To take doughnuts to a job interview?

[lucyellenmum]

That would be interview suicide wouldn't it???

Only i have been invited for an interview, its an admin position in an engineering company. When i spoke to the guy he was one of the types that you could tell was totally out of his comfort zone with interviewing. I suspect he was the manager and not the personell manager if you see what i mean. This surprised me as its a big company.

Anyway, when I asked if i should bring anything (im used to being asked for qualifications, id etc - it always causes me a problem as i have no valid passport and i dont have a driving license), he just flapped a bit and said, "ah no, just bring some ice creams for the girls!" My initial thoughts spun between, hmmm, he sounds like he might be ok, or he could be a sexist twunt. So i blustered too and said, don't be mad its winter, i'll bring doughnuts instead. It was ended tht i should just bring a smile!!!

So what if i did actually take the doughnuts? would he think i was
a) barking mad
b) a sychophant
c) quirky with a sense of humour

A friend of mine who is a manager in an engineering company said to me "i hope you ARE going to take the doughnuts" and my DP said "don't be ridiculous"

No, it is totally ridiculous and unprofessional.

Take them in on the first Friday after starting the job.

I dunno. When I got the position I currently have they told me what really made me stand out from teh other candidates was my last comment:
"I promise to bring in lots of homemade cakes"

It's a gamble - although if they are only interviewing you it seems pretty much a dead set anyway unless you fuck it up royally

That's different and acceptable Oh Dear - you didn't actually bring a homemade cake with you to the interview

saggy, i think that if i thought i was only being interviewed by the guy who i spoke to on the phone id risk it and take the doughnuts and he might see the funny side, but I am erring on the side of common sense. Which to be fair was my thoughts too. I only gave it a second thought when my friend said to me, i hope you are going to take them now!!

Yup, common sense has to win this one. Good luck!

I'd take them. But it depends how desperate you are - it could totally go either way (as others have said) but if you want to work somewhere that would love it if you brought them and were a bit quirky then why not test the waters? You are interviewing them too...

No

morris this is an instance where common sense does not apply.

I offered to bring my interviewer a bottle of Scotch to a second interview if there was one - in my defence it was in the middle of a conversation about Scotland and not a totally blatant bribe.

I got the second interview; they didn't interview anyone else; I didn't take the scotch; I got the job.

True story.

Lucyellen? How did it go? Donuts or not!!

I didn't take the doughnuts, neither did i wear a tantalizingly low cut blouse

I have a second interview next week sometime, day to be confirmed.

The guy who interviewed me was barking, the lady however was quite conservative so i think sensible boring was the way to play it.

Fingers crossed

Fingers crossed!!