Some comments about negative job interview experiences
From respondents to the September 2006 survey by myjobtips.com
- A large insurance company interviewed me for a Human Resources position and asked me a number of inappropriate and borderline illegal questions.
- Interviewer was rude and condescending, had not read my resume and did not explain things very well.
- The interviewer was wearing flip-flops, a bathing suit and a cover-up because she was about to take her child to a water park.
- I once had an interview that the manager kept wiggling in his chair, like he was nervous.
- Interviewer showed up late, unprepared and seemed more interested in getting back to work than conducting the interview
- In one interview, the interviewer was constantly distracted with pages from his administrative assistant and his cell phone ringing twice during the interview. It interrupted the flow of the interview and threw the conversation off several times.
- Interviewers at several companies (all w/in the biotech field) asked inappropriate questions that had no bearing on my qualifications for the job. These included questions about my religious preferences, whether I was married, pregnant (or soon to be pregnant).
- I walked in for an interview and the interviewer acted like I didn't exist. She kept giving me dirty looks like I had done something to offend her. It made me feel very uncomfortable not only about the interview but also with the company because it was a childcare company.
- The interviewer had me waiting for over an hour and then asked inappropriate questions.
- The interviewer asked questions that were covered in my resume. He also seemed distracted, and was not giving me the impression he was listening to my answers.
- I was told I was "too cool" for a position once.
- In my last interview, the general manager called in and in the middle of the interview wanted to know if I was a smoker or if I planned on having children soon.
- I was asked a lot of personal questions at one interview. I think the lady had other intentions.
- An interviewer started the interview with the statement: "So I have no idea about your educational qualifications... start from when you were born!"
- The person that was to conduct the interview was a no show. I called to find out why and never got a response.
- In one instance I was told by my interviewer that the job had already been filled and they were only interviewing me because of company policy.
- Interviewer was reading questions without looking at me. Had no questions coming from himself.
- The interviewer was really arrogant.
- The interviewer continually interrupted me and would not completely provide me with her attention.
- Distracted interviewer, repeating questions etc... after I had answered them, taking phone calls, and talking to other employees while conducting the interview.
- The interviewer was distracted and dressed unprofessionally.
- The interviewer was extremely rude. He practically yelled at me over past experience on my resume and made me very uncomfortable.
- The interviewer's cell phone kept going off.
- In an interview the person interviewing kept leaving the room to take phone calls. Then someone else took over.
- The interviewer kept staring at my chest and barely looked at my face.
- The interviewer did not adequately prepare himself for the interview — he did not read my resume or applications. He sat in front of me, quite obviously bored, and read through the "basic" interview questions without really paying much attention to what I said.
- The interviewer did not pay any attention to what I was asking or saying and he did not read my resume before I went in.
News release for this survey
link to full survey results (PDF format)
Contact:
Carla Shore
C-Shore Communications Inc.
P: 604-731-0975