A Reddit thread has attracted thousands of comments from users sharing their horror stories 1 – Phone interview goes wrong
One user revealed that they showed up in person to a phone interview. Other users joked whether they then proceeded to sit in front of the interviewer while they rang them or rushed out to then take the call. Eek! Moral of the story, read the fine print and ensure you know the interview details.
2 – Wrong answer
Another was being interviewed for a position at a bank which was going well, despite the nerves. When asked as a final question, “why should we hire you?” they word-vomit replied “Because I probably won’t steal your money!”
Needless to say, they did not get the job.
3 – The smoker
Interviewer: “Are you a smoker?
Me: “Cigarettes?”
Eish! Another user responded with a swift save saying, “I only ask because I do enjoy a cigar a couple of times a year…”
4 – Should we hire you?
Interviewer: “Should we hire you?”
Me: “I mean, that’s really up to you guys, obviously I want the job, but that’s not my decision…”
Fortunately I’d been doing pretty well up until then so she just laughed and gave me a second chance to answer it properly.
5 – Salary negotiations
There was naturally a lot of discussion surrounding the topic of salary negotiation. One person said that they were asked what salary suited them, they gave an answer and the employer immediately accepted it there and then, suggesting that the candidate had actually aimed too low. Do your research beforehand and see what the average salary for the role is before entering the interview, both as a candidate or a recruiter.
6 – Etcetera …
I kept saying etcetera after every question…
Interviewer: “What are some of your greatest strengths?”
Candidate: “Well, I have various strengths and skills, etcetera etcetera.”
7 – Interview with mum
“Not exactly a mistake, but I went to the counter of the store and asked if they were hiring. They said they were and gave me an on the spot interview right there in the middle of the store with my mom standing right with me (I was 16 and she had given me a ride to the store). My mom proceeded to answer every question for me and kept talking me up. I ended up getting the job and worked there for over 2 years, so thanks mom lol!”
8 – Suit problems
“I dropped my suit off at the dry cleaners and went back to get it the morning of the interview and they had lost it. With the interview only about twenty minutes away the owner gave me his suit to borrow. It was a tan suit, way too big, had a striped pattern, and reeked of mustard and sweat. Safe to say I did not make a good first impression at that interview.”
The comments on this one are great…
“So who do you think did best in their interview? Definitely sweaty mustard guy.”
“If you were interviewing for a hot dog job that might have been a plus.”
9 – Researching the wrong company
Did 4 hours of research on the wrong company.
“Back in uni, had mock interview with a company I wanted to work for and at the last minute they swapped the company rep cuz the other was busy.”
Interviewer: “So, why do you want to work with us?”
Me: “…I don’t.”
10 – Falling asleep
“I went to one extremely tired. My sleep schedule was (not great) and they wanted to do it very early. I hadn’t slept in days.
It was a good interview, as in the interviewer did a fine job from what little I remember. I, however, was completely out of it and by noon I couldn’t remember a word that was said.
I didn’t get the job or a call back, and for all I know, I walked into their conference room and spaced out for an hour or took a nap.
Do whatever it takes, but get a good night’s sleep. Even if you have to drink till you pass out, going hungover is better than going tired.”
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