mean, well, good, then you understand how important family is.

But in reality, it meant "My family is important to me, so therefore, you will work late to finish things up so that I can get to my family activities."

Any others?

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I have found that "Can you start tomorrow? Monday? Do you really need to give 2 weeks notice?"

generally means.....

This is a crappy job and we are a crappy company to work for and in over 2 weeks of interviewing people we have found that you are the only sucker out there willing to even consider working here for the measly sum of money we are thinking of paying you.

 

[fantasymagic]

"Are you willing to do whatever it takes to succeed?"

Meaning, you'll get all the dirty jobs so we can meet the bottom line.

or

"How do you handle difficult people?"

Well, the only good thing about this questions is that they asked it so you know it's a problem.

I was never quite sure what they were looking for with this question:

"Where do you see yourself 5 years from now."

Probably just a fishing expedition to see if the person could possibly be a threat to the interviewer's job.

 

[Mish19]

I actually had an interviewer tell me the big boss is arrogant and hates women but as long as you aren't over-sensitive you should be fine. Wanna bet I didn't take the job offer?

 

[Kaos Creator]

At the job interview....
"This is a wonderful job opportunity, it is for a leave of absense, but will probably turn into full time because most of our employees go on frequent stress leaves and we will need you to cover for them...."
NOT!

 

[caitycaity]

i actually had an interview for what i thought was a desk job where they asked me: "how well can you handle long-term, high-stress situations?"



and tf, i agree with you on the 'can you start asap" thing.

 

[MrsPiglet]

My last big interveiw I was asked about the problems with other employees,

I took it as their employees are snobs and probably not the place I wanted to work for.

 

[Poohnatic]

Years ago, I had two interesting ones within a few months.

I had a job offered to me and was told "Ok, be here tomorrow at 9am for your training session", and I replied that I still have a job I have to give the courtesy of two weeks notice. I was then told that if I didn't start the next day, I couldn't have the job...I then turned it down, saying to the man "I guess this is a lousy place to work, then, because someone left and didn't even want to finish their two weeks". Apparently, it was their SOP that if you gave two weeks notice, they told you to leave immediately! Yeah, I REALLY want to work for you, LOL! That was for a management position, so I'm sure the work enviornment was wonderful.

Another one was for a receptionist an oil change place and I was told "Because you are a female working in an all male enviornment, you will have to meet with each of the wifes of our employees", so they probably had a problem with the guys hitting on the old receptionist.

At the time, I was still new to the area and wondered if this was the way all my interviews were going to be in that town!

However, a few years after that, I became a personnel director for a McD's franchise, and you'd be amazed at some of the interviews I had. I also interviewed someone at my current job and when I asked "So, what made you decide to come work for *****?", and she just stared at me-no answer! Then, "What do you like or dislike about your current job?" again, blank stare-no answer! Three weeks later, she came in and asked one of my other managers why we hadn't called her.



Suzanne

 

[Blondie]

I remember one position I intereviewed for where the boss asked me to describe 5 things about myself that started with the letter C!

Yep....the letter C!

Is that a hoot or what?

 

[Serena]

I love these stories.

 

[Pin Wizard]

The questions they ask can get ridiculous. I'm at the point where I want a telephone interview before I waste any time going in person! More often than not, a little red flag pops up and I think...why am I wasting my time?! People say it's easier to find a job while you are employed. I've never found that to be the case. How many times have I left work, stopped at McDonald's to change clothes into something more appropriate for an interview, and then saw the red flags. Too many to count.

 

[Serena]

The interview I went on to be a crossing guard was funny. First of all the interviewer was late. He was busy doing something else because he didn't expect me to show up.
5 minutes later he shows up. He was so grateful that I wasn't on drugs or drunk that he personally took me downtown to get the background check and fingerprinted. He said he didn't want to give me time to change my mind.

 

[WebmasterBarry]

I hate it when a female boss asks during an interview, "How do you feel working for a woman?" I am tempted to answer why should that matter? In this day and age, you work with a lot of races and genders. If my boss was a Martian, I'd work for a Martian. But now, I will say something like I don't feel that I should work for a company that asks such questions and walk out.

Interestingly enough, I once went on an interview at a magazine. While I was waiting in the lobby, the boss and the, um, vice boss came out and they were both women. After a few interviews before where I was asked "How do you feel working for a woman?" I thought to myself, "Oh, no, I hope they don't ask me the dumb question!" To my surprise, they didn't! I ended up working for the company for 3 years before I was laid off.