20+ Hilarious Job Interviews That Got Totally Out of Control

A job interview is a stressful event, but some bosses also like to ask tricky questions. If you’ve ever been asked what fruit you would like to be or how often you do your nails, then the heroes of this article ended up in much worse situations. So, they decided to share their stories.

• At a job interview, they asked me what my zodiac sign was. They said they wanted to see how I’d fit in with the team. I was so shocked, I couldn’t even hide it.
  Seeing my baffled face, they told me, “It’s actually like an aptitude test! If someone takes it seriously — without a pause or a puzzled look— they’re probably not a good fit for us.” Well, how about that! © jjohnnik / Pikabu
• I came to the interview all dressed up and looking sharp, in a proper business suit. I was in a rush, almost late. Luckily, the office was just across the street from my place, so I ran and made it in time.
  I’m sitting there, answering questions with a smart, serious look, while the company director is smiling at me and giving me flirty looks. Well, I just pretended not to notice. I boldly ask at the end, “So, are you hiring me?” He smiles: “Yes, you’re a good fit for us.”
  I’m all happy, run to the HR department, and the boss gets up to walk me there. And then he says, “I was charmed by your footwear! I also like when it’s comfy.” I politely nod, then glance down at my feet and blush.
  Turns out I was in such a hurry that I forgot to change my shoes and showed up in my favorite pink bunny slippers! Oh god, what a shame! It’s been 3 years now, and my boss still jokes about it.

• I’m a department manager. I was conducting an interview. The whole time, the candidate was stiff, shy, avoiding eye contact. I’m walking him out, thinking, “What a pushover! I’m not hiring him.”
  I walk back into my office and suddenly catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror — the strap of my top under the blazer had come off, and one of my boobs in a lacy bra was fully out. So I’d been like this for an entire hour! © Overheard / VK
• I’ve often heard that interviews include all sorts of tests for stress tolerance and the like. I ran into that myself when I was applying for a job.
  We were sitting in a conference room. The interview was conducted by an HR rep, and the director was sitting nearby. It was winter, freezing outside, but the air conditioner was on in the room and neither of them seemed to notice.
  I couldn’t take it anymore and asked them to turn it off. The HR rep said they didn’t need an employee who tried to impose their own rules. The director just left silently. © Overheard / VK

• I went to another job interview. They asked me to draw a house and a tree. I drew them as best as I could. They rejected me.
  I asked, “Why?” The interviewer said that since my house and tree were “floating in the air,” it meant I wasn’t attached to anything. Then I asked him, “What’s your educational background?” He said he had 2 technical degrees.
  I asked if he had any psychology training. It turned out someone had just coached him on this test. The finale... When we were saying goodbye, he broke out in pale spots. © Vadim Semenov / Facebook
• A standard interview, questions on the essentials, a cross-examination of my professional skills. But then the director shifts to my personal interests. “So, what’s this? Dancing... Well, show us a dance!”
  I was caught off guard for a second. Then I shot back, “Come to my performance, and I’ll dance for you!” We all laughed. But that sudden “Dance!” moment stuck with me for a long time. © Lanja / Pikabu

• About 10 years ago, I interviewed for a summer job at an ice cream place. At the end of the interview, I was asked, “Name 3 ways to use a pencil other than to write with it?”
  I said, “Well, you can knit with them, put them in your hair, or rewind a cassette.” The interviewer just looked at me for a second and said, “Nobody has ever said any of those before.” © lovelycosmos / Reddit
• I was at a job interview. The question, “How often do you get a manicure?” completely threw me.
  — “Why do you need to know that?”
  — “We need to understand how much disposable income you have for everyday life. You see, we want to avoid situations where, 3 months in, you come asking for a raise because it’s not enough. We gather information about candidates upfront to try to predict the outcome.”
  What?! © anastasiaenkovskaya / Threads

• I was at a job interview recently, and they asked me, “What interested you about our company?” I said, “The salary and the benefits.” She didn’t like that answer and started going on about how the main thing is the idea, and that it’s like a family there.
  I just said, “If a family has no money, it’s already a dysfunctional family. Everyone will scatter.” © droninpavel / Threads
• Last question in an interview for being a bank teller: “If you could be any kind of fruit, what kind of fruit would you be and why?” I said a mangosteen.
  Years later I asked him about that question, he said he just wanted to know what people would say. He said there were no wrong answers. © Traditional_Dot776 / Reddit

• I went to an interview today at a large company that sells agricultural equipment. Either the world’s upside down, or there are just too many jobseekers...
  The commercial director asked the strangest question I’ve ever heard at an interview: “Why do you even need a salary? You’ve got a car, you’ve got a place to live. Doesn’t anyone support you?” Felt like some kind of secret sugar-daddy club, honestly... © Working Case / VK
• I got my revenge at a job interview. The HR manager asked me about my stress tolerance.
  So, in the next round with the directors, I asked, “What situations have you faced that led you to ask me that question?” The director’s face was priceless! © helga.kurakova / Threads

• At the time, I had grown extremely tired of the “Gotcha! Brain Teaser” questions in interviews that had nothing to do with the job.
  Was interviewing for a database administrator position when the interviewer (at least 15 years younger) asked me, “How would I go about building a house?” to which I responded, “How often does that sort of thing come up in this position,” which really wasn’t a question.
  I then just stared/glared at him. That really threw him off. © CunningRunt / Reddit
• “If there were 100 clones of you in a room, what would make you stand out?” I responded by getting up and leaving the interview after telling him that was an absolutely asinine question. © Custardpaws / Reddit
• “The camera is mandatory for online interviews!” the recruiter warned me. I agreed and even discussed why it’s important. I join the interview and see this: the manager has his camera on, but the tech lead doesn’t.
  I thought, okay, that’s fine. The manager will finish their part, hand it over to the tech lead, and he’ll turn on his camera. But no.
  Once the manager passed the word to the tech lead, the manager also turned off his camera. So there I was, talking to 2 black squares.
  After the interview, the recruiter reaches out and asks how it went. I said, “Everything’s fine, but we did discuss the importance of having cameras on. The tech lead never turned his on.”
  The recruiter goes, “The camera is only mandatory for the candidate! For the tech lead, it’s optional.” The curtain falls. © andrei.pro.it / Threads

• I was invited to an interview. They told me, “Come tomorrow morning at 9.” I got there a little early, about 10 minutes ahead. The manager was nowhere to be seen.
  After 20 minutes, I started asking the employees where he was. They said, “We don’t know, he comes at different times. You’ll have to wait on Monday because it’s after the weekend.”
  Wow, really! I waited another 20 minutes and left. 2 hours later, he calls me and asks where I am.
  I said, “I already left. I waited 40 minutes, but even your employees didn’t know where you were and couldn’t reach you.” And he replies, “You could have waited! You need the job, after all.” Yeah, sure! © Privetjohn / Pikabu
• I show up for an interview at a company, fill out a paper application by hand, and then go to the interview with the CFO. And suddenly she says, “We need an honest person for this position!”
  I’m like, “Well, I’ve never touched any of the company’s funds.” And the director replies, “Don’t lie! I can tell everything from your handwriting!” © Working Case / VK

• I had made it to the final round of interviews for a dress shirt company when the interviewer asked me if I’d made my own suit. I replied that yes, I did (it was true), and the interviewer asked me excitedly if I’d like to work in a factory.
  I was applying for a marketing position at a corporate in NYC, so after processing what I’d been just asked, I rather awkwardly was like, “No, I don’t want to work in a factory.”
  The interviewer’s face did a total 180, she was like, “Oh. Well. Thank you for your time” and it just abruptly ended there. © ITS_A_GUNDAAAM / Reddit
• “When are you planning to go on maternity leave?” This wasn’t my first interview at one of those “young, growing companies with 1.5 employees.” When yet another “big boss” casually asked me this question, I decided to answer in his own style, “And when would you suggest?” He said I was bold, and he liked it. © miss_variety / Threads

• I was applying for a job at a closed research institute, and they sent me to see a psychologist. The woman gave me cards with pretty simple yes-or-no questions. My answers were downloaded into a computer, and suddenly she says, “You’re a scary person, but we can rely on you!” At that moment, I decided I didn’t want to work there... © Alex Wenzel / Dzen
• I was at an interview... And at the end they say, “The probation period is 3 months, to see if you’re a good fit for us.” I replied, “Sure. I’ll also see if you’re a good fit for me...” Their eyes went wide...
  I’ve been working here for 2 years now, and when my probation ended I said, “Well, I’ll work for now, and then we’ll see.” Yeah, who needs whom more! © Varvara / Dzen

And here are more stories about job interviews that stuck in people’s minds for all the wrong reasons.