I am currently searching for a job. I currently work full-time, so I need a bit of notice when it comes to interviews.

One day, I come back from lunch and sit at my desk. My mobile phone has been ringing continuously and it’s all from the same local number.

Calling back, I’m greeted by an irate and rude man telling me there is no way that I will ever work for his company! How dare I?!

As soon as he stops shouting, I ask him what his problem is. He quickly tells me that I missed a job interview that afternoon. I search my call history and email and inform him that this is the first time I am hearing from him. I have never even been invited to an interview.

Suddenly, the man goes sheepish as he realises what has happened.

It transpires that he had organised an interview and had spoken to HR, the team, and everyone in his company. However, he had neglected to actually tell me about the interview.

He then tried to rearrange an interview… after shouting at me and calling me a b****. I said no.

I’d say I dodged a bullet there.

(I’m helping with some interviews for a craft store, as I’m a new manager. I am asked to interview a girl in her twenties, just a couple of years younger than me. I go through her application and it looks normal: some retail experience, finished high school, computer proficient. I call her to set up the interview.)

Me: “Hi, is this [Applicant]?”

Applicant: “Yeah. What’s up?”

Me: “This is [My Name] with [Store], calling about your application. We’d like to have you come in for an interview!”

Applicant: “Oh, cool. Can we do it at [Coffee Shop]? I don’t wanna come all the way out there.” 

Me: “Unfortunately, we have all interviews done in the store. I can see if it can be done on a day you’re more open, though!”

Applicant: “Ugh, I guess.”

(We get it scheduled, and I tell her goodbye and hang up. I look at the other manager in the office with me.)

Me: “If driving to the store is such a hassle just for the interview, how is she gonna manage driving here to work when she’s scheduled?”

Manager: “Yeah, I’ve seen that.”

(Later on, she comes in for her interview. She’s dressed somewhat professionally but looks annoyed the entire time. I bring her back to one of our classrooms to do the interview so it’s out of the way.)

Me: “So, do you do any crafts?”

Applicant: “Ew, no. I just go on Etsy a lot.” 

Me: “All right, do you know a lot about any of the crafts?” 

Applicant: “Nope. Don’t care to learn; I finished school and that’ll be it for learning.” 

(I’ve already made my decision about hiring her, but I decide to finish out the interview as a courtesy. The rest of her answers are about the same: she doesn’t seem interested in helping customers, doesn’t care to do overnights to stock, and doesn’t want to work the register. We wrap things up, and I let her know we’ll call her.)

Applicant: “Okay. So, do I do my new paperwork stuff tomorrow?”

Me: “We have work on our end that needs to be done first, which can take a bit. Like I said, we’ll call you.”

Applicant: “Ugh, okay.”

(As I come back into the office, I apparently look exhausted, because the other manager looks concerned.)

Manager: “Bad interview?”

Me: “She doesn’t craft, doesn’t know anything about crafting, and doesn’t want to learn. She says if a customer is rude, she’ll just tell them to leave. And that if they need help, they can just Google it. How has she worked retail like this?!”

Manager: “Probably either lied or has a family member in management. At least you don’t have to try to train her.” 

(She called back weeks later to ask when she should come in. The other manager had the pleasure of telling her we went with someone else.)

(I’ve just started a new job for a company that represents various progressive non-profit groups. The two clients our office oversees are an environmental organization and an LGBT organization. Although I’ve had other positions where I’ve overseen staff before, I need to be trained on how the company conducts interviews by a coworker who has been there for a while. The coworker training me during this interview happens to be a lesbian. We have just finished basic work history questions with this applicant.)

Coworker: “We are currently working on behalf of [Environmental Organization] and [LGBT Organization]. We have enough openings right now to assign you to your preferred group but may need you to work with the other if the need arises.”

Applicant: “Well, I’d love to work on [Environmental Organization]. I’m not all that cool with that queer stuff.”

Coworker: “Well…”

Applicant: “It’s like, no one made them be gay; that was their decision, which is fine and all, but that doesn’t mean you get special rights, you know?”

Coworker: “Um…”

Applicant: “They think they deserve to marry each other and all, but like, if I get married that makes my marriage mean less, you know? Plus, if they really want benefits so bad or whatever, then a queer guy should just marry, like, a queer chick or something, right?”

(I notice my coworker is biting her lip, ready to go off on the guy, so I step in.)

Me: “Well, that’s all the questions I think we have. We will be in touch if we decide to bring you on.”

Applicant: “Great! I really look forward to working here. This place seems great!”

(My coworker thanked me afterward for stepping in at that point as she likely couldn’t have handled it professionally. How that guy still seemed to think he was going to get hired was beyond either of us.)

This story is part of the Bad Interviews roundup!

Read the next Bad Interviews roundup story!

Read the Bad Interviews roundup!

(I am 29 years old and I’m looking for a new job after being laid off from my previous job. I apply at several places, but because I do not have my driver’s license yet, I try to keep it to businesses close enough for me to walk to. The first of them to call me for an interview is a bar in the next town over, just barely within walking distance. At the end of the interview…)

Owner: “Well, then, I’d like to offer you a job, [My Name].”

Me: “Really?”

Owner: “H*** no! I honestly can’t believe I wasted my time interviewing you. I mean seriously, almost thirty and you don’t have your d*** driver’s license? F****** loser! And your only experience is pushing carts and bagging groceries at [Nearby Grocery Store], and a little bit of construction experience? Puh-lease! You’re worthless! I mean, just look at you. Not even dressed nicely!” *points to my outfit, which consists of a nice polo and black pants* “And you just half-a**ed all of my questions! You’re literally unhireable! I’m f****** serious, you will never get a job anywhere with interview skills and a resume like this! GET OUT OF MY BAR, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF S***! OUT! NOW!”

(I quickly made my way out of his office and over to the door. He came out after me and continued to shout insults in my direction as I walked away, and customers were watching the entire time. I was on the verge of crying but I pulled myself together and made a promise to myself to prove that loon wrong. As soon as I got home, I began putting out applications to just about every business in the area, h***-bent on getting myself a job. Within a couple of weeks, I had an interview for a shelf stocker position at a different grocery store just up the street from my house. Sure enough, I was hired pretty much on the spot. A few months later, I was driving past the bar on the way home from the DMV after getting my license, and I noticed that it was boarded up and appeared to have not been open for some time. I soon learned why from a friend who used to work there; the bar owner had pretty much shot himself in the foot the day that he interviewed me. More than half his staff, including the cook and both of his managers, quit immediately after they saw what he did to me. He then fired the remainder of his staff out of frustration the next day, and shut down a week later because he couldn’t find any replacements. Gee, I wonder why?)

(I’m hunting for a new job and manage to land an interview at a local company. They give me the address, and I’m pleased to see it’s a street name I recognize. I know that part of town very well, but just to be sure, I make sure to print off directions and set my GPS. On the day of the interview, I leave early so I should arrive with 20 minutes to spare. I arrive on the right street and start looking at numbers, but none of the numbers are even close to what I have been given. I drive back and forth several times, checking beyond intersections, and still cannot locate the business. My GPS says I have arrived; the map directions say I’m at the right place. But the business is nowhere to be seen. It’s now ten minutes until my interview, and I call them. The receptionist explains that there’s a second street by that name in one of the remotest parts of town. She gives me completely different directions. I explain I’m an interviewee, and I’m on my way, and I’m doing my best to get there in time. However, since I had to go all the way across town, I wind up being five minutes late. The receptionist is understanding and explains that this happens all the time. She adds that the interviewer is still dealing with the previous interview and directs me to a small meeting room to wait. I make use of my waiting time and re-read the printouts I made from their website, including their clientele, mission statement, and company history. The interviewer still hasn’t arrived, so I study the room. I make note of various plaques, photos, and periodicals. About twenty minutes later, the interviewer enters and we make basic introductions.)

Interviewer: “Thank you for coming to [Company]. Can you tell me a little about yourself?”

(I pull out the job description.)

Me: “Well, it says here in your job ad that you’re looking for someone who knows [Software #1], with which I have three years experience. I also have five years’ experience with [Software #2], which is similar. At my previous job at [Company #1], I—“

Interviewer: “Oh, I know [Company #1]! I had an uncle who worked there. He was in [department]. He worked there until he retired. Do you know [Uncle]?”

Me: “No, I don’t remember anyone by that name.”

Interviewer: “I guess that’s no surprise; he worked for [Company #1] in [State halfway across the country]. He actually is the godfather of my oldest child.”

(She proceeds to ramble about her children and family for fifteen minutes. I listen politely and try to find a way to steer the conversation back to the interview, but she’s completely enraptured with her own voice.)

Interviewer: “Now that you’ve told me about yourself, let me tell you a little about our company. We were founded in [year] and serve many businesses across the state. [Company #2] is our biggest client, but we also work closely with [Company #3] and [Company #4]. We print [Magazine] in house, which informs our customers about all our services.”

(As she rambles on about the company, I again look around the room. All the information she’s providing I already know and is within eyesight. There’s a wood plaque mentioning the year they opened, a photograph of them with the director of [Company #2], and an entire stack of their periodicals on the shelf. I also have all this information printed on my own clipboard.)

Interviewer: “What I’m really looking for is someone who will work closely alongside [Owner] as his personal secretary.”

Me: *nod* “I saw in the ad that you’re looking for someone who also knows [hardware], and I—“

Interviewer: *interrupts* “I’ll let you know, [Owner] is a crotchety old man. He should have retired a decade ago, but he just can’t give up control of this company to his kids. I mean that in the nicest way possible. He is very cranky, and very set in his ways. He likes everything done a very particular way, and if you don’t do it that way, he’ll let you have it. Don’t get me wrong; [Owner] has a heart of gold. If he got sick, I would wipe his a**. I mean that– I would wipe his a**. But he can be hard to deal with a lot of the time.”

(This sets off an alarm bell, but I badly need a new job, so I keep a smile and try to focus on the interview.)

Me: “So, [Owner] needs someone who can also run [hardware]? I have…”

Interviewer: *interrupts again* “I’ll give you an example. During meetings, you’ll have to sit right beside him and hand him the highlighters. He’ll want them uncapped, and he’ll just snatch them out of your hand. Then he drops them on the table, and he’ll just expect you to know to pick them up and recap them. But don’t hand him a highlighter with the cap still on. Remember to take it off before handing it to him or he’ll smack you on the shoulder and demand, ‘What’s wrong with you?!’ But underneath it all, he’s a huge teddy bear. When I was pregnant with my youngest child…”

(She spends ten minutes talking about her previous maternity leave.)

Interviewer: “The last person we had in this position was shaping up really nicely, too. I try to filter things between [Owner] and his secretary, I really do. But I took a week’s vacation, and she couldn’t handle dealing with [Owner] all by herself. She quit in tears, so now we’re trying to replace her. So, what I’m looking for is someone who can handle working for a crotchety old man even when I’m not around. Do you think you can handle that?”

(The warning bells are getting louder because this owner is starting to sound abusive.)

Me: “Well, I…”

Interviewer: “One thing you must know: I simply can’t stand people who are always late. Punctuality is very important to our company.”

Me: “Today was a fluke; it isn’t like me at all! I’m usually early to everything I go to.”

Interviewer: “I know. I have ten interviews today, and I know eight of them will be late. Google Maps always misdirects people. I understand.”

Me: “Again, I’m sorry. It would never happen again now that I know where you are.”

(I’m not sure I believe her about still being an eligible candidate despite being five minutes late, but I’m not going to argue and further sabotage my chances.)

Interviewer: *scoffs* “That’s why I tell everyone we’re right next to [Adult Toy Store]. Everyone in town knows where [Adult Toy Store] is.”

(I know I would have remembered such creative directions if I had been told, so I’m certain she forgot to mention that fact on the phone.)

Me: “That wouldn’t have helped me much. I had no idea where [Adult Toy Store] was.”

Interviewer: “There’s nothing to be ashamed about. I shop there all the time. Everyone goes there.”

Me: “I don’t; I’ve never been there.”

Interviewer: “I said you don’t have to be embarrassed about it.”

(I usually don’t advertise this fact about myself, but her patronizing attitude is wearing on me.)

Me: “I don’t shop there; I’m completely asexual.”

Interviewer: “Okay, if you say so.” *winks knowingly at me*

Me: *yet another alarm bell rings*

Interviewer: *starts gathering all her things and is halfway out of her seat* “Do you have any questions for me?”

(I actually have several questions prepared on my clipboard, but she’s a couple of steps towards the door at this point.)

Me: “No, none.”

Interviewer: “Thanks for coming today. We’ll call you if we’re interested in a second interview.”

(They never called. I know I dodged a bullet. I feel sorry for the person they did hire.)