6 of The WORST Job Interview Stories You’ll Ever Hear

I’ve never claimed to be the best interviewer in the world. In fact, I was never overly keen on conducting interviews.

It can be a tough thing to do and not everyone is going to be great at it.

But some people, as you’ll see in this video, are genuinely so bad and so awful at interviewing people, that it’s almost impressive.

So sit back and enjoy, as we discuss 6 of the worst interview stories you will ever see.

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Time Stamps

0:00 Intro
01:08 1.
02:20 2.
04:07 3.
05:32 4.
06:58 5.
07:55 6.

[carriebryan]

I was asked what my religion was and whether I had a boyfriend. My answers were, "I beg your pardon?" I told my recruiter and she said she'd take that company off her list.

[Foxhunter]

I went for an interview to work with horses. I was experienced and knowledgeable. I was a bit taken aback when asked, "What would be the worse thing about employing you?"
I thought for a few seconds and replied, "Your horses will become my horses, I will do what is right for them."
I got the job and worked for him for twenty years.

[davinasquirrel]

Yes, the no-make-up one is a problem, because nor do I wear make-up or heels (heels are another one btw), I actually cannot wear heels due to an ankle injury a long time ago.
However, for the interview, I put on a very minimal bit of make-up (depending on job level) and it usually takes me an hour just to find the makeup! But after starting, you can bet zero BS on my face. Best I can do is put up with it for a week, on a gradual scaling down process. I also refuse to wear dresses, and always trouser suit type.

I don't work in fashion, I am not young, and I often work in male-dominated sectors. The expectation of make-up and heels for women, in any sector except fashion, is ridiculous, and sexist.

[davinasquirrel]

The 'are you a virgin?' question was off the scale creepy (and yes, why did her father not say anything?). In my younger days, companies seemed obsessed as to what I planned to do with my uterus (like, do I plan on making all the babies). It shows just how warped much of society still is, when this sort of intrusion into women's bodies even crosses the mind of many people.

The great come-back line for the virgin question is to fire back (particularly if you know he is married) "do you have a mistress? or are you recruiting for a mistress rather than an internship? Personally I am only interested in the internship"

[katharalytefoot]

I have to admit as a woman I feel the need in interviews to explain that I am allergic to makeup to make sure they realise that I didn't just "not bother". I shouldn't have to, but it is a thing after I got feedback that I hadn't "presented myself well enough for an interview". I was suited up and did my hair (as much as it allows), so the only thing I could think of is that I wasn't wearing makeup. The interview was for data entry in a non-customer facing role...

[strawberrykatnz]

The make up one is merely a reflection of double standards. I had an interview once where I was asked if I had a partner and if we were planning on having kids in the next 2-3 years. I responded by saying, "Excuse me, how is that relevant to the role?" And he said, "I don't want to just hire someone to have to pay maternity leave and then pay someone on top to cover that leave." And I said, "If I were a man with a partner with intentions of having a family, would you be asking me that same question?" And he said, "No, because men don't get pregnant." And I said, "Well, women don't get pregnant without the participation of a man in some way either and a man is equally as responsible for a child as a woman is in the event a couple choose to have children." It basically turned into a fight and he demanded that I just answer the damn question. It really rubbed me up the wrong way. Whether it's makeup or children, women get persecuted in the workforce for this despite the fact women are as equally as dedicated as men to their jobs across the board. If an employer is going to insistent a woman wears makeup, they should be providing a makeup allowance to her as it's a company requirement. But in equal proportions, then men should wear makeup too by default and get paid a makeup allowance as well. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[charlotteinnocent]

I am with you on this WHAT WAS HER DAD DOING?! It sounds a lot to me like her dad was setting her up with someone at the company. "Here's my nice conservative virgin daughter, I have brought her like a cow to market would you like to take her off my hands?" How disgusting I'd move to the other side of the country and not say a word to him until he crawled out there begging for forgiveness. YUCK.

[kerryhamilton]

Makeup being important would only be relevant for those in the makeup industry or fashion or sales and even then .. it shouldn't be a deal breaker IMHO.

[caroljanecka]

No reason a person should be expected to wear make-up if she normally doesn't. That's personal bias on the part of the interviewer, and possibly gender discrimination. If everything else was a match, and it appears it was, then the interviewer may have been looking for a reason to dismiss.

[morrigan]

The second one sounds like gender discrimination to me. Do they also expect men to wear makeup? No? Then expecting a woman to wear makeup is discrimination, thus illegal in the US.

[Bobywan]

I have gradually downgraded my interview clothing range.
At first I went full suit when I had no experience to rely on.
Then I dropped the tie, then the jacket because it was summer and I preferred to be confortable rather than suited up.
Now, I just go with casual clothing, just regular nice clothes. I rely entirely on my skills and I have always been taken for the jobs I really wanted. If some company were to not hire me because of my appearance, that's not a company I would like to work for anyway.

[reubenjuster]

I went for a promotion in a company I worked at and I didn't get it as I didn't have the right look for the role (that was the feedback they gave me). They employed a very good looking fella who was an absolute moron. They had the cheek to ask me to train him up as he didn't have any knowledge, qualifications or experience for the role. I was fuming I wasn't good enough to do the role but good enough to train someone and offer support whilst they did the qualifications I already had.
I spoke to the guy who got it when he was in post and he didn't even have to do the same interview as me. Mine was an hour his was 15 mins. I left not long after

[TD-ruzi]

I interviewed for a job with this research company. Everything went great it seems. The interviewer kept hinting that I got the job in the bag. Gave him my references and everything. The next day he asked if he could contact my college advisor for reference instead of the people I gave him. It was super weird that he did that. I told him I’m not taking the job.

[Cassiopea]

How about a more fun interview story? I had been going to the library daily to get away from home and had occasionally helped other patrons with computer issues because I was ahead of the curve compared to the staff.

One day I’m reading some articles online when the head librarian walks up behind me, calling me by name. “Last year you filled out an application to be a library shelver.” It wasn’t a question, I just turned to face her as she added, “You also were one of the people I interviewed.” I nodded, “Yeah, I had been applying because working at the animal shelter was too depressing.” So she asked me to come to her office and we had a chat.

“Without expecting anything in return, you’ve helped anyone who struggled with computers and even taught the staff about cleaning keyboards so they last longer. We just got a bigger budget to hire a shelver. You still want the job?”

I worked there five years until they got a new librarian who was… not particularly fond of me.

[rebmagames]

When I was looking for an internship (I work in IT) I had an awful experience with one interview. It was quite far away from my home and it was a small company. I got there and the place was a mess food containers everywhere. A few interview questions in I got asked about my dating life and if I would date one of the people that was doing the interview if he got his own place. Also got told they needed a woman in the place to keep the boys in check and make sure everything is clean.

I didn't take the role they got mad at me for leading them on and I blocked them on all my socials.

[Feralfoundry]

Its pretty routine in America to be grilled and asked inappropriate questions about every aspect of your life as a female candidate for any job. The incessant pokes for information about your relationships, where and how healthy your family members are, your children, plans for children, sickness, health, health insurance, child care, partner/spouse, where you live, who you know in the field or area... oh! And ANY gap in employment better be verified by the President of the United States or you will not work again except as a minimum wage earner.

[joeschmo]

One smoothbrain at Information Builders started asking me questions if I knew X, Y, and Z (programming languages), and I was like, "Uhhh, no, never touched them."
_"You don't know X, Y, or Z?"_
"Nope."
_"Then why did you put down on your resume that you know them??"_
"I don't have any such thing on my resume."
_"No?"_ [almost angrily, like he "caught" me in a lie or something]
"Nope."
[pause]
_"Sandeep? Sandeep Kumar?"_
"Not even close." (I'm more whitebread than Pat Boone.)
_"Oh... _*_Who_*_ are you again?"_
I was tempted to walk out right there, but figured I'd give them a shot. Mistake. Another story for another day...

[heidihansen]

The make-up one is discrimination based on gender. I don't wear make-up. Many men don't wear make-up and a man wouldn't be turned down for not wearing make-up, why should women?

[fluorotoluene]

I was driven around on an interview for a faculty position, ostensibly to see the architecture around town, but every building turned out to be a church. I'm Canadian and nonreligious, but it was the US South, so I assumed the point was to determine my religious faith. Eventually, after many churches and the local synagogue, we came to a Southern Baptist church, and I'd had enough so I enthusiastically (and quite honestly) said "my father was Baptist — *Northern Irish* Baptist!" There was a secular Jewish professor from New York City in the back of the vehicle, and he immediately caught on to what I'd done and just barely held back from breaking into open laughter. Plenty of other weirdness, but that was by far the most memorable moment.

[msullivan]

LOL! As a teacher for the blind and visually impaired I’m about the only person that spice rack question is appropriate for 😂