My favorite is when I was helping out at my child's DCPS (serving as an LSRT or parent rep at a teacher interview). The principal just got up and wandered out of the room, apropos of nothing. I think she muttered something about needing to make copies - but they were not for the interview. She was gone for 7 or 8 agonizing minutes. I chatted with the candidate and made small talk, wondering how this teacher would ever in her right mind want to work for this principal....

The law school ones dug up a memory for me. I tried to block OCI out of my mind.

I was interviewing on campus for a very small, not prestigious government agency. In the middle of the interview the interviewer's phone rang, she looked at it, squealed "It's my Harvard candidate!" and dashed from the room. That was the end of my interview.

I think I just had one. Interview went great, went back to send a thank you note and when googled the person I'd be reporting to, saw that this person has been sued for sexual harassment and abuse of power. Great!

Anonymous wrote:Law school campus interviews can get weird:

1. We had a senior associate interviewing people on campus and he spent the entire interview telling us that he graduated from Yale Law School and that hiring anyone from our law school was a waste of time because we weren't really up to working at his firm.

2. I had an interviewer that was chatting with me about baseball and then let out the most enormous fart ever heard on Planet Earth. We both pretended it didn't happen.

3. I had an interviewer who really wanted to know if any of the women in my class worked as strippers.

4. I had another interviewer who spent most of the interview telling me how great he was because he was first in his class at a lower ranked law school.

They really are weird.

1. My T10 law school did not allow employers to pre-screen students, interviews were decided strictly by lottery. One entire interview I had to listen to a partner and an associate complain how they could not pre-select people.

2. These screening interviews in hotel rooms usually last 20 minutes. One associate and I turned out to have a lot in common. We talked for an hour, while other people were knocking on the door.

3. One partner complained the whole time about having to do these interviews and how they were a waste of time.

4. One associate asked if I had any girlfriends I could introduce him to.

Law school campus interviews can get weird:

1. We had a senior associate interviewing people on campus and he spent the entire interview telling us that he graduated from Yale Law School and that hiring anyone from our law school was a waste of time because we weren't really up to working at his firm.

2. I had an interviewer that was chatting with me about baseball and then let out the most enormous fart ever heard on Planet Earth. We both pretended it didn't happen.

3. I had an interviewer who really wanted to know if any of the women in my class worked as strippers.

4. I had another interviewer who spent most of the interview telling me how great he was because he was first in his class at a lower ranked law school.

Anonymous wrote:Interviewing for an entry level sales job. Right after introducing myself to the receptionist and saying I have an interview with mr x at x am, someone interrupts us, gives her a list(like a full page single typed) and says these are the firings for this week.

Interviewing for a senior sales position. The interview process required a full day ride along/shadowing with two of thier sale people(you split the day with each). Both told me to run away. Very awkward continuing the interviews after that.

Another place pulled out a personality/profile test I had taken for another company and start to go over it with me. She really liked the profile. I had taken the test about two years before and was still working at the company. It was a pretty intense test(ie cost real money). I asked how she had gotten it. She got very quiet and said she had a friend at the testing company.

Wow.

Here's one. I was interviewing with the CEO and the Senior VP of a large organization in DC that required several call backs. During the third round, I was in the CEO's office and he said, rather enthusiastically, "I think you would be a great addition even though I have never actually seen your resume. I hope you accept our offer."

I once spent an entire day interviewing for a marketing job at a large bank (which shall remain nameless). All was going well when I guy then walked in and told me that it was time for my math test. He then sat across from me and starting presenting Algebra and Geometry questions. When I looked puzzled he told me it was a requirement of all applicants regardless of the position. And when I couldn't get an answer he started coaching me like a middle school teacher. This went on for an hour. I was then dismissed. Talk about weird.

I once interviewed with the head of a smaller sized consulting firm. He was asking me a series of questions concerning my experience, all relevant, when all of a sudden he started telling me how he was far more experienced than I was and I needed to remember that. Then he just started talking about his own background and started bordering on the aggressive. What the... I couldn't wait to get out of there.

Interviewing for an entry level sales job. Right after introducing myself to the receptionist and saying I have an interview with mr x at x am, someone interrupts us, gives her a list(like a full page single typed) and says these are the firings for this week.

Interviewing for a senior sales position. The interview process required a full day ride along/shadowing with two of thier sale people(you split the day with each). Both told me to run away. Very awkward continuing the interviews after that.

Another place pulled out a personality/profile test I had taken for another company and start to go over it with me. She really liked the profile. I had taken the test about two years before and was still working at the company. It was a pretty intense test(ie cost real money). I asked how she had gotten it. She got very quiet and said she had a friend at the testing company.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Know someone abruptly ended an interview when the interviewer made a demeaning comment. She said she could see that it would not work, thanked him and walked out. I think he was used to desperate candidates not knowing how to react and letting him say whatever.

I had the CEO of a large nonprofit make a really ridiculous and power-move like comment during an interview- of all place (of all place because she clearly had the upperhand during the interview if power moves were her currency of choice). I remember thinking it was really weird and recovering well- making things graceful when she had made them anything but- but I wish I had challenged her back at the time. First, I probably wouldn't have received the job, which would have been good; second, I wonder how it would have set up things to show that interviewees and employees should not be treated poorly.

What was her power move comment?

Anonymous wrote:^^^^ which judge??! That's fantastic!

He is no longer on the bench, but it was E.D. Pennsylvania.

Anonymous wrote:Know someone abruptly ended an interview when the interviewer made a demeaning comment. She said she could see that it would not work, thanked him and walked out. I think he was used to desperate candidates not knowing how to react and letting him say whatever.

I had the CEO of a large nonprofit make a really ridiculous and power-move like comment during an interview- of all place (of all place because she clearly had the upperhand during the interview if power moves were her currency of choice). I remember thinking it was really weird and recovering well- making things graceful when she had made them anything but- but I wish I had challenged her back at the time. First, I probably wouldn't have received the job, which would have been good; second, I wonder how it would have set up things to show that interviewees and employees should not be treated poorly.

Know someone abruptly ended an interview when the interviewer made a demeaning comment. She said she could see that it would not work, thanked him and walked out. I think he was used to desperate candidates not knowing how to react and letting him say whatever.

Once after arriving for the interview I realized this was not a place that I wanted to come to work everyday. The co.pany was small, too small for my comfort, and i figured I would not be happy there. So in the technical interview I explained my faults.
Wonderful
I think I was quite harsh on myself