Weird interview/job offer experiences?

Borzak · Jun 17, 2013

Gadrel_sl said:
One time I received a call back to schedule an interview. I show up to the interview and they seat me in a conference room with about 20 other people. Then the interviewer comes in and says, "We didn't want to take all the time that would be required to interview you all separately, so we're going to do a group interview." He proceeded to ask interview questions like, "What's your biggest weakness?" and "Where do you see yourself in a year?" But not directed at any specific person, instead he expected people to raise their hands with their answers, like a classroom.

One of the most bizarre experiences of my life.

I guess you get that in a corporate world. I can't imagine anything like that at all. Did you stay thru the entire thing or leave?

It's not unusual for me to start an interview in an office and then walk out to the shop and finish it or whatever else. I would say in 80% of the interviews I have gone on I got the tour of all the other project managers and other key people with them asking questions as well. Plus going out and talking to the people who will be working under me. Since our industry is very tight and everyone knows everyone else most interviews come down to seeing if you are a good fit for what they want done right now and not if you are qualified because they will know that to begin with.

Another odd thing that happened years ago was I went to an interview otu of state and things went well. Guy was pretty excited to get someone in there and help them out. He called me once I got home and asked when I could start and I gave him a timeline. Never heard anything back from him. About 9 months later he calls me up out of the blue and wants to know if I can start next week and doesn't even offer an explanation as to what happened. Just out of the blue like those 9 months didn't happen.

Shonuff · Jun 17, 2013

Borzak_sl said:
I guess you get that in a corporate world. I can't imagine anything like that at all. Did you stay thru the entire thing or leave?

I had an interview with Delta or American Airlines (can't remember which), where they interviewed six of us at one time for a Finance position paying in the six figure range. They explained it that they wanted to talk to as many of us as possible, and honestly, they were prestigious enough to get away with it. No one complained or walked away.

Gadrel_sl · Jun 17, 2013

Borzak_sl said:
I guess you get that in a corporate world. I can't imagine anything like that at all. Did you stay thru the entire thing or leave?

I stayed through the entire thing but I didn't raise my hand to answer any of the questions. A few days later they called me to schedule a one-on-one interview. When I went I noticed that a few of the people in the lobby had been at the group interview as well. They, along with myself, were the ones who had dressed most appropriately for the previous interview. I.e., suits.

About a week after the second interview they called and said they had hired someone else. If you're curious, it was a recruitment position at a local college, which may explain some things.

Springbok · Jun 17, 2013

My first ever job, commercial teller for Bank of America... think I was maybe 17 or so. Gal calls me for phone screening and asks "If you could be any animal living in a forest, what would it be and why?" I answer, "a squirrel, so I could run around all day and eat as many nuts as possible". Stupid question, stupid answer.

Abefroman · Jun 17, 2013

Had a 300 pound guy interviewing for a warehouse position literally projectile vomit all over my fucking desk a couple years ago. Couldn't eat chicken for a fucking year after that.

prescient · Jun 18, 2013

I had to do a group interview for my current job, and that was pretty intense. There were 5 of us vying for an unknown number of slots for a fairly high paying job. Basically they bring in a business case and assign to you whatever they think you'll be terrible at. For example if you are a finance guy they give you marketing, and if you're a marketer you get finance. So you have to read your business case, do your calculations, and then create a presentation with the group and present. This whole process lasts an hour. You spend the entire time wondering whether you are talking enough, talking too much, being too assertive, or not being assertive enough. That was by far my most stressful job interview.

Erronius · Jun 19, 2013

I don't know what it is but whenever I get asked one of those"Tell us about one time your mega-awesome skills as a ____ helped you save the world"type questions, I fucking freeze up. It's as though part of my mind gets stuck wondering why in the fuck someone would ask a question that just begs for someone to make something completely up out of thin air, while another part of my mind just throws its hands up in the air and gives up completely. I'm not a bullshitter nor do I like blowing smoke up people's asses and I've had to fight to not say something like"How about you ask me a question that isn't completely bullshit?".

I got hit with a bunch of those over the phone when I applied for a weekend job at Home Depot once and it totally wrecked me. Those questions just don't seem...real to me. I ended up telling friends about it that weekend over beers and everyone seemed to think that they were easy fluff questions and didn't know why I got hung up on them. I kept trying to explain to friends what my problem is with them but I don't think I've ever been able to. Like on one hand you either totally blow smoke up their ass (which isn't me at all) or you do yourself a disservice. Whenever I've been asked stuff like that in a face-to-face interview I've had to fight the urge not to walk out in disgust.

Tell you about a challenge I've overcome? How about overcoming the urge not to get up right now and stab you between the 2nd and 3rd ribs? Shit's so bullshit I get ticked off just thinking about it, may as well just ask people to lie to your face in interviews.

Brad2770 · Jun 19, 2013

My first unofficial interview, not too long ago, was my 'boss to be' yelling "Vagina" over an intercom in a school.

Silence_sl · Jun 19, 2013

One of the last few questions on my psych exam to become a cop: "Do you like flowers?"

I thought it might be a Voight-Kampff reaction thing. It wasn't.

Silence_sl · Jun 19, 2013

Lyrical_sl said:
I had an interview with Delta or American Airlines (can't remember which), where they interviewed six of us at one time for a Finance position paying in the six figure range. They explained it that they wanted to talk to as many of us as possible, and honestly, they were prestigious enough to get away with it. No one complained or walked away.

Were you born with 4 shovels? Just wondering, because you shovel bullshit faster and deeper than anyone I have ever met. Hint: no one buys your bullshit.

kitsune · Jun 19, 2013

Dandai_sl said:
I haven't done any serious job hunting in quite a while, but I would think that the ability to brazenly dismiss someone calling to offer you a job would be a fairly unique trait amongst those who are actively seeking employment, college world series on father's day withstanding.

It's not that bizarre. It took me a while of job hunting before I landed my first position. Since the time I got a permanent position as a consultant though, other companies, recruiters & researchers have been harassing me weekly, sometimes daily, trying to poach me for whatever positions. It's become so bad that I no longer have my phone number publicly listed anywhere (it's registered to my current firm as well). They find your profile on linkedin and start stalking you

But before I got my first job and was fresh from university, I was basically worthless. Suddenly everybody wants a piece

Deathwing · Jun 19, 2013

I don't have any side stories to add. Maybe the interview I had a Qimonda(Siemens spinoff for memory technology). Never seen so many socks and sandals before.

But a tangent that might lead to some funny stories. Someone hits up your LinkedIn profile about a possible job interview. What's the best way to basically ask "How much does this job pay?" without being rude and/or without having to talk to them on the phone and sit through them trying to sell the position?

I'm flat out not interested if the job doesn't pay enough. I just bought a house and my wife is pregnant. So while the "i'm interested" price is quite high, it still does exist. And it's something I might want to pursue when someone like Microsoft or Intel comes knocking out of nowhere.

chaos · Jun 19, 2013

I just bottom line it. At this point in my career and with my family concerns, salary is one of my chief concerns. I am not willing to entertain moving unless the salary is comparable or better. My hope is that they appreciate my candor and the fact that I'm not wasting their time when they call me up for some bullshit 6 month contract that pays like 50k.

Ossoi · Jun 19, 2013

Deathwing_sl said:
I don't have any side stories to add. Maybe the interview I had a Qimonda(Siemens spinoff for memory technology). Never seen so many socks and sandals before.

But a tangent that might lead to some funny stories. Someone hits up your LinkedIn profile about a possible job interview. What's the best way to basically ask "How much does this job pay?" without being rude and/or without having to talk to them on the phone and sit through them trying to sell the position?

I'm flat out not interested if the job doesn't pay enough. I just bought a house and my wife is pregnant. So while the "i'm interested" price is quite high, it still does exist. And it's something I might want to pursue when someone like Microsoft or Intel comes knocking out of nowhere.

I'm a headhunter and 99% of the people I approach already have a job and aren't actively looking. Potential candidates frequently ask what the salary will be at the start of the call, there's nothing wrong with doing that.

Dyvim · Jun 19, 2013

prescient63_sl said:
I had to do a group interview for my current job, and that was pretty intense. There were 5 of us vying for an unknown number of slots for a fairly high paying job. Basically they bring in a business case and assign to you whatever they think you'll be terrible at. For example if you are a finance guy they give you marketing, and if you're a marketer you get finance. So you have to read your business case, do your calculations, and then create a presentation with the group and present. This whole process lasts an hour. You spend the entire time wondering whether you are talking enough, talking too much, being too assertive, or not being assertive enough. That was by far my most stressful job interview.

That reminds my of one of my latest interviews for a TRAINEE/PEON position, basically they asked all applicants to show up for like an half a day interview just to have us filling out a standard test paper with like middle school questions, which really noone with half a brain should take more than 60 mins, the top crew finished in like 30 mins.
After finishing way early and walking out, the HR Lady asked us if the test was kinda oki to which i replied: yeah np, walk in the park. Well the best get called for a 2nd interview this time finally face to face and they really put us on the grill for i dunno 3 hours or such, and assign us to cases they guess well do terribad. When its just a heads up between me and that other guy left they come out with something like describe w/o words your life up to now and hold a presentation when you finished and try to impress us. At like 3hrs in by then i didtn realise they wanted us to do a frigging painting and totaly blew it.
Two weeks later they mailed me i ended up 2nd (yeah surprise) but im free to apply next year for their trainee program again.
Ofc i burned that letter.

Borzak · Jun 19, 2013

Not really an interview deal but today I called in for a phone interview at a place I had never heard of or worked with which is not normally what I deal with. The lady who answered the phone picked up and took like 30 seconds to start talking to me. She was having a meltdown about working there and was griping at someone else in the room with her at pretty much full yell volume. I stayed on the phone with her 3-4 minutes and in that time I never did find out if the person I was calling was in or get her to take my name down. I was getting about 20% of her attention at most while she was talking to someone else.

I emailed the guy who emailed me to call in and told him his receptionist was having a breakdown via the phone. He emailed me back and said I need to understand they work under pressure and deadlines there. Kind of threw me for a loop.

chaos · Jun 19, 2013

Hah, yeah, unlike all those other places with no pressure and no deadlines.

nuday · Jun 19, 2013

prescient63_sl said:
I had to do a group interview for my current job, and that was pretty intense. There were 5 of us vying for an unknown number of slots for a fairly high paying job. Basically they bring in a business case and assign to you whatever they think you'll be terrible at. For example if you are a finance guy they give you marketing, and if you're a marketer you get finance. So you have to read your business case, do your calculations, and then create a presentation with the group and present. This whole process lasts an hour. You spend the entire time wondering whether you are talking enough, talking too much, being too assertive, or not being assertive enough. That was by far my most stressful job interview.

Group interviews are the new "thing" for teachers in my state. Basically, unless you're a rude asshole you end up repeating everything the other candidates have said in regards to an answer by the time you can get a word in. I'm generally a pretty polite person, so it is a bit difficult.

Tuco · Jun 19, 2013

Erronius_sl said:
I don't know what it is but whenever I get asked one of those "Tell us about one time your mega-awesome skills as a ____ helped you save the world" type questions, I fucking freeze up.

Yeah bullshit. You never met a subject you couldn't fillibuster!

Also lol @ silence parachuting in with the first insult of the thread.

Falstaff · Jun 20, 2013

Are you surprised? Silence is gay for Lyrical

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