So, when a Reddit user asked, 'What happened in your worst job interview?' people were ready to share their horror stories from the job hunt.
I applied for a particular position in a sporting goods store. It was for the hockey/skates section. The manager posted the wrong position, it was supposed to be in a department I know nothing about.
She got mad at me because it was apparently my fault that she messed up on the job ad. Like actual mad saying I was wasting her time and this and that. - David2022Wallace
I sat down, and these two women stared at me . Finally one of them said, 'We thought you were younger.' (I am in my 60s) . After she said this, she got up and left.
The other one (turns out she is the manager), was rude and cold , tossed a few questions at me , then got on her cell phone. I finally said, 'Look if we're done here, (she was staring at her desk, ignoring me), I have another interview.' I left.
Later, I reported both of them to the district office . District mgr said , 'We've had many reports about her.' The manager got fired.' I was offered another interview. Declined. - Ill-Summer-5061
Employer: 'What would you say your greatest assets are?'
Me: 'I don't know what an asset is.'
Employer: 'I think that concludes this interview.' - MohaveMoProblems
I accidentally handed the interviewer my medical marijuanna card instead of my guard card. I didn’t get the job. - scotthia
She started to gossip about all the other employees, about 5 others. She told me a lot. I ended up taking the job and had to quit thee days later because she made the workplace miserable. As I left I told everyone the stuff she said about them and two others walked out with me. It was awesome - Rrath876
I knocked it out of the park. I had real-life examples to their hypothetical questions, I had extensive experience in the field, I got along with all of the interviewers. I also knew some lower level employees there that vouched for me.
I didn't get the job because the job was only posted publicly because of was company policy. They already had an internal candidate lined up to take the job.
I wasted a lot of time applying and prepping for that interview, and a lot of mental energy being 'on' while I was there. All said, it really wasn't bad at all. But I've applied for like three jobs in my life and that was the worst one. - DoubleNearMint
The lady interviewing me got mad when I asked for a salary that was literally in the salary range on the job posting. I ended the interview on the spot and walked out. - KarateKid917
They gave us a piece of paper to write our name and number on. I got bored, noticed there was something on the back, and flipped it over. It was a photocopy of a former employee's two week notice, quitting to go back to school. Did they have no other paper around or something? - RhysOSD
The guy interviewing me asked me out and I didn't get the job...so we could date? Jesse at Abbott Labs I'm looking at you. - minionofjoy
They asked if I 'only intend to be a nine-to-fiver.' I was like, 'unless you plan on paying me like a nine-to-sixer.' We never heard from each other after that. - A_Little_Bit_O_Lexa
Logged onto a scheduled zoom interview for a highly paid position. Someone was also logged in, waiting. I assumed this was my interviewer. Nope. They were also waiting to be interviewed. Okay…. So we’re competing for the position? Cool, I guess.
4 more people proceed to log on, waiting for their interview. Never done a group interview before but was ready. It was awkwardly silent between us all. About 15 minutes go by…no one is logged in to interview us.
30 minutes in, we all start conspiring that one of us is secretly the interviewer and conducting a social experiment. Nope, we all just got scammed. Logged off. - Severe_Chipmunk_8954
They told me min wage and no commission for a sales job. I left with a quick good bye and thank you. - Thecooleo
We'd evaluate your performance for a month then you'll start getting payment from second month - enticingdystopia
Fell down the stairs when I was being shown around the building. Ended up breaking both fibula, a few bones in each foot, tearing some ligaments and cracking my tailbone. This happened in September and I'm still in pain.
After the fall, I sat at the bottom of the stairs crying for about 15 minutes and finally managed to pull myself up. The woman showing me around said 'So does this mean you don't want the rest of the tour?' - Spacey19802
It was a case of 'it’s not me, it’s you.' The interviewer didn’t show so I called and got no answer. They called an hour later saying they’re about to arrive, and asking if I was still available.
Another hour goes by and they show up claiming to have taken the wrong highway exit. Well, I know the area well and that only adds 5 minutes to the drive.
I went through with the interview, and then politely told them if they didn’t care enough to tell me why they were 2 hours late, why would I want to work for them - RotundMarmot
I fell asleep. Not kidding at all. I was in my early 20’s and hadn’t really found my career niche in spite of having a Bachelors degree. A friend who worked in the same pizza restaurant offered that his dad sold life insurance and was looking for clean cut and intelligent people to work for him.
It was a warm sunny afternoon when I went to his office. I was dressed up, maybe not in a suit but I was definitely wearing a tie. My friend’s father was a quiet and gentle man who was really into the life insurance products he sold. The interview went as normal, he would ask a question and I would answer.
Then he started talking at length about the policies he was selling without asking me anything for a while. The warm room, the constricted formal clothing, and the quiet inflection of his voice robbed me of my consciousness. I fell asleep, right out, and he went on for a while not noticing that I was asleep on the chair in his office. He eventually noticed and woke me up. Shortly afterwards the interview was over. Not surprisingly, no job offer followed. - Dadofpsycho
I had an interview for a sales position at a life insurance company. I show up and it's actually a group interview - huge red flag there. One person audibly says 'f*ck this shit' and walks out 10 minutes in. I want to do the same but I'm polite so I stick it out and then leave at the end without saying anything.
2 days later they call back and ask me if I want to come in for an interview. I assume they mean a follow up interview, and I decline and say I wasn't interested. 2 days later they call me again for the same thing.
Eventually I realize they aren't asking me back for a 2nd interview, they are so disorganized and their turnover is so high that they don't realize they are calling the same people over and over again. This goes on every couple of days for 2 weeks before the calls finally stop. - Pizza__Pants