15+ People Who Regret Not Leaving a Job Interview Immediately

When it comes to job interviews, it’s like stepping into different worlds. Sometimes you walk out feeling on top of the world because everything went just right. Other times, it can feel like you’re in an awkward spot, maybe saying things you didn’t mean to, wishing you could escape. And if the interviewer’s vibe is off, that can make things even tougher.

• Once I decided to change my job. I sent my resume to the suitable vacancy and was invited to visit the office. The interview lasted for 5 hours. They promised to call me back but I no longer had any desire to work there. I finally got convinced of this after I visited the bathroom where I met my old friend who was working at that company. My friend had a key to the bathroom and it turned out that each employee had their own key to the bathroom, outsiders were not allowed to use it. But I actually got confused by another thing — inside the restrooms, I found 20 toilet paper rolls and each of them had an employee’s name and surname on it. I laughed and left to go home. © Star4ok / Pikabu
• I had one job interview for a secretary position. They asked me about my education and I said that I had an advanced degree. Their response shocked me, “We don’t need a really smart secretary.” © Olga Podkovyrina / AdMe
• Fell down the stairs when I was being shown around the building. Ended up breaking both fibula, a few bones in each foot, tearing some ligaments, and cracking my tailbone. This happened in September and I’m still in pain. After the fall, I sat at the bottom of the stairs crying for about 15 minutes and finally managed to pull myself up. The woman showing me around said, “So does this mean you don’t want the rest of the tour?” Spacey19802 / Reddit

• They gave us a piece of paper to write our name and number on. I got bored, noticed there was something on the back, and flipped it over. It was a photocopy of a former employee’s two week notice, quitting to go back to school. RhysOSD / Reddit
• I also have an example of a weird job interview. The HR manager asked me to sit far away from him because he doesn’t like it when people sat close. Eventually, I was sitting in the other end of the office desperately trying to figure out what he was mumbling. © Pavel Kononenko / Yandex Zen
• I sat down, and these two women stared at me. Finally one of them said, “We thought you were younger.” I am in my 60s. After she said this, she got up and left. The other one (turns out she is the manager), was rude and cold, tossed a few questions at me, then got on her cell phone. I finally said, “Look if we’re done here, I have another interview.” I left. Later, I reported both of them to the district office. The district manager said, “We’ve had many reports about her.” The manager got fired. I was offered another interview. Declined. Ill-Summer-5061 / Reddit

• I was looking for a job and had already interviewed with many companies. At one of them, there were 5 more candidates apart from me. It was the end of May and it was hot outside. We were all sitting near the receptionist and I was very thirsty. There was a cooler with water in the corner, but there were no cups. Dying from the heat, I approached the receptionist and asked:
  — Excuse me, may I have some water?
  She answered, while continuing to look at the computer screen:
  — No, this water is only for employees.
  Me: Are you really that stingy about the water?
  The receptionist waved her hand to the side of the cooler and said:
  — Go ahead, we are not stingy. But we won’t give you cups because we don’t have them.
  I returned to my place and then remembered a trick. I went back to the receptionist and asked:
  — Can you please give me a sheet of paper?
  Her: Will printer paper do?
  Me: Yes, that will be fine.
  When I got the paper, I made a cup out of it, poured myself some water, and finally quenched my thirst. The receptionist was shocked. Then 2 guys asked me to show them how to do it and also managed to get some water. © LampaTrampa / Pikabu

• It was a long time ago and I was having lunch in our company’s cafeteria. The director, sitting at the next table, was interviewing a young man. Suddenly a huge roach fell down on his hand. The guy jumped up and started to shout, “Ahhhh, what...is that?” Later, having slightly calmed down, he sits down and says, “Sorry, I have lost my composure.” The director says, “If this made you lose your composure, it means you’re not right for this job.” © KingHawkins / Pikabu
• I was a young woman, just out of college, applying for a professional job through a recruiter. The recruiter kept staring at my legs. She told me I would have to wear pantyhose at this job. Since I was already in a hose, heels, and a dress, I said, “I understand.” She became insistent about the dress code, then suddenly yanked my leg, apparently to prove to me I was bare-legged. I was so tiny then that I was yanked entirely out of the chair. She apologized and I declined their services after that incident. © Eileen Donovan / Quora

• I applied to be a writer at a popular magazine. I went in for the interview with my writing samples and the woman who was supposed to interview me was opening a plate of sushi. She said, “I have to eat my lunch, I have my priorities.” Then she proceeded to ask me what I was applying for and told me she didn’t have time for this because Boyz II Men were coming in. I had already met them on the elevator ride up. I knew I did not want to work for this woman. © Warm-Thanks4059 / Reddit
• My best friend failed a job interview. She found out why when she accidentally saw a piece of paper where the HR manager was making notes about candidates. He wrote about her, “I can see by her hands that she washes the dishes herself.” Oh gosh, she has normal hands — well-groomed with a neat manicure. Yes, she does wash the dishes herself. She also cleans the house, makes the bed, and combs her hair herself. I still have a question about what kind of person they were looking for if they required a princess who doesn’t participate in routine things. © Elena Marchuk / AdMe

• I remember having a job interview for a government job. They were asking me who my parents were, what money I was living on, whether I am single or married, why not, etc. Eventually, they said that it was time I stopped changing jobs at my age (I was 30). © Elefany / AdMe
• I was invited for a job interview in a different city. It was a long way and the weather was " “charming” — rain with snow. I had an interview with the director, he said it was nice to talk to me and asked when I could start to work. I ask in a surprised voice, "Thanks for saying all this, but let’s first discuss my pay. I still remember his answer, “I haven’t even thought about it.” © Aline Dichka / AdMe
• I was interviewing for an executive position at a startup. I was sent there by their investor. The interviewer had her baby in the room. The baby was fussy. The person — the owner of the startup — took the baby in her arms and started to breastfeed him.
  I acted as if this was the most normal thing that could happen. I ended up getting the job and ended up leaving 6 months later because guess what — decision-making at the company was a bit weird. The moral of the story — when you’re at a job interview, do not ignore the signs... © Unknown user / Quora

• It happened a long time ago. I was seeking a programmer job. I had already had several interviews with one company and the last one was supposed to be with the CEO. He wanted to personally know the people the company was hiring. I came in, we greeted each other, and there was a pause. He was looking at me and I felt like he was supposed to ask me something regarding the future job.
  “What is your zodiac sign?” He asked.
  I was stunned. It was an unusual beginning.
  “Cancer...”
  “Hmm,” he answers. Pause again. “A Cancer programmer sounds good. Ok, you’re hired, please give me your documents.” © kastec / Reddit
• It was for a software engineering position. The entire interview was focused on finding a solution for a very specific problem. Was about 45 mins of the interview team saying things like “That won’t work, we tried that already.” Left the interview without getting a solution to the problem. On the way out, I spoke with HR about the potential next steps in the interview process. She informed me they already filled the position, but didn’t cancel any of the scheduled interviews. I was brought in to solve problems the team couldn’t solve. For free. SpaceGerbil / Reddit

Job hunting can undoubtedly be a stressful experience, especially when you aim to make the most of your time and efforts. Some job recruiters have shared how they assess candidates during interviews, providing helpful guidance for job seekers.