The Glasses Are Clean But Their Questions Are Not

(I’m looking for a new job and have an interview with a recruiting company. Please note I’m a trained secretary and know what I’m doing in an office setting. The current job situation in my city means I can pretty much choose from several job offers. This company has good reviews, but when I come in:)

Receptionist: *bored and barely looking at me* “All right, you must be [My First Name]. Please follow me.”

(I’m a bit taken aback, as it’s very uncommon here to call people by their first name without being invited to, but I hold my tongue and follow her to the interview room. It’s all right, if a bit minimalistic with the only “refreshments” being a bottle of water.)

Receptionist: “Take a seat where you like. Well, preferably that one. Help yourself to water if you want; the bottle is not even open yet. Oh, and the glasses are clean.”

(She left without a further word. I was completely taken aback because… why would you even mention that the glasses in your meeting room are clean? I really hoped they always were! To top it off, the “personal information questionnaire” I was asked to fill out included questions such as, “Are you in any debt?”, “Do you smoke?”, and “Are you planning on having children?” These are things no potential employer is allowed to ask. Needless to say, I didn’t stay very long.)

This story is part of the second Job Interview roundup!

Read the next Job Interview roundup story!

Read the second Job Interview roundup!