10 Job Interviews That Completely Backfired

Job interviews can be full of surprises. Sometimes, things go exactly as planned, but other times, they lead to funny, shocking, or even life-changing moments. In this article, we’ve gathered 10 real-life job interviews that didn’t go as expected. From awkward misunderstandings to unbelievable twists, these stories will make you laugh, cringe, and maybe even feel a little relieved about your own interview experiences.

• During a job interview, the employer posed an unusual question: “Can you provide the exact time and location of your birth?” Initially, I chuckled awkwardly, assuming it was a joke, but their serious expression made it clear they were completely sincere. Intrigued yet puzzled, I did my best to recall and share the details.
  To my astonishment, they immediately launched into an in-depth discussion about the significance of this information in assessing my personality. For the next half hour, they passionately explained astrological charts, planetary alignments, and how these elements supposedly shaped my work habits and compatibility with their team.

• My favorite job interview was when I had a candidate give a great, confident answer to my opening question. She spoke passionately for about 15 minutes, explaining her experience, skills, and why she was the perfect fit for the role.
  Then, without missing a beat, she pulled out her phone and said, “And you won’t believe this,” before flipping through photos of a towering stack of pancakes. “Look at this masterpiece! I made these from scratch. Twelve layers. Fluffy. Perfectly golden. It took me three hours, but it was worth it.”
  The job had absolutely nothing to do with cooking. But her enthusiasm was so contagious that I honestly wanted to hear more about the pancakes.

• I sat across from the interviewer, feeling confident, until she suddenly asked, "What would you do if you found a wallet in the office?" I hesitated. “Uh… I’d turn it in.” She smiled but kept staring.
  “What if it had a lot of cash? No ID. No way to trace the owner.” I shifted in my seat. “I’d still turn it in.” “Interesting,” she said.
  Then she leaned forward, pausing for a moment, and pulled out a wallet from under the table. She placed it on the table and said calmly, "We found it in your pocket. Our boss lost it." I blinked, my mind spinning. "Wait, no, I... I didn’t..." My words stumbled out. "It's not me, I don’t know anything about it!" I muttered, trying to make sense of the situation, my palms suddenly clammy.
  She just stared at me for a second, her expression unreadable. Then, she said, “Fine, relax. This is our shock test to assess how candidates behave in a shocking situation.” I didn’t get the job.

• I had 2 phone interviews in the same week and managed to mix them up when I started talking about aspects of company A to company B. The guy paused and said something to the effect of, “Do you even know who you’re interviewing with?” It did not end well. © FannyComingThru / Reddit

• The interviewers took me out to lunch at an upscale restaurant. I was having a nice conversation and didn’t get the chance to look carefully at the menu. I skimmed it and ordered what I thought was described as rare meat.
  In fact, it was described as raw meat, carpaccio. I was horrified when it came out, but I had to eat it. I got the job, and they told me months later how impressed they were that I ordered carpaccio. I never confessed. © Gilword / Reddit

• I was hurrying to make it to a job interview, practically jogging down the street. As I moved quickly, I noticed another man keeping pace beside me, though I had a slight lead. When I reached the entrance, I held the door open for him before heading inside for my interview. After speaking with the recruiter, I advanced to the next stage—meeting with the boss.
  As I stepped into the office, I was surprised to see the same man from earlier. Before the recruiter could even step out, the boss immediately declared, “We’re hiring him. No interview needed—he’s punctual, responsible, and courteous.”

• I got told I was going to interview over chat, which turned out to be with an “AI chatbot”, not an actual person. The chatbot asked me 30+ questions, and I answered them all with a fair amount of detail. Afterward, I received an email that had an analysis of all my answers and what it told them about my personality, etc.
  Their analysis was complete garbage, and clearly seemed to work off trigger words rather than actual analysis of the entire response. They noted at the end of the document that it was the analysis and not my responses that would be sent to the company that was looking to fill the role... © villan / Reddit

• At an interview for a tech startup, they asked me, “If you could be any animal, what would you be?” I answered, “Otter, because they’re fun, active, work well with their hands, and cute.” They debated whether or not to hire me because of my answer, because, “We only hire predators, never prey.” © rileysweeney / Reddit

• The hiring manager leaned in. “Tell me—if you had an unlimited budget to start your own company, what would it be?” I grinned. “Oh, that’s easy. I’d—” He held up a finger. “And why haven’t you done it already?”
  I opened my mouth, then closed it. Had I been settling this whole time?

• Once, I went to a job interview for the CEO’s assistant position. He started with questions about my background and education. Confidently, I mentioned my degree and started listing my skills. But he cut me off with a smile, saying, “I don’t need a smart secretary.”
  Then, I froze as he explained why: he said, “The last thing I need is someone who thinks too much. Smart people question things. They challenge policies, they see inefficiencies, and they try to fix them. And let me tell you—this office runs on hierarchy. On obedience.”
  I forced a smile, trying to mask my disbelief. He smirked and continued, “We need someone who listens, who takes notes, who doesn’t try to be the smartest person in the room.”
  “Do you still want the position?” he asked. I rose from my chair slowly. “Thank you for your time,” I said, and walked out.

Sometimes, parents with children feel entitled to special treatment, assuming they have the right to make demands simply because they have kids. Recently, a Reddit user shared an experience where a family attempted to pressure him into giving up his table at a restaurant. When he refused, tensions escalated, leading to an uncomfortable confrontation. Read the story through this link.