Portentous Job Interviews

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Wherein the interviewer is so otherwordly, unprofessional or silly that, in the future, you think it should have been a warning.

I applied at a donut shop called Glazed Over...that should have been warning enough. And the ONLY question in the interview was, "So, do you mind if people swear around you all the time?" My coworkers did not annoy me by excess swearing (a trait I picked up there), but rather going outside with the spoon to cash a couple bowls while I ran a grease fryer best operated by four people.

Another time I applied as a graphic designer for a local faux-Kinko's type business. The interview seemed off---she did not want to know about my capabilities or past experience, but what I would do in her situation as the coach of her daughter's ice hockey team. Luckily, ice hockey is one of three sports I know/follow, so we shot the hockey bull for a while and I got hired on the spot.

I ended up doing about 25% design and 60% taking her daughter to practice, to get her skates sharpened, to her counselor, etc., and even going home and cooking up dinner for her daughter. The rest of the time she had me spy on competing businesses. She made me take a bus one day to the nearest town w/a Kinko's (a four-hour trip, total) to see what they did and try to steal order forms or anything that might give us a lead as to their infrastructure and capabilities. I tried really hard to convince her this was all online, but she stood firm.

Blah blah, anyway, have you ever had a weird job interview for a terrible job?

― Abbott (Abbott), Thursday, 6 July 2006 15:50 (nineteen years ago)

one job asked for a handwriting sample. fortunately I did not get it.

― Ms. Misery TX (MissMiseryTX), Thursday, 6 July 2006 16:14 (nineteen years ago)

At a job interview for the IT department in a private bank, I was asked whether I was likely to cry much, as the last woman they'd had in the department had, apparently, cried all the time. I said no, they offered me the job... I said no.

― Zora (Zora), Thursday, 6 July 2006 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

I somehow got roped into going to a day-long "Toy Tester" interview, which really meant I got to follow around this guy all day, as his "intern," while he tried to sell stuffed animals and picture frames to people who worked at car dealerships and various other stores that didn't throw us out of the premises. Oh, and on our "lunch break" he tried to get us the senior citizen discount at a Chinese buffet. He was probably 26. I was 20. I wanted to die. After we ended up at Arby's for some fine dining, he picked up a used plastic cup from the parking lot in an attempt to get a "free" refill. I then told him this job wasn't for me, and I wanted to leave. He did, however, get his free refill.

― molly d (mollyd), Thursday, 6 July 2006 16:26 (nineteen years ago)

At a job interview for the IT department in a private bank, I was asked whether I was likely to cry much, as the last woman they'd had in the department had, apparently, cried all the time

you should have asked them if they liked to be dicks much as you were prone to crotch-kicking.

― Ms. Misery TX (MissMiseryTX), Thursday, 6 July 2006 16:30 (nineteen years ago)

going outside with the spoon to cash a couple bowls
i dont understand this

― sunny successor (katharine), Thursday, 6 July 2006 18:39 (nineteen years ago)

Me either, is it a smack reference or something?

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 6 July 2006 23:42 (nineteen years ago)

cash = empty
bowls - self-explanatory
spoon - dunno

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 6 July 2006 23:45 (nineteen years ago)

spoon = glass bowl

over the winter, i had an interview at some mom and pop guitar maker shop and came close to a debate with the owner over germany, as he called it a shit country and ive never even been. then i brought up the greatness of kraftwerk and showed myself to the door.

― kephm (kephm), Friday, 7 July 2006 00:37 (nineteen years ago)

I also had a trial with one of those touting books and toys to businesses. The application form was so vague I thought it was working in a bookshop and when I finally said "Oh, I dont have a car, so this job would not be possible for me", the interviewer (who was driving me and three others to see him do an order on the North Shore) stopped the car and made me get out then and there. No ride home for you, non-driving girl.

― isadora (isadora), Friday, 7 July 2006 01:11 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.uspirg.org/images/uslogo3.gif

Thanks, I don't want to be in a cult

― dar1a g (daria g), Friday, 7 July 2006 01:45 (nineteen years ago)

now that ^^^ was a mistake

― lf (lfam), Friday, 7 July 2006 03:12 (nineteen years ago)

worst job ever

― lf (lfam), Friday, 7 July 2006 03:12 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

not an interview yet but a little bit retarded..

I received an email saying I'd gotten through the first phase of the selection process for this job. And that the next step in the process you have to complete a case study which they will email in a few days time.

The email subject was Warn of up-coming case study.

Just thought it was kind of stupid.

― wilter, Wednesday, 11 June 2008 03:44 (seventeen years ago)

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