20 Stories About Job Interviews So You Know What To Expect From Recruiters

No matter how many job interviews you do in your lifetime, there’s always a good chance the recruiter will surprise you. From trick questions to embarrassing behavior, there is no shortage of ways to confuse the candidate and make him lose self-confidence. Fortunately, people with experience in this field have a lot of tips on how to nail a selection. And all they want is to share their knowledge with the world.

We, from awesome.club, we know how tricky job interviews can be, so we decided to dive into the world of Reddit to find stories and tips that can make your next selection process go more smoothly. Check out!

I found myself in a very strange situation. I arrived a little early at the office I applied to (consulting firm). The receptionist said I could get a coffee while I waited.

I ordered a coffee. The waitress asked me:

“Are you a customer?”

I replied, “No, I’m here for an interview.”

“Because you want to work here?”

I found the question odd, but replied, “Because I want to work in a challenging environment, and I’m sure this company has the right mindset for that.”

“So you need us?”

By then I was completely off guard, thinking, “What’s going on? I only ordered a coffee, but maybe this is a secret interview, and she will report everything to her collaborators, it can only be!” And I replied, “I believe we need each other mutually, this company would not function without its people.”

She asked me two more questions, and everything was pretty bizarre… I still don’t know if that waitress was an undercover HR person. I got the job. @dinin70

I recently did an email interview before going to an in-person one. Nothing more. It was a list of 10 questions. I answered them all. I double-checked what I had done. I sent.

When I arrived for the personal interview, the guy laughed at me and asked how I could be an “attention to detail” person if I only answered half of the questions. I sat there dazed until I asked if the rest of my e-mail was on the back of the sheet of paper.

Was. He had it printed on both sides without even checking it.

But the hardest part was overcoming my stutter, as well as the temptation to call out the recruiter for the mistake he made. @shakespearestark

Them: “Why should we hire you?”

Me: “Because I care more about my family than my job. If I have to choose between them and the job, I will choose them.”

They gave me the job. @AgileCzar

I was at lunch for a job interview and, at the end, the manager asked:

“What is the name of the person who served us today?”

Me: “Uhmmm…”

I had no idea, as I focused more on hearing the specials of the day than the waitress’ name. Maybe that made me come across as a snob, since I didn’t get the job. @laterdude

“Would you rather focus on one thing and do it 100% correctly while doing two other tasks poorly, or would you rather do three things 70% correctly?”

It was a difficult question.

Right off the bat, I replied that that was a complicated question and that, honestly, I give 100% to my projects, as I hate presenting results that I consider below my standards. @Sheepishly_Ragtag

I did an interview at Marvel, and it went well. The last question I was asked was, “What is your favorite superhero?” and to this day I regret not answering that it was Agent Phil Coulson. I said it was Spider-Man, just because there was a giant mural of Spider-Man right next to us.

I don’t work there full time, but they hire me as a freelancer sporadically, which is pretty cool. @Rios93

“In the event of a building fire, is your first priority to sound the alarm or call 911?”

I was caught off guard, and replied, “Trigger the alarm.”

The correct answer would be “both”… @WeirdWolfGuy

I didn’t know it at the time, but the expression “you’re going to wear a lot of hats” meant that they were going to give me the equivalent of four jobs, but with only one salary. I didn’t even stay there a year before I resigned. Now, I can’t even finish reading ads that contain phrases like that. @Couch_slug

Once, the interviewer asked right off the bat if I would have a problem working for free on the weekends. I replied that my free time is more valuable than anything else, and that the only way I could give up my weekend would be if I was paid and if I was willing to work on my days off. She became very angry, ending the interview immediately.

It was the biggest red flag I’ve ever seen because they didn’t even try to hide it. @lempiraholio

About 20 years ago, I interviewed at an insurance company. They demanded that I hand over a list of no less than 100 contacts of friends and relatives. I jumped out at once. @stupidlyugly

When you’re filling out all the forms they give you, taking a long time to read each document to fully understand what you’re getting into, and people start coming in saying you don’t need to read that, just sign at the bottom and stuff. .. @Saxon_Shields69

Jobs in which the prerogatives of the position are not clear. The hiring person needs to be able to give at least a clear idea, in a practical way, of what their responsibilities will be on a day-to-day basis. After all, this shows that the company knows what it wants from that position.

I worked in some functions where the company had difficulty defining who should do what, and this caused a lot of confusion, which was already clear in the interviews. If the company you work for can’t tell you how to succeed in a certain position, neither can you. @Xerodo

My partner always wears shiny shoes, and she calls this “shoe theory”. When shiny shoes are worn, the interviewer remembers this when analyzing candidates. For example: “Oh, which candidate did you like best?” “‘The one with the shiny shoes.’

That seems to work for her. Whenever my partner gets a response, they mention her shoes and offer her the job. @KaiRaiUnknown

At the end of the interview, it’s always a good idea to ask the recruiter: “Tell me something positive about working here that I wouldn’t find at other companies”.

The more personal the answer, (“Débora brings marbles on Fridays”, “We take group trips every July”), the better the job will be. And the more it looks like a reworked version of the company’s principles, the worse it will be. @DDodgeSilver

I start all my interviews with, “Before I introduce my experience, could you describe what your ideal candidate would be like and what is expected of the role holder to be successful?” I then spend the rest of the time relating my entire experience specifically in relation to what they respond to. The only time I didn’t get a job offer was when I interviewed at Google. I believe that the fact that I do well in the selection processes has nothing to do with my approach.

Also, I participate in selection processes just for fun, and I do so quite often. Every two or three months, I go to interviews if any recruiter messages me on LinkedIn. When you have no intention of looking for a job, this is a great opportunity to practice. And so, when it comes time to choose the job you really want, you’ll be 1000% more confident. In addition, the strategy allows you to have an idea of ​​how much the market is willing to pay for your experience, and you can take advantage of this to negotiate when you receive a professional proposal. @t***sprinkles1130

My answer to this question at an ice cream parlor was “My biggest weakness is chocolate.”

I got the job. And a free scoop of chocolate ice cream for every day you work there. @M3l0n_L0rd

“I’m terrified of public speaking” is often my default response. Few people identify with her, but it’s also easy to say that I overcame the difficulty with practice. Furthermore, it has the advantage of being absolutely true. @EnigmaticInk

An honest answer followed by the strategies you use to overcome yourself.

“I have a tendency to procrastinate, but I avoid this by making a daily to-do list,” etc. @willis1988

That might only be true for someone fresh out of college or looking for an entry-level job, but one professor told me to always quote “lack of experience.” After all, if you’re applying for an entry-level job, a lack of experience is expected and it’s not your fault, which could become why you get the job. @BicuspidSumo2

The year was 2015, and I was interviewing for my first job at a game studio that didn’t even have a name. I was very nervous, I did the previous tests and they liked it. And then came that question.

“I get very nervous, I talk too much and I keep rambling. It’s almost word vomit until my brain catches up with my mouth and I realize what I’ve just said. And most of the time, I can’t remember the subject properly…”

That got a lot of laughs in the room, but I really couldn’t remember at the time what the principal had just asked. @D1STR4CT10N

What’s the funniest or funniest story about a job interview you’ve ever heard? Do you have your own tips for doing well in a selection process? Leave your comment!