Weddingbee boards

A company contacted me about an interview during a career fair at a conference that I was attending, so I responded that I would stop by to learn more.  It was for a smaller division within a very large company so their website wasn't relevant to finding out more.  Rather than telling me about their opportunities, they whisked me off to an interview...for a position I was not at all interested in.  Such a waste of time!

I had a job offer basically retracted and was called into a second interview, with the first interviewer and someone else. They pretty much asked me the exact same questions I had been asked in the first interview, then neglected to tell me one way or another if I was going to get the job, after two interviews!

@roxy821: I had an interview once in the healthcare industry as an  Sr. Accounting Manager. I had a dear friend that worked for the company. She actually worked in HR as well. She informed me of their interview process and how elementary it was and that I basically had it in the bag. I came in for my interview and waited 45 minutes past my interview time. A lady finally came out and called my name. She led me to a large conference room with all of the top financial executives of the hospital. There must have been at least 12 people sitting in on the interview process. Those people were allowed to chime in at any point to ask me questions. I went from feeling extremely confident to super intimidated. Their questions were simple for me to answer until...they asked, "how long would it take you to make a contribution to our company?" I thought...really?! I thought it was an odd question to ask...especially one I've never been asked before during an interview.

@Aure: That's is absolutely awesome!!!

When I was in college I interviewed at an advertising company in Chicago.  When I got there they had 2 people interview me who were no more than 23.  The guy was wearing ripped jeans and a heavy metal t-shirt, sat in the corner, and kept yawning.  Finally he just put his head down and took a nap on the desk while I finished the interview with the girl.  And this is a big time ad agency and they treated me like that.  I wanted to tell them to go f-themselves.

Some of these are so funny, and some are so incredibly rude! It never ceases to amaze me what people get away with, especially in a "professional" setting...

My worst interview was for an executive assitant position at an ad agency in Toronto.  My friend and I both interviewed for the same job (weird, I know - our mutual friend recommended us both).  I arrived at the office and they brought me to the room where the VP sat.  My first interaction with her was that she looked me up and down in a very judgemental way (even though I was dressed appropriately for a professional job interview), before I had even opened my mouth.  I pretended not to notice, and tried to be as warm and friendly as possible.

We were chatting and it seemed to be going well enough until... she looks over my resume and drops this little gem on me: "Are you an overachiever?" I looked at her and kind of laughed, not knowing if that's a compliment or a put down.  I said, "I don't know...maybe?" and she says, "Well, we want achievers here, not overachievers."  

I was blown away by that statement, because first of all, it literally didn't make sense (Don't employers want their employees to perform better or achieve more than expected?).  Second of all, she sounded so snooty and was just plain rude, that I was momentarily speechless.  My mind was officially boggled.  I could tell I obviously wasn't going to get the job.  She had a chip on her shoulder from the get-go. 

My friend, however, did get the job, and oh my goodness, the stories she'd tell me. Just ONE example is the fact that this lady would physically throw stuff (like stacks of papers) at my friend when she was pissed off about something.  What a nightmare!  Sooo glad I didn't end up there!! 

Oh boy. Do I have a doozy for you. I will warn you, it's kind of long, but necessary.

I once had an interview with this company. I can only describe this experience as "bizarre." This company was very secretive and secure. At the door, the lady takes my license and leaves me standing outside for about 5 minutes before she finally lets me in. I sit down and they have me wait for about half an hour.

In this block of time I oberve that 98% of the employees are about my age. Anywhere between 20-30 and not a day over. Only 2 men were over 40. It was really odd for a company. So finally we go into the conference room and start "interviewing." The guy goes on and on about how this place isn't like the company down the street and that my position has a really high turnover rate. I ask him how many people have been in it for the last 2 years and he says somewhere between 15-20. He kind of tells me more about this admin assistant position and says it can be really stressful. He tells me I could be doing anything from copying paper and other admin tasks to trying to find a route to get into some country illegally so relief volunteers can smuggle goats.

Uh, what?

This took me a few minutes to process...by that time the CEO decided to pop in and become part of this discussion. Somehow they start talking about sales tactics and how you don't have to know anything about the product to sell it. That in order to operate and function, you have to have a "think outside the box" mentality. Anyone who wanted to work there must re-think and retrain themselves to the way they do things. Mr. Big CEO goes on to say "I've been selling this product for 40 yrs and I still don't know anything about it!" He's loud and obnoxious and starts flailing his arms about. I didn't even know who he was since the man didn't introduce himself. He starts asking me about what I think and I told him that it was going to be a challenge and he was like "Challenge? You don't know the meaning of the word. This place, this job would have to be another word. You have no concept of what challenge is." So I look at him sternly because he's starting to irritate me a little and I say "Then what would YOU call it?"

He mumbles something similar of an "I don't know," and proceeds to tell the other guy how he loves when he hires people so he himself can fire people. He proudly claimed himself to be a dictator and that he loves breaking the rules. Especially foreign laws. America's laws are "the only ones he doesn't break."

So by this time I'm sitting here for an hour. the CEO leaves the room and the other dude's just talking to me. he gives me this link to a forum, tells me to read it and think about it. and if i want a second interview, to call back.

I don't because these people are all whack jobs, and this place is run completely ass backwards.

I read the forum, and it was huge for me. There were people talking about having interviewed there and some had worked there. To sum it up, this place basically has a cult like environment and the advice was to run-run very far away.

I hear the people in this company reads the forum and laughs. They find it funny.

Forum highlights:

"I find it reprehensible that they have to guise their company to lure potential candidates into their office. Other companies have people clamoring at their doors to try to get in. This company has people clamor to get out...."

"I worked at _company_ prior to and after the Spring Fair. The two weeks of "leadership and sales" training are incredible, but not in a good sense. Training took place everyday at the fair. The trainer loves to hear himself drone on and wants to get the buttons, one of four buzz words at _company_ <the other three are gawk - anything that is not to the company's liking slap - doing it there way and bomb'em - making other look, seem, or feel foolish. To succeed you need to be a mind numbed robot who follows the Narcissistic owner's philosophies to the letter. The basis of the teaching is that whatever is taught at the university or college school of business is wrong and backwards. Do the opposite, you will succeed. If you are not at work by 5 am six days a week you will never be a winner. There are only two kinds of people in the world winners, as defined by _unnamed_, the CEO/owner, and losers. 99.9% of people are losers. If you want NO work / life balance, want to die young and burn-out ... work at _company_. If you want to be a success in your personal life, work anywhere else. I was fired for not living the lies they teach, I may be financially poorer because of it, but I am not the walking zombie, I was for those 3 1/2 months."

I'm so glad I walked away.

I guess to answer your question, the weirdest thing I was asked was about how I felt about the smuggling goats illegally thing and finding "the road less traveled routes" into the countries.