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Your worst job interviews

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  • 29-12-2014 7:19am
    #1
    Kermit.de.frog
    Registered Users Posts: 23,481 ✭✭✭✭


    Job interviews. Where to start? Everyone hates them but some are far worse than others depending on the job and the people you are dealing with.

    It's always important to remember an interview is not suppose to catch you out or embarrass you but rather work with you, determine your skill set and establish relationships and give the interviewer an insight in to you as a person and your skills.

    If you are attacked then really you should leave before they finish because it's not worth it. And that is no way to conduct an interview in the first place. I know this happens from colleagues and friends though I have never experienced it personally in an interview.

    My thoughts over I thought this interview on the UK Apprentice was funny but harsh.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7-_34NcDTc



    I have never had an unreasonable interview. I have been put on the spot but not with malice intent. Stories I have heard though suggest the opposite may be more prevalent than I have experienced.

    What is your worst interview experience?


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    #2
    Penny Tration
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,687 ✭✭✭✭Penny Tration


    Most of my interviews have been pretty good, but I remember one.

    At the time, I was a size 16.

    The hr manager interviewing me asked what clothes size I was. I asked how that was relevant.

    Her response was that the uniforms only go up to a size 20.

    I said that that was fine, I was a 16.

    She then looked me up and down and asked 'Are you sure?'

    I walked out then and there :pac:


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    #3
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 40,816 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    One interview I went to I was more or less attacked.

    It went like this.

    Have you any experience of organising events?

    Yes I've organised X and Y and Z.

    Is that it? I'm sorry but thats simply not the caliber of experience of National event organisation we are looking for.

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #4
    Sunnyisland
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,562 ✭✭✭✭Sunnyisland


    Jingle_Balls wrote: »
    Most of my interviews have been pretty good, but I remember one.

    At the time, I was a size 16.

    The hr manager interviewing me asked what clothes size I was. I asked how that was relevant.

    Her response was that the uniforms only go up to a size 20.

    I said that that was fine, I was a 16.

    She then looked me up and down and asked 'Are you sure?'

    I walked out then and there :pac:

    She sounded a horrible person fair play for you walking out


    Hope you threw your Big Mac meal at her as you left :-)


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    #5
    mikemac1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,395 ✭✭✭✭mikemac1


    I put down on my CV I was a GAA assistant coach and then I helped during summer camps showing organisational skills, leadership, bla bla. All true, no lies

    The interviewer was from Monaghan and started talking about games he attended and himself playing for his club. I mentioned Ulster football was so defensive and Pat Spillane called it "puke football".

    Didn't get the job :(


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    #6
    Mister Vain
    Registered Users Posts: 6,040 ✭✭✭Mister Vain


    I've actually never had a job interview. I just filled out application forms.


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    #7
    3rdDegree
    Registered Users Posts: 1,261 ✭✭✭3rdDegree


    Joeytheparrot wrote: »
    One interview I went to I was more or less attacked.

    It went like this.

    Have you any experience of organising events?

    Yes I've organised X and Y and Z.

    Is that it? I'm sorry but thats simply not them caliber of experience of National event organisation we are looking for.

    That was hardly being "attacked"!


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    #8
    Penny Tration
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,687 ✭✭✭✭Penny Tration


    realies wrote: »
    She sounded a horrible person fair play for you walking out


    Hope you threw your Big Mac meal at her as you left :-)

    I don't eat burgers :)


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    #9
    Birneybau
    Registered Users Posts: 10,229 ✭✭✭✭Birneybau


    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=88831229

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=92564591


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    #10
    qo2cj1dsne8y4k
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,646 ✭✭✭✭qo2cj1dsne8y4k


    I once took a Valium, was so relaxed I all but fell asleep.


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    #11
    Jet Black
    Registered Users Posts: 3,842 ✭✭✭Jet Black


    Job as trainee duty manager for a 4 star hotel pre recession. Pay was 200 per week for two years as it's like an apprenticeship apparently.. Pay after those two years? They wouldn't tell me. Told I would have to do a certain amount of hours per month but I would have to do overtime for free. Interview was two months before Christmas so I could gurantee not ever leaving the hotel. No job description so you could be cleaning or making rooms or whatever the masters need. Place was on RTE couple of years back because of how good it was. Not surprised considering they have so many slaves on hand.
    Got an excited phone call the next day asking for my sizes. Declined while trying not to laugh.


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    #12
    Banjo String
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,380 ✭✭✭✭Banjo String


    I lived in Edinburgh for a while in the late 80s,/early 90s.

    I was on the dole at the time and they made me to for an interview for a job I didn't particularly want.

    I thought I'd brighten up the whole ordeal by taking a bit of speed beforehand, and pretended to be an upperclass heroin addict throughout the interview.

    My mate spud was same as me, he took speed too and rambled incoherently throughout his interview.

    Neither of us got the job.

    Result.


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