Getting a new job is a very stressful thing. And when you’re at a job interview, you don’t usually expect any wild things to happen. But Reddit users shared their stories about the job interviews they can’t forget even many years later.
Before working for Bright Side, many of our authors experienced bizarre interviews. So, we read the stories of people who have been in similar situations, and we want to share them with you.
Had an interview, went well. I was offered the job on the spot and accepted. The HR manager went to get the needed paperwork, came back 10 minutes later, and said, “I must have forgotten that we already filled this position. I’m sorry, but we don’t have an opening. I could call you if something opens back up”. I said, “No, thank you.” © hardware5434 / Reddit
Video chat interview: Red flag #1: the interview was with 10 interviewers (I was told it would be 1-on-1). Red flag #2: towards the end, they asked if I had any questions. When I asked: “Do you all enjoy working here?” they all looked at each other nervously for about 20 seconds until someone said: “Sure. I mean, as much as you can enjoy work, I guess.” © paesanossbits / Reddit
I went in to apply for an administrative assistant position, and the guy kept asking me questions about liking kids and are my passports up to date...etc. I was SO confused. Turns out what he really wanted was a nanny for his 2 young kids to travel with him and his wife back to India. I was so mad he wasted my time. © you_are_marvelous / Reddit
I was the only person that HR was able to source for a role, and I still got rejected. © jmnolly00 / Reddit
Had an interview at an office supply store once. Guy told me straight up it was a high-pressure sales quota job. Their prices on computers and peripherals were bad, and that’s what I’d be selling. The dude straight up said it’s a lot of work for low pay, not a lot of people enjoy working there, and he finished off with the fact that he’s been there for 18 years. Practically ran out of that interview screaming. © funkyjiveturkey / 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, you know, fun, active, work well with their hands, and cute. They really debated whether or not to hire me because of that answer because, and I quote, “We only hire predators, never prey.” And they weren’t sure how to quantify an otter because none of them had ever paid the least bit of attention to any sort of animal documentary or read biology or, you know, visited a zoo recently. © rileysweeney / Reddit
The interviewer started hitting on me. Bye. © W8nd3rW8man / Reddit
I drove 2 hours for the interview. Got there and the interviewer was off sick and hadn’t told anyone about me coming in. Got back in my car and drove the 2 hours home. Withdrew my name from consideration. © lent12 / Reddit
I applied for a job, and the hiring manager called me when I was busy:
Me: “Hey, thanks for reaching out to me, I’m actually busy at the moment, can we set something up for early next week? (It was a Friday afternoon when he called)”
Him: “How about later today?”
Me: “I don’t have the time today, Monday would be much better.”
Him: “I can just do it now then, it won’t take very long.”
Me: “Look, I am very glad you called, and I’m super interested in the position, but I’m doing a million things right now, and my head isn’t in the best place to do an interview. I would really appreciate it if we could reschedule for next week.”
Him: pause “You know what, if you’re not going to do what I want you to do, then I don’t want you working here anyway.”
Hangs up. © Newatinvesting / Reddit
At an interview to be a county street sweeper, the guy asks me if I have a girlfriend, proceeds to rant for 5 minutes about how young people don’t get married anymore. Then he asks me what I want to avoid at the job. At the time, I had no idea how to answer, as I’d never been asked that in an interview before. So I ask him to clarify, to which he just repeats the question over and over until he gets super angry that I don’t know how to answer that, then asks me to leave. © iforgotmyfirstname** / Reddit
I was desperate for a new job. Had gained a lot of weight living off of fast food, so my good pants didn’t fit me very well. I sat down in the interview chair as the person was walking around to their side of the desk... And the button of my pants popped off, did a one-hopper off of the desk, and RIGHT into their coffee cup. Swished, no clink at all. For the entire interview, they were sipping their coffee, and I was sitting there with my pants unbuttoned, waiting for the big reveal. I left before they got to the bottom of their coffee, but they HAD to have put 2 and 2 together. © PM_Skunk / Reddit
Interviewer opened a bag of peanuts in the middle of the interview and started eating them one by one. You could tell he was thoroughly enjoying them. © currycak3 / Reddit
As a teenager, I once forgot the name of the manager I was supposed to meet, and I also forgot the word “manager” somehow, and I panicked and said, “I’m looking for the chick who does the hiring.” I did not get a callback. © IWantToBeAProducer / Reddit
She told me she loved me during the interview, hired me on the spot, and then fired me because I wouldn’t eat a muffin she gave me (I’m celiac). © roots_down / Reddit
What weird things have you seen during job interviews? Tell us your stories!
My experience wasn't an interview, per se but I sat down to have an adult beverage and the manager came over and asked me if I had ever bartender. I told him I had and he went on to ask where I'd worked, how long, etc. I told him as it happened I was looking for a new job at that time. He acted all offended and said he didn't conduct interviews while the applicant was enjoying a mixed drink. HE approached ME. I dodged a bullet that day.
I once had an interview for a position as a prosecutor in Goshen, NY (Orange County). I lived in Buffalo, NY (Erie County.) It is at least five hours away but I was newly out of law school and it looked interesting. Because Albany was only two hours away, I drove to Albany to stay overnight with my cousin, and arrived fresh at 9am, for the interview. The interviewers kept asking me why I came five hours to the interview. I replied because they replied and asked me to come interview with them at their office. This gave them a range of giggles and laughter. They started asking around among themselves if they had ever hired anyone from Buffalo. This was just so amusing for them. I didn't get the job.
I applied for a position and was called for an interview. arrived there a bit earlier actually, so i took a stroll at the street outside to pass some time and not appear super early.
turns out the manager was away and didnt inform anyone. they called him and he asked me to wait. so I waited.... for 3hours. he never came. He never called back either
