Job Interview Gaffes

[gettin2dizzy]

There's got to have been a few...



me;

Asked to do a presentation, and told I wasn't allowed 'visual aids', I (thinking I was funny) said - 'Jesus, I didn't even know you could catch it just by looking at one of them'.

I got the job, but a few bemused looks. :smt031

[gettin2dizzy]

Oh- and the follow up interview to that I sat with my leg on my knee for 45 minutes, it went so dead I had to hop to my bike :rolleyes:

What a spoon!

[Lozzo]

I haven't made any real gaffs as such, but I did stand up and tell a prospective employer "Lets cut this short, I'm wasting my time here because I could never work for a w*nker like you"

[the_lone_wolf]

...I (thinking I was funny) said - 'Jesus, I didn't even know you could catch it just by looking at one of them'.
that was funny...

i went up to the HQ of a company i was considering joining to "have a look around and an informal chat to the higher ups" - apparently there was a mis-communication somewhere because it was in fact an interview, and i wasn't the only person up there that day, so i turn up, hot day in the middle of july, to find several nervous looking guys about my age in suits waiting in reception, i had decided to turn up in boardshorts, t-shirt and a pair of o'neil flip flops

suffice to say i received a few odd looks that day, not least from the MD, but i was offered the job:thumright:

[G]

Oh- and the follow up interview to that I sat with my leg on my knee for 45 minutes, it went so dead I had to hop to my bike :rolleyes:

What a spoon!

HAHAHA I too have done this.

I was at an interview in london filling out one of those tick box test where you put the words in an order that describes you (Note i just ticked completely randomly)

I sat on my leg like I always do......the bloke came in to get the questionaire so I tried to stand up and literally my ankle and knee just didnt function together and I pretty much fell over, it was that numb everytime i put my foot down I would end up twisting my ankle.

[Pedro68]

Rather less exciting ... I once went for an IT job with Flintshire County Council, and was asked this rather leading question:
Interviewer: "What are your thoughts on documentation?"
Me: "I think it's a necessary evil ... can't say I like it, but it has it's uses"

Should have really done my homework, cos when speaking to my uncle later he told me that he knew the guy in question and he was a STICKLER for documentation.

Needless to say I didn't get that job :D

[Paws]

ermmm well for the job that i'll be moving to; i turned up 2 and half hours late for the interview-mix up of what time she had told me to what she had written down, must have made a good impression as they still offered me the job lol

[Jester666]

Wot new jobs that then?

EDIT S'ok I've seen now!!

[FG1]

After being in the Air Force for 14 years and reaching Corporal in the Supply trade I joined the Auxilliaries.
I was joining the RAF Regiment side of things, and when asked why I wanted to join the Regiment and not Supply I replied "I think I look good in green". I kept a straight face and the Seargent interviewing me didn't know what to do next.
Seemed to do the trick though as I got in.

[G]

After being in the Air Force for 14 years and reaching Corporal in the Supply trade I joined the Auxilliaries.
I was joining the RAF Regiment side of things, and when asked why I wanted to join the Regiment and not Supply I replied "I think I look good in green". I kept a straight face and the Seargent interviewing me didn't know what to do next.
Seemed to do the trick though as I got in.


LMFAO, I love quick comments like that....I can never think of them until 10 minutes later.:sad:

[flymo]

I almost got into an argument for an IT interview years ago. The guy interviewing me clearly didnt have a clue what he was talking about but tried to test my IT knowledge anyway. So I'm sat there saying "there's no possible way that could happen" and he's going "yeah, but what if it did.....blah blah" got the job though, and that guy no longer works there :-)

[DanAbnormal]

I went for an Interview at Sun Microsystems last year. The guy came down and asked to see me. I went up to his office, he asked me lots of very confusing questions and I really struggled to answer them. After about 2 hours of serious grilling he went through the salary and bonuses. When he told me that it would pay 80K plus bonus I nearly fell out of the chair. At the end of the interview (and after I'd met 3 other managers/directors and been show around my work area) we went back to his office to go over my CV. Only, it wasn't my CV. There was another Dan sat downstairs who'd been waiting for nearly 3 hours. I was only applying for a Sales Support role, the interview I had was for Busness Develpment Mananger. I dont even know what it means but I managed to blag through for 3 hours!!! I didn't get either job but they found the funny side of it.

[ooger]

I went for an Interview.....I didn't get either job but they found the funny side of it.

That is truly amazing in the fullest sense of the word!

Well done on a superb performance :smt038

[Pedrosa]

Brings back a fond memory. In my haste to try and secure an apprenticeship on leaving school, I fired off letters all over the place. I was over the moon to receive an invitation for an interview by Pilkingtons the glass maker.

Well the big day arrived and in I marched in my best clobber. The interview began with the usual formalities then it was down to business.

The interviewer went straight in with a killer question....

"So tell me, why is it that you feel an apprenticeship electrician is the role for you?"

Well I could have sworn he could feel the heat off my crimson face and I stuttered and stammered a non too convincing reply.















I was cursing as for 3 weeks I had been cramming info as I thought with them the interview was for an apprentice plumber! Thus all my in the bag answers served my zilch! Oooh foook. Didnt want the job anyway!:p

[instigator]

Hi

Something I've kept 'in' for quite some time now as I am so eshamed and embarassed by it. I was in my first year of University and it was the 3rd term and I figured it was a bright idea to look for a summer placement. Cue me getting a job interview for a engineering firm who make JCB type mechanical vehicles.

This was my first interview having had a job in a pet shop through knowing my next door neighbour. I was pretty nervous as you can understand, I was only 18. It was going 'okay' as far as interviews go but my inexperience in the interview situation was really shown when faced with the question:

"Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?"

I umm'd and aah'd, not knowing that I should have replied with something about me wanting to become a chartered engineer, professional development, senior design engineer etc.

"Erm, in a house, nice car with a family maybe?"

I was completely perplexed and to this day can not bloody believe I said that.

However, it's not quite as bad if you learn from your experiences. Having not received the offer of the position, I told myself that I would never ever let myself down like that again. So I studied interview techniques. Studied them. I wrote out loads and loads of questions and answers and practised them over and over. I would lie in bed at night and figure out how to best answer a difficult interview question.

Work paid off. Out of the last ~20 interviews, I've only ever been knocked back from 2. One was in Norway and it wasn't the position I was originally after, despite wiping the competition away with a good presentation and managing my team. The other was for a position that was really beyond me and I told them I wouldn't feel comfortable doing the work they required. Me being honest and all that.

These days, I look forward to interviews. I really do. I relish the challenge.

:)

[the_lone_wolf]

"Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?"
"Don't say doin' your wife, don't say doin' your wife, don't say doin' your wife..."

"Err, doing your... son?"

Don't be offended if you don't get the reference (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0182576/quotes);)

[Warthog]

There's got to have been a few...



me;

Asked to do a presentation, and told I wasn't allowed 'visual aids', I (thinking I was funny) said - 'Jesus, I didn't even know you could catch it just by looking at one of them'.

I got the job, but a few bemused looks. :smt031

Haha thats great! I would have given you the job. Worst thing I did was for a PhD interview I got shown round the labs, which were all wooden and scarred and I managed to let slip that I thought they were all old and manky. I didn't get that one.

[tigersaw]

Collegue of mine went for an internal vacancy.
He was asked ' what do you think of management' to which he replied - 'I think it would be a good idea'

[Flamin_Squirrel]

"Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?"

Only someone with the imagination of an amoeba would pose a clich? question like that!

[dissuade]

"Don't say doin' your wife, don't say doin' your wife, don't say doin' your wife..."

"Err, doing your... son?"


That's a brilliant one!

For a Navy prelim interview they asked me whether I knew what the Forces' drugs policy was, to which I replied "No" (the first part went "The Navy drugs policy is" *No* "drugs" - but I said this IN MY HEAD). They looked bemused, I went crimson and started stammering something along the lines of "Nono, no drugs, no, I don't do drugs, maybe, no, nono, no drugs."
I still sends shivers down my spine. Awful.

For my dental school interview one of the first questions they asked was "So, why do you want to do dentistry?" I had only revised the model answer for this one about 100 times, but all I could think of at that instant was

"Umm... I like teeth?"
They loved it.

[phil24_7]

There's got to have been a few...



me;

Asked to do a presentation, and told I wasn't allowed 'visual aids', I (thinking I was funny) said - 'Jesus, I didn't even know you could catch it just by looking at one of them'.

I got the job, but a few bemused looks. :smt031

PMSL, I'd think of that answer but probably just chuckle and keep it to myself!!

I haven't made any real gaffs as such, but I did stand up and tell a prospective employer "Lets cut this short, I'm wasting my time here because I could never work for a w*nker like you"

Pure class!

Collegue of mine went for an internal vacancy.
He was asked ' what do you think of management' to which he replied - 'I think it would be a good idea'

I shall be remembering this one!

That's a brilliant one!

For a Navy prelim interview they asked me whether I knew what the Forces' drugs policy was, to which I replied "No" (the first part went "The Navy drugs policy is" *No* "drugs" - but I said this IN MY HEAD). They looked bemused, I went crimson and started stammering something along the lines of "Nono, no drugs, no, I don't do drugs, maybe, no, nono, no drugs."
I still sends shivers down my spine. Awful.

For my dental school interview one of the first questions they asked was "So, why do you want to do dentistry?" I had only revised the model answer for this one about 100 times, but all I could think of at that instant was

"Umm... I like teeth?"
They loved it.

Hope I never have to rely on you in a high pressure situation!!!!