Interview Horror Story Contest

[Resume Writer]

Hi Everyone,

Below is a press release I have sent out for a contest I am conducting. Everyone on the board is eligible to participate; just go to the link in this press release and enter your story.

Only true stories will be accepted! I am sending this out on a national basis, so please do not send stories unless you want to be considered for the grand prize.

Thanks,
Kathy

Job Interview Horror Stories

Resume Writing Firm offers Prizes for the most bizarre, humiliating or humorous story



Phoenix, AZ, December 8, 2004 -- Many job seekers have had an experience with an interview they wish they could forget or may wish to remember because of the humor of the event.



Instead of keeping it all to yourself or seeking therapy, now is your chance to tell that story and be rewarded with career tools to transform your life for the better!



Did you get trapped in an elevator or show up at a company only to find they had gone out of business? Maybe the interviewer asked you get them coffee or took phone calls from their spouse or children during the interview? Did you say something that you wish you could have taken back?



The Write Resume, a resume writing and interview coaching firm, is offering a grand prize of a complete resume package and one hour of interview coaching to the job seeker with the best story.



“Every job seeker has had an interview that turned out to be a nightmare, whether it was funny or bizarre,” said Kathy Sweeney, president of The Write Resume. “I would like to reward the individual with the best story with assistance that will catapult their career.”



Submissions for the contest will be accepted from December 9, 2004 until January 5, 2005. Visit www.awriteresume.com/interviewstory.htm for complete contest details and submission requirements.

 

[chperplt]

How about crazy stories from interviewers about interviewees???

 

[Resume Writer]

How about crazy stories from interviewers about interviewees???

You can post those on here; I would love to hear them. However, I am focusing on the job seeker because many stories have been told from the interviewer side.

Kathy

 

[sqwkvfr]

I've got one. When I was in college I worked for both the local PD and a C-store. A friend on the PD was running for sheriff and all of the guys on the PD supported him.

I was working at the C-store when the current sheriff came in. After he looked right at the "such and such for sheriff" hat (his opponent) that I was wearing his mood changed from friendly to polite but short.

Well, the incumbent prevailed and later had a job opening. Knowing that this was his last term and the PD guy was most likely gonna be his replacement (turned out to be so) I applied for the job hoping that he wouldn't remember my face.

I scored highest on the written test, did the best in the screening interviews with the Sheriff's Chief Deputy and Detective, and passed the background screening.

Then came the final interview with the sheriff. I walked into his office still hoping that he wouldn't remember me.....

He did.

 

[jetexas]

At my old freight company, my CP showed me a bunch of resumes that he had received. Some had cover letters directed towards rival freight outfits. Ooops!

 

[Resume Writer]

Then came the final interview with the sheriff. I walked into his office still hoping that he wouldn't remember me.....

He did.

What did he say to you?

Fill out the form; you never know who will have the best story!

Kathy

 

[sqwkvfr]

What did he say to you?

I knew before I shook his hand that the "gig" was up. His facial expression said it all.

He didn't mention anything in regards to our previous meeting, but the interview was very short and he did most of the talking in the same tone that my dad used with me when I "disappointed" him.

I spoke to several of his deputies after the fact....most of them were pulling for me and were at a loss to explain why I didn't get the nod.

I knew.

I've got one more....but it doesn't involve me.

One of the larger Sheriff's offices in my home state opened a Deputy position. One of the applicants arrived for her panel interview in a black leather miniskirt.

and one more...I was waiting in the hallway for the Chief's interview on the department for which I was eventually hired....another applicant showed up and got into line....he was completely out of breath.

I knew this clown from high school and asked how he was. He went into this tirade about how he didn't find out about this interview until that morning, and was in a city over four hundred miles away.

"When I found out about it, I dressed up, got in my car, did 110 on the interstate and 80 up highway such and such to get here on time...I just got here now!" I thought to myself, "God, I wish there was a way that they could've heard this inside of this interview room."

I was pacing up and down the hallway waiting my turn...I wandered a little further down the hallway and came to a 90 degree bend where I started to turn around, but noticed a uniformed officer wearing captain's bars on his collar.

He kinda startled me, since he was hiding around the corner listening to us. He signaled for me to be quiet and motioned me out of view of the rest of the crowd. He asked me if I knew the guy who drove so fast to get there....well, it was 20 interviewees for 2 jobs, so I told him.

 

[Vik]

Just before I nearly lost all my money, I applied for a job at Best Buy out of sheer desperation. I'm at my third interview with yet another manager and of course he spends all his time telling me how to sell "service plans" on everything .. chewing gum? sell it! batteries? sell it! Totally ridiculous garbage.

Finally, he starts talking about how much stuff gets stolen and how the store has "hot zones" that should be watched 24/7.

Finally, he says .. Your best friend that you've known since you were 2 years old, is working at the store and you see him put a pack of gum in his pocket and not pay for it. Would you report it?

Of course I'm not a total @ssh0le or jerk, and I told him, no I wouldn't report him because he's my best friend and it might LOOK like he took it without paying and he could have paid for it first and then taken it, so I'd confront him about it first.

Needless to say, I didn't get hired because of that and it turned out to be a good thing.

So if you're the kind of jerkwad that stabs your friend in the back thats a great place to work.

 

[minitour]

...Finally, he says .. Your best friend that you've known since you were 2 years old, is working at the store and you see him put a pack of gum in his pocket and not pay for it. Would you report it?

Of course I'm not a total @ssh0le or jerk, and I told him, no I wouldn't report him because he's my best friend and it might LOOK like he took it without paying and he could have paid for it first and then taken it, so I'd confront him about it first.

Needless to say, I didn't get hired because of that and it turned out to be a good thing.

So if you're the kind of jerkwad that stabs your friend in the back thats a great place to work.

Yeah I hear you on that one...

When I finally realized I needed to get out of my last job was when we got "the interview guide".

Basically it was a script where we had to ask certain questions (that one was on it) and they had to answer using certain words or prhases. If they didn't use enough of the words or phrases we weren't allowed to hire them no matter how much sense they made.

That was one of the "no nos" the company put out. It really sucked when we couldn't hire who we wanted anymore. Even the part time, "I work 3 hours a week for $5.25 an hour" employees had to have a second interview done by the Regional Manager...what a P.I.T.A.

...such is retail...sell it all, and if you don't we'll fire you...oh yeah and if you wouldn't stab your dying grandmother in the back when she really did pay for her dentures that she just shoved in her pocket...we'll fire you for that too...oh yeah and if you do stab someone in the back becasue you thought they were stealing only to find out they weren't...we'll fire you for that too!

-mini

 

[GravityHater]

Well the interview went fine but the hour before was kind of scary...
I was supposed to be there for the first one of the day, at 8am. Was staying at a friend's house the night before, in a distant city. Got up and showered on time but nervous. Because of the arrangement of the house I didn't want to turn on the lights to wake all the late sleepers and had my shower shave, teeth scrub, got dressed in the dark.
Got to a company bathroom a few minutes before the interview and dang! I've missed half my face, shaving in the dark!!
I ran outside to a convenience store, bought a disposable and proceeded to the public restroom with minutes to go and....very handily sliced my face open. FUQUE!!
Now I am leaning over the sink, dripping blood everywhere and trying to avoid my white shirt collar while staunching the flow of blood with a bar of soap and paper towels while a crowd suddenly needs to use the same bathroom, I am starting to be late for the interview of a lifetime.

Somehow I shaved adequately, stopped the bleeding, did not get my shirt, and zipped my a$$ back up to the interview before being late. I think I looked a little flustered & rumpled, my face was beet red and ears very hot, headache from the pounding heart, but I got the spot!

 

[seethru]

My embarrassing interview story happened during the final Chief's interview for one of the fire departments I was applying for.

There were about six on the panel. I made a point to reach across the table and shake each person's hand, being mindful to look them in the eye. The interview lasted approximately 20 minutes and I felt it went great. At the end I again made a real effort to reach across the table and shake hands and thank them for the opportunity to talk with them.

It wasn't until I was in the parking lot that I realized my fly was open the whole time! Dohh!

Didnt' get that job.

Greg

 

[Resume Writer]

Come on you all, go to the website and fill out the form if you want to be considered. Some of these situations are hilarious! Click here to apply.

The press release is scheduled to go out on Friday to all news agencies internationally. I also sent it to certain syndicated columnists on the employment page for several large papers here in the U.S.

I cannot wait to read more of these type of stories. I am used to seeing and hearing about them from the HR perspective.

Kathy

 

[sqwkvfr]

Kathy, do you have any experience with DHL in Scottsdale or otherwise know anyone there?

Not operations, but IT.

 

[Resume Writer]

Kathy, do you have any experience with DHL in Scottsdale or otherwise know anyone there?

Not operations, but IT.

Do you want a name of someone in HR or if I know someone there? PM me what you are looking for and I will see if I can find out for you.

Kathy

 

[Vik]

The best was CompUSA. They won't pay you, you're on commissions ONLY and if you don't sell enough at the end of each day, they dock your pay. So basically, your first day on the job, if you don't sell anything, you're negative.

Gotta love it!

Yeah I hear you on that one...

When I finally realized I needed to get out of my last job was when we got "the interview guide".

Basically it was a script where we had to ask certain questions (that one was on it) and they had to answer using certain words or prhases. If they didn't use enough of the words or phrases we weren't allowed to hire them no matter how much sense they made.

That was one of the "no nos" the company put out. It really sucked when we couldn't hire who we wanted anymore. Even the part time, "I work 3 hours a week for $5.25 an hour" employees had to have a second interview done by the Regional Manager...what a P.I.T.A.

...such is retail...sell it all, and if you don't we'll fire you...oh yeah and if you wouldn't stab your dying grandmother in the back when she really did pay for her dentures that she just shoved in her pocket...we'll fire you for that too...oh yeah and if you do stab someone in the back becasue you thought they were stealing only to find out they weren't...we'll fire you for that too!

-mini