To ask about your weirdest job interviews

[TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl]

Last year I interviewed for a job in which I had to give a 15 minute presentation about a successful social media campaign I’ve run. It wasn’t for a social media job (and there was nothing about social media in the job description) or anything like it! But I do have social media experience so I accepted the interview with a view to asking in the interview about it.

The end of the (weird) interview - not long after I presented the 15 minute task all about my successful campaigns - went as follows:

Interviewer: Any questions?
Me: Yes, how does the role involve social media?
Interviewer: It doesn’t [looks at me like I’m an idiot]. We actually have a social media officer who manages our channels.
Me: Ah I see, I suppose I just presumed with having to do a social media presentation?
Interviewer: What do you mean?
Me:….Well the presentation task was ‘Describe a successful social media campaign you’ve managed’
Interviewer: Yes. And? Sorry I don’t know what you’re getting at.
Me: [Confused stare]

It went on like this for a bit longer. Still have no idea why I had to do that presentation.

I was offered the job. I said I will have a think and sleep on it. The (same) interviewer got really shirty saying I shouldn’t be going for interviews for jobs unless I was going to accept them.

I declined the job.

Interview for a job at a stately home. Got weird vibes. I asked the 2 people on the panel what they liked about working there.
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[tumbleweed]
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"Uhm, the surroundings?"
"Yes, I like the surroundings too."

It's a fucking stately home - liking the surroundings is the bare minimum! Not the team, not the staff - buildings and gardens. I should have left before the interview started; I had a walk around before the interview and asked the staff what it was like to work there, they weren't happy either.

Well that is utter BS, these interviewers need to realise that you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.

I remembered another one when I was 17 I went for a job as an office junior. I was asked if I had a boyfriend I said no I got the job .
I found out the last girl before me got pregnant and was sacked ( this was late 90s ) . So this middle aged man assumed young woman with boyfriends will get pregnant and will have to go as they can’t possibly work and care for a child . I believe she did go for unfair dismissal and there was a payout hence the question at the interview. I don’t think it occurred to them to just that woman had rights when pregnant even back then .

Didn't get as far as an interview for a prestigious London university because I wasn't prepared to make a video of myself.
I'm sure that revealing protected characteristics was just a random consequence of the recruitment process - and the research prowess of their law school is net reflected in its practice.

I rang enquiring about the interview process for a social work role. The Manager told me there would be a group interview and then an individual interview "where they would be asking me about my morals". No you won't mate.

Had an interview for a pre school. They were very excited by me because I had a wealth of experience in SEN and was a qualified teacher and they.....didn't have those things. And had just had two children join with quite significant needs and their SENCO was struggling.

Interview actually went great. They started talking about when I would start, what days I wanted to do, parking arrangements etc. I spent a couple of hours working with one of the children and then came back a second day to meet the second child. I actually had to reschedule that day due to my own child being ill and they got really panicked, thinking I was going to drop out. They were really relieved when I said I was still very keen and just had a rare day when my backup childcare wasn't available.

Came back for the second day, met the second child, all good, again played for a couple of hours and got to know them a bit, apparently this child was a far tougher one to get to know strangers but they happily talked and played with me with no issue which was commented on. Left on a very positive note talking about contracts etc

Received an email the next day saying that actually they weren't going to hire me anymore because I wasn't quite giving off the right vibe that day (they'd been happy with me on the day and I'd been the same as I'd always been in a very positive career with small children!) and left too quickly as if I was trying to get away. They had been advertising this role (I later discovered after a bit of digging) for 8 months. Apparently a lot of candidates didn't pass the vibe check or failed to weep upon leaving the building

Many years ago I went for an interview with the British Army. It was a clerical position and I was well qualified as I'd done the same job in Germany. Out of the blue they asked if I thought if the government should bring back hanging! I was really thrown but managed to give an opinion on why they shouldn't. I didn't get the job and to this day I'm shocked that they asked me.

Went for a summer job in a theme park and was asked to pretend to be a chicken, so I strutted around squawking, scratching the ground and then laid an egg, the interviewer was crying with laughter, I’m sure they just made these scenarios up to help relieve the boredom. I got the job, I thought I bloody should after that performance, in fact I deserved an Oscar 😂😂

I nearly spat my coffee out

😂I'm glad you got the job after all that. Did you ever ask them afterwards why they made you do that, and whether all candidates had to do the same? 🤔

I went for an interview for administrator at a youth club. While I was waiting I was offered some weed "for my nerves".

Yes, apparently to see how confident you were ??? Yeah of course.. strutting around pretending to be a chicken makes others think you exude confidence 😂😂

More like someone is having a crisis of some sort 😂😂 especially laying an egg:)

I had just arrived in the country and was job hunting. Called up a local nightclub that was looking for bar staff. The manager asked me some questions and took some information and said we would meet to interview me, but he had to come to mine. Having no experince of hiw things work here, I naively confirmed my address and he turned up with a movie, and a bottle of wine! He was short...I'm 5ft 1, so imagine how short, bald and probably my dad's age! It was so creepy and I managed to get him to leave pretty quickly!

Years ago I had an interview with the National Trust for a job in Wiltshire, near where I lived then. The job interview was in London. As soon as I walked in I could feel really toxic vibes coming from one of two men in the room. He could not have made it more clear his utter distaste, before anything was even said, though I was neat and tidy and suitably dressed, etc . He then asked me some totally irrelevant questions that were nothing to do with the job. I did my best but he made it very clear he did not like the answers. It became obvious that I had been called all the way to London to attend an interview for some quite different job that I didn't know anything about. He was obnoxious, did not admit the mistake, just dismissed me, and there were no travel expenses or apology for wasting my time. It put me right off the NT.

@DiscoStusMoonboots
Ugh! I pass that place sometimes on a bus on my way home!

@TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl

My dd went for an interview with a difficult and rather rude company CEO. She said to me afterwards that she wouldn't accept the job, if offered. She was offered it, and declined very politely, saying that she wasn't sure she and then would be a best fit, but thanks for the opportunity etc. By immediate return he replied that, in which case, they were withdrawing the offer 🤣🤣🤣

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease give a hint what this firm was it?

Do you remember that advert where they got the team at the end if the meeting to act like monkeys ? Then management laughing like. drains when the room emptied. Can't even remember what they were advertising

Sounds as if they wanted free cover .

I don’t but I’m pretty certain it’s based on truth from my own experience:)

I don't know if this is the correct place.
It wasn't anything like the interviews here. I had an office in London that I used to find jobs. One day I visited and they told me they had a small Jewish company looking for a secretary but not to send a Jewish girl. They said it'll be experience and I should go. 2 brothers. One a stickler and the other a friendly chap. Mr serious said he'd requested no Jews. Why? The last had conducted her private life on the office. Telephone etc. I said we're not all the same. The other brother wanted to know where I lived. Willesden Green. Anywhere near the bridge? Yes. The bridge was full of pigeons so you took your life in your hands walking under it. Mr serious told him off and I left. One bloody Jewish girl ruined a job for others. Oh well. That's the weirdest I think. I was about 20 too.

@warmeduppizza That made me laugh and laugh. Did you get it?

@goodkidsmaadhouse I did! 😂

I hope your DH put in a good word for you 😆