What NOT to do on an interview

[Maleficent13]

Originally posted by Sirius
When opening a new store in 1996,

I asked: "Why did you leave your last job?"

She Responsed: "I got fired for spitting in the milkshakes."

Then her phone rang and she told me to "hang on a sec'"



Next!

Oh, my goodness!! this is hysterical!!

My mom's last applicant was so offended that she wasn't immediately offer a position after the interview (mom told her they'd have to wait for the background checks and references) that she picked up a phone and chucked it at the receptionist on her way out, cussing the entire time.

 

[mickeyfan1]

Sometimes, when you are unemployed, looking for a job is the ONLY thing you do. Being unemployed can lead to depression, that feeling of helplessness. Imagine not knowing how you are going to pay yor rend, or buy your next bag of groceries. Maybe that is why she said it.

I am amazed at what some people wear to an interview, or what they say on their resume or job application. If you are looking for a job, go to an agency that will let you practice interviewing skills, resume writing, etc. Maybe scope out where you would like to be interviewed and make sure you dress appropriately based on what you saw. Don't think "casual Friday" means cut off and flip flops. And if the company hires you, read the associate handbook and follow the rules, they aren't there for everyone except you.

I guess I worked for too many years in the corporate world, but even working part time retail, I saw a lot of teen agers come into the HR department looking for work and dressed like they hadn't bathed or washed their clothing in weeks.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

Make sure you always check out what the company does. I once applied to a job at a company as a admin. assistant. At the interview, I was asked why I wanted to leave my current job. I answered that I was trying to get out of the collections field. The interviewer looked at me and said, "This is a collections firm." Uhhhh....I'll take a foot sandwich please!

 

[wdwdvcdad]

Rule # 1 when being interviewed:

Don't fart.

 

[Cantw8]

I once had a young man come in to apply for a cell culture lab position. He was immaculate... very nice suit, polished shoes, well groomed and very polite. He got the job. Guess what he wore on his first day? Spiked hair and a spiked dog collar What's with the dog collar??!! Oh, and I forgot to mention the nose ring.

 

[Robinrs]

Last week a woman came in to interview for Maintenance Director at my old job. She came in rushed and hurried, asking me how long will she be there.... She went on to say that her RIDE was outside and she needed to let them know how long she was going to be there...

I told her there was a test involved and she would probably be there for about an hour. She sighed and went back outside. She returned with a young lady and two small children. "Can they use the bathroom?" she asks. Turns out she was driven in by her daughter who brought her two children! She continued to sit huffing and puffing about how LONG she had to wait and screaming at the kids!

Needless to say she was NOT called back....

I am in the process of looking for a job now and I am amazed at what I see. I always thought it was common sense but in my old age I realize it is NOT.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I haven't had any horrific, crazy, "what where they thinking" interviews, but some have been interesting. Maybe I weed out all the crazies while going through the applications (I am VERY picky about grammar, spelling, etc.).

My favorite question to ask the applicant is what is one short term and long term goal he or she has. You get some INTERESTING responses that let you know where their heads really are.

I guess I don't get the hobby question either. I don't care what they do in their spare time, I want to know what I will get from them during work hours.

 

[snoopy]

Geez, after getting raked over the coals after reporting about an interview I conducted one time, I'm not touching this one w/a ten foot pole.

But I gotta say, at this company, if I asked someone what their hobbies were, I wouldn't have a job interviewing people anymore. Thats a big no-no, nothing on a personal level can be asked.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Yeah Snoopy, I agree, you don't ever want to touch on personal issues, it can open a very bad can of worms (not to mention a lot of things are illegal to ask).

 

[SC Minnie]

We can't ask personal questions either. Our company conducts structured interviews where every candidate is asked the exact same question. We are not even allowed to explain the question we can only repeat it.

 

[oogieboogie]

Originally posted by wdwdvcdad
Rule # 1 when being interviewed:

Don't fart.

 

[Hillbeans]

Originally posted by snoopy
Geez, after getting raked over the coals after reporting about an interview I conducted one time, I'm not touching this one w/a ten foot pole.

.

Snoopy,I think I remember that one.

I think generally it's not ok to get into personal information on an interview, however it sounds like the OP liked this person, wanted to give them a chance and just asked a general question to find out if the person had a pulse.

Now, to the person wearing a dog collar their first day on the job, what the heck is that all about? In what culture is that acceptable? I think it's ok to wear it on your own time, but not to work. Unreal.

 

[lecach]

Our company is currently accepting applications. We had a lady show up and demand an interview. She had sent in her resume and wanted to be interviewed NOW. The receptionist told her that she would be called if they chose to interview her and she got nasty. She wouldnt give the receptionist her name - so we may have called her in. I cant believe she thought that ploy would work.

We had another lady that was scheduled for an interview - she called a few minutes before she was supposed to be here and was freaking out. She didnt know she'd have to drive on the beltline and she was just going to go home. So we didnt actually interview her but I still think its a good story.

Another lady we're trying to bring in for a second interview. And every appt. I suggest to her is not good. Wouldnt you think that if you were being called in for a second interview you would try and be a little flexible?

Another lady was late and said I gave her bad directions. Ive given them to 40 other people that managed to find us - and find us on time.

 

[RickinNYC]

This is such a great thread! I actually recently went through a pretty grueling interview process at a major financial firm. Four diferent interviews: one with their HR manager, then the senior VP of the philanthropy/community affairs dept., then one with the chief legal counsel, then yet another but a group interview with the team that'd report to me if I got the job. Very long process. So nerve wracking!

I just wanted to jump in and tell those that were a bit befuddled about the "hobbies" question that I was asked the same thing by a member of the team. She simply asked, "This isn't exactly work related but I was just curious to know what you like to do on your down time."

I immediately said, "I'm a huge reader and love going to movies. I spend a lot of time with friends over dinner. Friendship is important to me and keeps me sane. And I'll admit something to all of you if you promise not to giggle or roll your eyes... I visit Disney World every year and spend time in the evenings planning for my vacations to insure each trip is perfect."

Not a giggle or rolled eye in the bunch! They immediately started asking me every type of WDW question you can imagine and we had a great off-line chat about it.

And guess what! I got the job and start in two weeks!

 

[jrydberg]

As seen on "The Apprentice," don't interrupt the interviewer when he/she isn't done asking the question and say, "Let me finish!"

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

I think that my personal favorite was a young man who had recently completed his service in the navy. He leaned into my desk and told me that he had been on a ship for 6months without a woman in site.

 

[snoopy]

O.K. I said I wasn't going to comment, but RPM reminded me of the guy who I interviewed who followed up with a "thank you for the opportunity, and btw, I like your eyes will you have coffee with me" letter. I later saw him at a job fair, at that point it was just beyond freaky.

(although admittedly somewhat flattering since he was born in 1972!)

 

[barbeml]

Great thread!

I had a very interesting job a while back--analyzing personality profiles used for job placement. A section of the answer sheet aked for such things as: Your positive qualities? Your negative qualities? How would others describe you? etc.

I saw some real gems under "negative qualities," such as:

"I drink too much and cheat on my wife."

"My golf game."

"Always late."

And my all-time favorite: "None."

Don't even get me started on the spelling and grammar.

Also: once got a resume that was written in pencil on a sheet of paper ripped from a 3-ring binder. Best resume ever was from a former prisoner working as a fry-cook at KFC (or so he said) who photocopied our ad for a new CEO (nothing to do with cooking or prison) and wrote his unique qualifications on it.


Barbe

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by RUDisney
The hobby question was to see what the woman really liked to do. She said she graduated with an accounting major, but hated accounting (but later said she wanted to work for the IRS.)

I wanted to see what she really liked to do. But, she doesn't have anything that she likes to do, evidently. I'd have preferred to hear that she liked scrapbooking than to hear that she doesn't do anything outside of looking for a job. That's not realistic.

I'm busy as anything with my kids, too, but after they go to bed, I like to do the newspaper's crossword puzzle. I like photography (of the kids) and I like to cook. IMO, this shows that you are able to multi-task and not singly focused.

Think of M*A*S*H and Charles Emerson Winchester. His line that is my favorite is, "I do one thing, I do it very well, and then I move on." I need people who can handle multiple things at once.

Heck, one of our hobbies is taking the kids to their athletic events. Is it the thing that I'd like to devote my time to more than anything else? No. But, it is what I need to do for my kids now, and it is by no means torturing me, but it also shows that you can juggle events and obligations.

So, I'm sorry that I bugged you with this question, but I hope I've explained my reasoning for it.

Aha! Thanks! I wouldn't even think of most of those as hobbies and would never mention them. Multi-task? I worked in a Medical Staff office for 8 years. You better believe I'm a pro at it! LOLOL! Keeping 600 docs happy is a juggling act! Plus the boss, plus Administration!

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by Cantw8
I once had a young man come in to apply for a cell culture lab position. He was immaculate... very nice suit, polished shoes, well groomed and very polite. He got the job. Guess what he wore on his first day? Spiked hair and a spiked dog collar What's with the dog collar??!! Oh, and I forgot to mention the nose ring.

LOLOLOLOLOLOL!