BlogBreak

By Jennifer

October 15, 2007 12:13 PM | Link to this

Speaking of sloppiness, how about these gems:

“addressing sloppy” - What does this mean? Unsightly envelopes?

“an interviewer was so nervous about the interview” - Imagine how the interviewee must have felt if the interviewer was this nervous!

“When asked, ‘Why are you interested in this customer service job?,’ I have heard of the interviewee responding by saying ‘they heard the company had good benefits’.” - Misplaced modifiers anyone? Why was the interviewee responding if the writer was the one asked the question?

“or where you incredibly embarrassed” - Seriously, WHERE you?

By Kim Scholes

October 15, 2007 12:53 PM | Link to this

As an HR professional, I have sat across the desk from many folks hoping to attain jobs with my firms, only to be sidetracked by a dumb move; however, one takes the cake. I handled part-time child care workers so I would allow them to bring their children to job interviews. One woman had two small toddlers. I observed her little boy running around the waiting room before I asked her to join me in my office. She promptly picked up the little mini-fullback and proceeded to carry him into the office for a short meeting with me. As she cradled him, I briefly thought how well-behaved he was after observing his indefatigable spirit a brief few moments previously. As I wrapped up the interview, I heard a loud slrrrrrrp! One can imagine my surprise at suddenly realizing she had been breast feeding him while holding him, so discretely I was dumbfounded to have had my meeting so abruptly interrupted! I lost all train of thought and quickly ushered her out the door, completely red-faced. While regaling the hiring manager later about her behavior, she merely responded that she was a bit earthy…. I thanked her for warning me!

By Mel

October 15, 2007 12:56 PM | Link to this

Amen Jennifer. I was three lines into this article before saying to myself, “how in the world did this columnist get this job?” Maybe he interviewed himself…

By va. lady

October 15, 2007 12:58 PM | Link to this

Thirty-five years ago, as a college senior, I interviewed with a large New York insurance company. Towards the end of the interview, the interviewer asked me this question: “What turns you on?” My mouth dropped to the floor and he realized his gaffe. He explained that he was asking me about my hobbies. I replied that I thought he was asking me about my sex life or drug/alochol usage. Nowadays, a recruiter would be fired for this type of question.

I recently interviewed for a job with the owner of the company. He presented me with a twenty dollar bill and asked me to explain what it was and how was I sure. I don’t know what this exercise had to do with the job but we spend a good half-hour discussing the twenty dollar bill.

By ageofpaper

October 15, 2007 1:23 PM | Link to this

Hey Jennifer,

your thick glasses are not the only reason you have no dates, talk about frustrated school teacher, what a shrew. What a gem is right, five misspelled words in a row and your fat head must pop.

By Capt

October 15, 2007 1:29 PM | Link to this

I work for one of the metro Fire Departments. In our hiring process we have to do an extensive backgroung check, including active criminal. We tell people this when they apply and give them a chance to withdraw if they wish. This one fellow turned in his application and when his background came back it turned out he was wanted on 7 felony warrents. We set up an interview with him and when he came in and sat down, there was a police officer in the room. We informed him that he was under arrest for outstanding warrents and to stand up and place his hands behind his back. He complied. As he was being escorted out the door he turned and ask me if this was going to hurt his chance of getting the job. Everyone’s mouth fell open.

By lou

October 15, 2007 2:16 PM | Link to this

I was interviewed on a job and was asked “what does your husband do?” I politely got up from my chair and told the interviewer, “my husband is not interested in this job and neither am I.” Why was she interested in my husband when I would be the person working on the job?

By lovelyliz

October 15, 2007 2:20 PM | Link to this

I had just gotten put of the military in 1999, with years of technical experience and a bachelor’s degree. I had gone in for an interview for a supervisors job, one that I was well qualified for. Towards the end, when things were going well, the interviewer asked me about $$$$. I told him what I had been making in the military, but that I was flexible. He said that they were looking to pay $8-9/hour. My jaw dropped, really dropped, and I couldn’t seem to close it. The salary he was quoting was what I had been making working at a restaurant when I was in college more than a decade earlier.

That jaw drop changed everything. The interviewer said that was it, I shook his hand and said thank you. I walked out obviously without the job. I did learn how to to keep a straight face though.

By Atlanta Pearl Girl

October 15, 2007 2:21 PM | Link to this

Let’s see…. I do believe I recall being asked if I play any kind of sports. I said yes….golf & competitive racquetball. At which point the interviewer, a slightly fluffy (plump) lady said “We are a team here….we don’t like competitiveness”. I literally laughed out loud…… and walked away laughing.

Atlanta Pearl Girl

By ben

October 15, 2007 2:25 PM | Link to this

I want to remind people that telephone interviews count as “real” interviews as well. You wouldn’t eat during a face-to-face, would you? Then refrain from doing so in a phone interview.

As a recruiter, I do understand context. If we’re calling you out of the blue, we expect some level of distraction. Dogs may be barking, kids may be crying. We may have caught you during lunch.

However, treat the phone interviews with the same amount of respect you would for a face-to-face. That means pay attention, answer questions, try not to ramble and minimize distractions. Do NOT switch over to another call. If you’ve already scheduled a time for that phone interview, then really you have no excuse for unprofessional behavior.

By ageofpaper

October 15, 2007 2:40 PM | Link to this

I had a person interview for a position once and I also mentioned that we performed a background check before making a final decision. He asked what type of background checks we did and I stated criminal and job history, where upon he replied ‘oh good’. As the interview was ending he turned and asked, ‘does spousal abuse count?’ I about fell out of my chair and told him I didn’t think that would be a problem, well I kept on looking.

By John in Tampa, FLA

October 15, 2007 2:41 PM | Link to this

Lou:

While living in FLA I was interviewing for a position in ATL. They asked me what my wife did and when I told them they said they would like to talk to her also if she was interested. We both got jobs at the company so I don’t think this was an unreasonable question.

By lovelyliz

October 15, 2007 3:02 PM | Link to this

When applying for a job in Alabama be prepared to be asked what church you go to.

By Jennifer

October 15, 2007 3:09 PM | Link to this

ageofpaper - I save my criticism for those who are purportedly trained newspaper professionals and should be held to higher standards. The results speak for themselves. Please note my kind restraint in not deriding these sentences:

“As the interview was ending he turned and asked, ‘does spousal abuse count?’ I about fell out of my chair and told him I didn’t think that would be a problem, well I kept on looking.”

By John in Tampa, FLA

October 15, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this

will u kids play nice pleeze

By EW

October 15, 2007 3:33 PM | Link to this

I interviewed with a large cable and phone company and at the end of the interview the guy asked me about my hobbies. I told him I liked to work out and that in the past, years before, I was a bodybuilding judge. He got excited telling me about his workouts and diet and proceeded to take his shirt off to show me his abs and asked me to judge him. I just sat there in a mild state of shock. Of course I told him he looked great, I lied. He then moved on to asking me if I knew who Jena james was, I said I didn’t. He told me she was a porno actress and they had a girl working there that could be her twin. Again, I just sat there. I wasn’t hired. Thank God.

By Vernon Catron

October 15, 2007 3:45 PM | Link to this

As a job interviewer I have seen and heard some interesting responses from prospective job candidates. I had a young lady arrive for the interview wearing a nightgown and housecoat and when I asked why she was dressed so casually she replied “Well I always dress this way in a job interview so they won’t choose me. Unemployment states I have to go on interviews and I really hate work because it gets in the way of my partying.”

Had a person ask “Do I have to do any cleaning like washing my hands?” while being interviewed for a kitchen position.

I have had people ask “Do I have to be on time?”.

First thing out of their mouth “Well I have to be paid at least $30 per hour to work in your store.” This was for a waiters job.

By aaa

October 15, 2007 3:54 PM | Link to this

i have never heard of these kinds of stories before, whta kind of companies are these?

By Claire Bouyant

October 15, 2007 4:01 PM | Link to this

What is with “overqualified”? I was recently laid off from a position I have had for seven years. I was a little upset at going from $100K a year to whatever I could find. I took a month off to basically restart my brain. I typed up a great resume for myself and practiced my interview answers for everything I thought they could ask. Well most jobs have responded saying that was overqualified. I’m now in my second month and willing to do almost anything, even work as a cashier in a grocery store. I had an almost two hour long interview with a manager at a Kroger grocery store for him to come back from his bathroom break to say, “well, your resume is impeccable and we could use your talents, but I feel as though you’re overqualified for the position.”

I wanted to rip the rug right off of his head for wasting 2 hours of my life that I’ll never get back to have gone looking for a job somewhere else. But instead I asked him what did he mean by overqualified. His response, “Oh I don’t know. You have a lot more skills than my average cashier. They would be jealous of you. I’d rather not have someone that would advance so quickly above those I have already.” OMG if I could have thrown him from the top floor office he resided in. I wasn’t there for a popularity contest. I was there because I have medical bills and prescriptions to pay for!

I’m really trying to find something to provide for my medical bills the most. I’ve even offered myself for study groups for pharmaceutical companies (which I’ve been told I make too much money for even though I’m unemployed.) I would sell my blood, but I’m anemic.

How do you get past the “overqualified” resumes?

By WitchyWmn

October 15, 2007 4:14 PM | Link to this

EW..maybe I can top you along that vein. Two interviews, years ago in Savannah and both with attorneys. Towards the end of one interview, the attorney, and I kid you not stripped down to his skivvies and proceed to make a phone call. Told him, ‘please, cover that godawful mess up; that I did not need nor want the job that bad’ and got up and left. At another bizarro interview, this joker began spouting racist comments (about his clients) and then moved on to ask if I planned on getting pregnant anytime in the near future. My response, none of your business (on the pregnancy)and you are a freaking redneck (on the client comments) to which this idiot happily took as a compliment. Surprisingly enough, I got call backs on both offering me the job. No way..

By Ben Robinson

October 15, 2007 4:26 PM | Link to this

Resumes…I remember last time I was in search of a job change, a friend of mine told me to be sure to rewrite my resume for the type of job that interested me. If it were a management job, then give more emphasis to the management positions I have had in the past. If it were sales, then more attention to the sales experiences. Just “dumb down” your resume if you want to work in a grocery store!

By Sara

October 15, 2007 4:45 PM | Link to this

This is the truth, I swear. About four minutes into an interview that paid, at best, nine bucks an hour the guy interviewing me passed gas. I just sat there like I didn’t know what just happened. He actually got up, opened the window and said he was sorry. I just sat in stone cold silence. I took the job, found out the guy does that all the time. Thankfully in ten years time I tripled my salary and pooty retired in 2003. He was a nice guy, just gassy.

By Looking for a job

October 16, 2007 10:00 AM | Link to this

I recently had a phone interview with Wachovia for a teller position. I was told 2 days in advance, that the hiring recruiter would call me @ 9am. She called at 8am I didn’t answer the phone, because I didn’t recognize the long distance #. She called back at 9:30 asked me 2 question. Her other lined was beeping she told be she would have to call me back @ 11:15 an emergency came up. She called back @ 11:15 just to tell me that I might not be interested in $10 an hour because of my past work history and they didn’t want to waste 19,000 training me. I told her she could have said that in the first call.

By lovelyliz

October 16, 2007 10:45 AM | Link to this

Is overqualified just code word for we are paying dirt and don’t think you would accept this for very long?

By Freelancer

October 17, 2007 11:17 AM | Link to this

Overqualified means- You won’t be paid what you are worth, therefore you are likely to work there just until you find a better paying job. Even though you may need the money, you WILL be very frustrated in a job that is way below your expertise and previous payscale. I recommend freelancing or consulting. Surely you have the expertise to offer consulting services to someone.

By Annalee

October 17, 2007 2:01 PM | Link to this

Just a few minutes into a recent interview I knew I wasn’t going to get the position when the two gentlemen conducting the interview were more interested in the type of paper that I had printed my Resume on rather than the content. I left the meeting and did the usual follow-up, Thanking them for the opportunity, but I knew it was a waste of time.

By Ima Nidiot

October 22, 2007 1:02 PM | Link to this

As a college senior I drove over 200 miles to an interview at a major investment firm.

In the first 30 seconds the interviewer looked at my resume and said ‘You’re not an accounting major….we normally only talk to accounting majors.’ And he stood up and thanked me for coming in….

As we shook hands, he was folding my resume into little squares (like you do before it hits the trash can).

It was a long 200 mile drive home…..