To ask for your funniest/weirdest/most awkward job interview experiences have been?

[NightandViolets]

Asking as I’m dipping my toes into the jobs hunt after a long time in my current role and it got me thinking about some very random interviews I’ve had from both sides!

my weirdest moment as an interviewee was when I was blathering on and suddenly the main interviewer got up and left without a word. I carried on and she came back with a tissue then proceeded to take a caterpillar off my shoulder and throw it out the window! She said it had been distracting her! It broke the ice in quite a po faced interview but I didn’t get the job 😉

then from the other side I have had some humdingers but one that really stands out is the woman that brought a book of poetry she’d written to recite to us (the job had nothing to do with creative writing!). She didn’t get the job either!

please share yours and say if you got the job or not as I could do with a giggle 🤭

I've had interviews when I was dead nervous but relaxed when I realised that the interviewer was more nervous than me and I sort of helped them out by talking about myself and my CV and answering questions they might want to know. First one when I was about 22 for a temp job. Got the job. I suddenly felt like a proper grown up after that.

I went for an interview in a bank (I was 19) and was wearing ballet pump type shoes, somehow really thumped my little toe/foot off the door frame on the way in. I was sat in agony, trying to ignore it. Stood up to leave, blood had soaked through my shoe into the carpet and the top of my foot had changed colour.

The Area Manager who was sat in on the interview drove me to hospital, then sat with me. I'd broken my toe and metatarsal! She then drove me home, picked up my Mam and took her to the bank to retrieve my car.

I got the job! Lovely woman.

Not an interview as such, but a training and assessment day

I'd been lucky enough to secure a very senior lady in the sector to deliver some of the content, who frankly we were lucky to have - only for one of the attendees to demand her removal because he considered it offensive to be instructed by a woman

To say my face was red is an understatement, but let's just say it wasn't the woman who left ...

Many years ago, when “disabled” meant purely in a wheelchair or mobility impaired I applied for a job. I mistakenly ticked “yes” in the “are you disabled?” Box. Later in the form the applicant was asked to list hobbies and I said, quite correctly, that I taught dance. This whole thing makes me go “wtf” today of course. Anyway I was told later (having got the job) that the main reason I was called for interview was that they wanted to know how I could teach dance and be mobility impaired (though being the 70s they used the “c” word - the one with 8 letters, not 4!)

”I’m Savernake Forest. People talk about me, and I’m absolutely terrifying.”

Name changed in case I’m recognised!

As an interviewer:

The candidate kept staring at the television on the wall behind me (it wasn’t on!). Not once in a 30-minute interview did he make eye contact - addressed every mark to the blank screen.

Similar to the poster who had a winking interviewer, I had one who I was convinced was flirting. I told myself I must be imagining it, but in the review meeting afterwards (several of us had rotated between different candidates, interviewing them all) two other interviewers said the same thing - one of them male.

I was interviewing someone for a fixed-term contract role and had had a previous incident of a candidate not being made aware the role was FTC. I could see from this candidate’s CV that she was in a permanent role, so I asked how she felt about switching from permanent to FTC. Her reaction couldn’t have been more dramatic. “Oh my God - so after 11 months I’d just be out, just gone, no job?! What would I do?! I’d be out on the streets!” Obviously it was the agency’s fault for not telling her, not hers - but her reaction was just so extreme. She would have panicked in a high-pressure situation.

I knew within five minutes that one interviewee was absolutely useless and would never get the job. Unfortunately, she had a 45-minute slot and three more interviews to come 😬 I had to desperately try to stretch it out, knowing very well I couldn’t possibly recommend her.

As an interviewee:

One of the interviewers asked “So which role are you here for again?” I must have looked taken aback because she said “Sorry, I’ve just come in for one day as I’m on maternity leave; I’m all at sixes and sevens!” Things went downhill from there. They asked about my experience in event planning. I said it wasn’t something I’d done before and they seemed surprised - they said it was a big part of the job. Not so big that they’d actually mentioned it in the ad… Then they mentioned how much time I’d need to spend travelling between their two offices - also not mentioned in the ad. I said “I did say on my application form that I can’t drive”. “Ohhhh… you can’t drive? That’s going to be difficult…” I could understand that there might have been a mistake with the ad (as unprofessional as that would be), but how did they miss that I had none of the experience they wanted and had very clearly said I didn’t drive?

At one interview, I dropped my open handbag in reception, with everything in it spreading itself as far as possible across the floor, including a bag of fruit pastilles and, bizarrely, a Christmas decoration in the shape of a Moomin. It must have been an omen for the rest of the day, as the interviewer was a total bitch. She was looking at my CV and said “You’ve moved around a bit, haven’t you?” in a disapproving tone. I said “Well, not really”. She raises her eyebrows and says “Four jobs in eight years?” She sounded so bloody supercilious that I knew I wouldn’t want the job even if I got it. I said “Actually, if you read my CV, you’ll see I’ve actually only worked for two companies in that time - I’ve had four roles because I was promoted within 18 months in both”. I knew I’d put her back up, but didn’t care at this point.

I had an interview on the world’s least lovely industrial estate, which involved a ten-minute walk from the train station - with the heavens opening just as I got off the train. This was before the days of Uber, so I had the choice of trying to find a local firm and risking being late, or walking through the rain. I chose the walk and arrived drenched. The interviewer didn’t manage so much as a pleasantry (e.g. an acknowledgment I was wet through) or even offer me a glass of water. What he did ask ME for was a copy of my CV, as he “hadn’t had a chance to read it yet”. Cue ten minutes of excruciating silence, before he said he didn’t really understand why I’d applied for the job, as it was based around X. I said “Well yes, and I do have experience for that - but also particularly in Y, and the agency said the role was a mix of the two”. “Well yes, it IS” he said in a very irritable tone, as if I’d somehow got it wrong rather than him.

I promise I’ve had some very good jobs and have hired some great candidates too! 😁😁

These are amazing - loved the part about the little moomin decoration, how surreal 😯 I’m just happy that most interviews in my industry are online these days. I could never leave an interview in previous times without trying to push/pull the door on the way out (always incorrectly) then nervously blurting, “it’s an intelligence test! Hahaha!”

I interviewed for a job which was advertised as being primarily subject A but with some experience in subject B desirable. I had extensive experience in subject A and some experience in subject B and was clear about this in my application.

When I arrived we were told it would be a group interview. We’d sit a written test and take a practical test, then if we were successful, we’d go on to have a face to face interview. I opened the written test and almost every question was about subject B and they were fairly advanced questions too. The practical exam was on subject B too and also extremely complicated.

It was clear I wasn’t getting a face to face interview but decided to stick around to find out what on earth happened between me applying and the interview as there was no way anyone could believe I’d be offered the job based on my application.

Eventually about half of us were lead to a room to be told we weren’t successful and, before I could say anything, people started questioning why the job we were interviewing for was so different to the job advertised. Unfortunately the woman delivering the news has been roped in solely for this task a knew absolutely nothing about the vacancy.

I was working in an awful sales job at the time and had taken the day off work with no pay to attend the interview so it was a very expensive and disappointing day for me and I still have no idea what happened, but it was a relief to know that I wasn’t the only one completely baffled by the experience.

I once got a job somewhere and then ultimately took a job elsewhere.
Years later, I mean like 2-3 years later I went for another job at the same place as the job i turned down, different department

I got there I was left waiting 30 mins, brought in for my interview. The interviewers didn't take any notes at all (2 people interviewing)
One of the interviewers picked apart everything I said and then stopped me half way through the interview while at the why we should hire you question to say to me 'you came for an interview here before and turned us down I interviewed you'

I didn't know what to say so just mumbled something along the lines of 'oh right, sorry'
She then continued the interview and told me she would let me know. I hadn't even left the building when she phoned me to tell me I had been unsuccessful 😂 no shit sherlock

In hindsight it makes me very glad I don't work there. I don't know how she remembered it was me. I have a very common name think 'Sarah Jones' but not that so it's not like I have a weird name that stays in your head or anything.

These are all amazing - thanks! And the various ones about being late remind me of when I set off with over an hour to spare and still managed to be late because of a signal failure. I called the org while powerwalking the 20 min walk to the office to apologise profusely and arrived drenched in sweat and utterly breathless. I somehow got the job despite being flustered and barely able to speak for the first few questions!

A very hot day in summer (in the late 90s). My interview was at 6pm.

Wearing shorts and a skimpy top I went to pick dc up from their summer sailing activity. Picked them up at 2pm and the interview location was less than an hour away. Home was half way between but a 5 minute detour.

Unfortunately there was a Celine Dior concert that day and traffic was gridlocked. Going absoloutely nowhere. 3 hours passed.

Of course I had no information with me, no phone number I could call (that was all at home very organised in my neat little briefcase, next to my smatly polished shoes and my skirt suit). It was a job I really wanted and badly needed. Managed to get in touch with dh who went to the interview venue and explained the situation. He called back to say they'd wait for me but I wasn't to go home and change (one of the interviewers had a plane to catch) and just to bring the dc with me.

I was crying about how I couldn't possibly turn up looking like I did! dc piped up: "I think you look very beautiful mummy"

So I turned up, very hassled, very hot, very unsuitably dressed, 2 kids in tow.

I got the job.

Interviewing internally for a government department admin job. My CV very honestly states that I have worked as a retail assistant in an adult store. It's quite a well known shop, and has performers, some of whom do very talented pole dancing. I just sold products and did admin (I'm not strong or coordinated enough for dancing!).

I was warned ahead of time by a colleague that the interviewer was known for trying to throw people off - he'd previously started her interview off by telling her she "looked tired". He clearly thought of himself as a Machiavellian genius or something. Sad.

In my interview, this guy latches on to my sex shop job (listed on my CV as "adult product retail" and in amongst some much more relevant admin history either side of it). I answered very honestly - I've got nothing to be ashamed of, after all! But he keeps asking "did you take part in EVERY activity there? You know... did you do a bit of EVERYTHING? Because, you know, some people are down there dancing, aren't they?"

I played it coy and tried to talk about the admin I did there, but he kept asking. Eventually I said something like "Oh, you've been to the [shop name] sex toy department then? I hope you found what you were looking for! You're asking if I'm a pole dancer, aren't you? No, but I worked closely with the team. You must go there a lot!"

Luckily, the assistant interviewer was a no-nonsense older woman who'd had enough of his shit, shot him a look, and took it into her own hands to move on with the next question. I got the job, btw!

Not me, but two good friends, both music teachers; kindred spirits tend to know one another.
Friend 1 was leaving the job; it was not a happy parting of the ways, quite a lot of which was down to the management style of the recently appointed head. He was acting Head of Department, and the second in the department was moving on as well.
Friend 2 heard that the vacancy was coming up, and decided to give it a try regardless of warnings.
The head took candidates round the school on a short tour, one at a time. As he was taken round, Friend 2 was regaled with an account of the many failings of the current postholders.
He didn't let on that he was listening to a good friend being traduced, but knew only too well that what he was hearing was actually very unfair, and as he confided to us later, "I knew he would be slagging me off behind my back in the same way if I got the job."
He decided to stop wasting everybody's time and withdrew from the interview.
I heard on the grapevine later that word got around to the extent that nobody local would apply for the job, and the chap who came in from outside the area lasted for two terms.

No great surprise you both got the jobs, NightandViolets and venusandmars

Think about it - sh1t happens, but you both did everything you could to keep the interviewers in the loop and did your damndest to get there and give it your best, even at some discomfort to yourselves

Sounds to me like a couple of people any employee would be glad to have, with commitment proved right off the bat

I went for a job interview at as a support worker. It was in a purpose built building of self contained flats that had recently opened. When I arrived, I was asked my name and then was shown around the building by another support worker. I thought it a bit odd as I'd not met the manager.
I was shown everything. Laundry room, education room, communal lounge, computer room, gardens, etc. Given indepth information on each area eg you have to book a time slot for computers and you got tokens to use washer/dryers.

I was shown 3 empty flats and was given indepth detail of them including the rent, what bills were included, etc etc.
Eventually as we walked back to the reception area I was asked "how long have you got?" I asked what was meant. "Until your due?" Due what??

The job, which I didn't mention up top, was for a support assistant for young and vulnerable women who were pregnant/had children under 3 years to help them to learn to parent.
I was a size 10. It was a summers day so I had no coat on. I was quite clearly not pregnant. They thought I was there as a potential resident not for job interview!

Omg I am cringing for you! Did you end up having a proper interview at another time or did you just run a mile?

I once went for an interview for a senior NHS managerial role and had to do a presentation as part of it. I'd had a bit of a walk from the train station to the office and was a little hot. However, when I went into the interview room, the heating was on full blast, couldn't be turned off apparently and was absolutely roasting. I started my presentation but was sweating profusely, constantly having to stop to drink water and fan myself. I was so hot I couldn't concentrate properly and didn't do a great job talking through my slides, even having to miss some out as I was running out of time. I kept apologising and saying how hot I was! I sat down and we moved onto questions, whereby they suggested I remove some layers. I was only in shirt by then, having ditched my jacket, but ended up sat in the vest top I had underneath. I didn't want to and felt so embarrassed but it seemed a better option than continuing to sweat and struggle. Luckily the panel was all women and they were genuinely sweet and sympathetic but I was absolutely mortified. The interview improved vastly from then on and I felt I answered well but felt too late. I didn't get the job but they did say they were impressed (no idea how!) and wanted to keep in touch re other jobs coming up. I was offered a different role a few weeks later but hadn't already accepted something elsewhere with a less embarrassing interview! 🤦🏼‍♀️

*had already accepted something elsewhere

It was 1973 and I had just finished my PGCE. I had been accepted by ILEA, which gave me a list of schools that wanted chemistry-cum-science teachers. I was making my way down the list, visiting schools within reasonable travelling distance. At one school, in Stockwell, a secretary showed me into the Headmistress's study, telling me she would be along in a minute. I was surprised when I heard a cistern flushing and to see the Margaret Rutherford look-a-like Headmistress emerge from her ensuite lavatory. The reek of her bowel movement perfumed the subsequent interview.

All sorts both as an interviewer and interviewee:

I've had someone's mum arrive with them and demand to come into the interview with their son who was in his early 20s 🤦

Had the classic walk into reception to meet an interviewee and witnessed her being extremely rude to the receptionist for no apparent reason. Called off the interview there and then and turns out her being rude was over the choices of drink she'd been offered!

Had someone who dressed nicely, had a good CV etc but when he arrived and we went to the meeting room, he absolutely stunk. Like really seriously bad BO stunk. Clearly there was a clothes washing issue, lack of showering issue or medical condition but it really was eye wateringly bad.

And finally I was being interviewed for a role in a new company and two areas were interested in me, so was asked to come in and meet the manager of the area I hadn't seen yet. Got there not knowing what to expect and the woman interviewing me was.. erm.. curvy shall we say but literally had a very tight dress on that barely covered her bum, had her large boobs spilling out the top and insisted on interviewing me at her desk. She's entitled to wear what she wants of course but that was an incredibly revealing dress and as a 20 something man, I didn't know where to look - I maintained eye contact and stared intently at her screen for the interview but genuinely didn't know where to look when she was about 1 foot away from me and facing me at her desk.

I got the job but took the one in the other area but ended up working with this woman years later and she was lovely and turned out she dressed like that all the time.

In an interview for director of science - a role I had already doing as a temporary job ,I was asked what my biggest failing was. I stared right at the head teacher then to the chair of governors and said,' I don't tolerate fools and I have been asked to work with one for the last to years'. The chair of governors choked and said but you work with children. I responded by explaining that I love children and they have excuse to behave like fools as they are still learning but adults do not have an excuse!!!

Their faces were hilarious and I did get the job!!

Utility company early 70s. The interviewer finished the interview by telling me, ‘you have the job but I can’t give it to you because you are a one parent family.’ The was after I had explained that I had a child minder and the two GMs as back up.

Haven’t made it past this. Absolutely horrific and hopefully reportable! I am so sorry you went through this. So very wrong.

Someone I know had moved to london after finishing uni. Was awaiting post graduate course and applied for the big posh department store (you know the one) …
He got trough the first 2 rounds and then was called out and told he was in! Yay! (This was for Christmas temps)…
he went through to a room with 4 other people and a women said not this guy the guy that looks like him. My friend was 1 of 2 black man at the interview day and the rejected other man was quickly retrieved. This was 20 years ago and he still remembers walking away from the store feeling worthless.

I suddenly quit one job after months of bullying, sexual harassment, insane workload and just general unprofessionalism, from branch manager down.

Branch manager and I had a weird relationship. He tried to be all father figure to me (I was early 20s) yet allowed the sales team to lie about and to me and the technicians to sexually harass me and even assault me at one staff function.
Handing in my notice was incredibly satisfying let me tell you. Branch manager was annoyed at my notice but not my issue.

I had an interview at this place. They seemed good in all the correspondence. I get there, it is a warehouse on some industrial estate, I press the buzzer and no one answers. I end up standing in the rain for 5 minutes until someone (a driver) pulls up, asks me what I'm doing and lets me follow him in.
He seems nice enough, tells me to follow him to the office, which I do, and there's 3 in the office, all clearly ignored my buzzer, and an obese man sitting at a desk eating a bacon sandwich and just as I'm walking in his direction (as instructed by office lady) a massive dollop of ketchup falls onto his white shirt.

I tell him I'm here for the interview, and he looks all flustered and shouts for the lady I just spoke to to get the room ready. He tells me to go with her.

So I follow her into this room overlooking the warehouse, there's a table, with 2 chairs on one side and none on the other, she leaves to find me a chair and I'm standing around wondering what the fuck is going on.

She returns, carrying a chair and he follows behind, still dabbing at the ketchup stain on his chest.

Interview commences. Really weird vibe from them both and I couldn't quite work it out. Around 20 minutes in, were discussing something and he mentions that he coaches youth football, and I mention my previous manager did something similar. He looks again at my CV and smiles. Looks at me, and goes "yeah I know (branch manager at just I just quit), he's the Head coach".

Instantly I know exactly what's happened. Interview comes to a close and I leave. Didn't hear back from them but I felt that was a lucky escape for me.

I actually had another interview that day after, which was for a much better position on alot better pay, started at that job 3 days later.