Opening Still Relevant: 45 People Share The Unfortunate Interview That Made Them Pass On The Position

We have to be honest with you on this one. Let’s face it. Job interviews get pretty uncomfortable at times, even when you’ve done everything in your power to prepare yourself as best as possible. You need to dress and talk confidently and impress your hopefully future employer with your skills, conduct, and work experience. Considering all that pressure, messing up a bit is quite an expected and ordinary occurrence. But, you also need to consider that job interviews can go wrong due to the person who’s interviewing you. As we see in this article, some interviewers may take their position of “power” against potential candidates too far. With that being said, let’s take a look at 45 unfortunate stories that people shared online about how things quickly went wrong during their job interviews.

No time to waste

Here is a candidate who decided that the interview took a nasty turn. What’s impressive is that the person walked out of the interview when the employer talked about door-to-door sales. It’s good that he didn’t waste anybody’s time, and he rightfully expressed what he felt.

You know, it’s a true and sad thing. There are so many door-to-door sales jobs on the internet that aren’t transparent. People use customer service roles as a disguise for these jobs. These employers must put it out for what it is.

0 tolerance

Talking about honesty, here’s yet another candidate who turned and walked right out of the door when things took a wrong turn. This time, it was essential since the interviewer started getting verbally abusive. It gets pretty uncomfortable and intense to be interviewed under those conditions.

We’re happy that many people have walked out of interviews because the interviewers make the candidates look as if they’re desperate for the job, thus, also taking advantage of the situation. Pro tip: always walk out when things get like that.

Just sign them!

This story is of a job interview that didn’t just go bad. Things went sour, and it took a dangerous and, yes, illegal turn. The candidate had to sign off on aircraft security checks, but the candidate was told to do so even when they didn’t inspect the aircraft.

All that means that this person would have to sign off on an aircraft that the person didn’t personally work on. Since the candidate is signing it, it means the candidate takes responsibility for what happens. No way, that’s insane!

Trust issues

These days, remote work is on the rise. A considerable number of people prefer working from home rather than going to the office. As we can see in this story, some companies have a different take on it. Have a look.

Wow, this company has some trust issues going on. Those people in higher positions want to collect screenshots, videos, and out of all things, mouse movements of their employees throughout the day. It’s good this person didn’t take the job.

Less than what you promised

Here’s the thing. Sometimes, some organizations lie about the pay that their employees will receive. Some lie pretty blatantly, while others sugarcoat their lies. They use dodgy language, which can be understood by carefully reading between the lines.

You shouldn’t walk into the trap when such things happen because it’ll be awful if you do. We’re glad that this candidate tried their best to keep things clear about the salary, but they walked out when things were clear enough.

What a shame

It feels pretty bad to realize that even after all the advancements in our world and the achievements of women in society, some people still have a problem with women in positions of power. That’s the case here. Have a look.

Unlike the ones we saw before, the interviewer has no fault here. The interviewee seems to be the narrow-minded one. We can’t understand why this person would say something like that. Dude, it’s right in front of you! There’s a reason why she’s the interviewer, and you’re the candidate!

Office infector

Some people have to go through a lot in order to get through their job interviews. They need to act in specific ways to impress their interviewers. For instance, they need to be more severe or more upbeat than they usually are.

This person went too far with the whole acting thing because they said they’d infect everybody with happiness and pixie dust (As if that’s supposed to impress the manager). We think an experienced professional could see right through that. 

Downright disrespectful

Sadly, workplaces have a lot of bias, and many of us might have experienced that at least at some point in our lives. You can witness discrimination while choosing candidates or wrongly assuming things about people. Bias in the office is unfortunately not going away any time soon.

This person had the gall to congratulate the lady interviewing him on “getting so far.” It’s a bizarre kind of flex, considering that he didn’t get the job. It’s high time people let go of their narrow-minded thoughts. Seriously.

Display of honesty

There are certain times during a job interview when you end up saying the things that you never meant to say. Sometimes, you either get a bit too honest about your weaknesses, or you just end up admitting that you weren’t getting along with your previous employer.

Either way, such slip-ups can be disastrous since they can cost you your future job. This person got extremely honest and started blurting about their anger problems and how they have a “hands-on” approach (not what you think). That’s a big no-no.

Baiting employees

As mentioned before, there are a lot of companies in this world that wrongly advertise their job openings and make it look like they’re paying a higher salary than they’re offering. It’s very deceptive, and it’s a vile trick to play on your prospective employees.

This job interview took a nasty turn when the candidate realized that their potential employers had falsely advertised their overall wages. The actual pay was a bit more than half of what they had put up—good job walking out of there.

A bit too honest

We start with a unique story because it shows that you can walk out the door with a job even after messing things up by saying something terrible during the interview. This candidate got a bit too honest while answering why he was the best candidate for the job.

That’s not the worst answer, but it’s pretty clever and cocky. But, it’s also an answer that could offend someone who loves what they’re doing. We’re assuming that this candidate might have been a realistic one since he acknowledged the monotonous nature of a job at a retail store.

Caught red-handed

Even the smallest of things matter when it comes to a job interview. Your interviewers notice everything, from how you sit down, to your hand positions, to your body language, and literally everything else. Considering all that, rolling your eyes isn’t the best thing to do.

Asking someone to wear a mask during an interview is a pretty genuine request. After the past two years, it’s necessary, and as far as we know, we’re not yet at that point where we can freely roam around without masks in most places—health above everything.

Honest, but not so honest

Anybody who has made a resume knows one thing that you should never do while making one. Any guesses what that is? You should never lie on your resume. Spinning stuff on your resume, just a bit, could still be manageable, but a lie could cost you a lot.

Well, that’s one confused soul. He lied on his resume so that he could get his foot in the door. We assume he meant that he wanted to give an interview. Well, he got the chance. But then he got all honest about the lies. It’s obvious he’ll be shown the exit.

Something is wrong

Workplaces are supposed to be legitimate, but the thing is that not every workplace is as legit as it is supposed to be. You’d usually expect your employer to pay to train you and provide you with a uniform. But, that’s not always what happens.

The requirements of this place are the opposite of what we just mentioned. That’s bizarre. We think that the employers owe them a uniform and even training in some instances if they pay them wages. It’ll ultimately have the company’s greater good in it.

Weird teacher interview

Let us tell you that there are quite a few teaching job interview stories here that’ll give off the impression that every school is living in its make-believe universe. Take a look at this story of a teacher giving an interview and overseeing a bingo session for children.

We must say that that’s some multitasking, and that’s also a pretty strange task for an interview. The teacher noticed a child cheating during a round. Thus, the teacher had a quiet word with the child. We can’t understand how that cost the teacher their job? Also, that’s some harsh language.

Taking things seriously

After so many bizarre stories, we have a fantastic account for you. It is also one of those stories you won’t forget so quickly. It’s common for interviewers to ask candidates about their strengths, and everybody knows that not everybody can answer that perfectly.

That’s an optimistic 16-year-old. When asked about his “strengths,” the boy took the question literally and talked about his free lifting potential. It’s apparent that he couldn’t have been selected on that basis, but it was hilarious! To be fair, it is his strength.

Anger issues

Take a look at this funny Reddit post from the interviewer’s POV, who had to listen to the weird answers of two young and relatively inexperienced candidates. For starters, the first candidate explained his rage problems to his interviewer. Ouch.

The next candidate talked about how they would take care of a stressful situation by literally doing nothing and letting all hell break loose, and allowing all things to go out of control. None of them got the job. 

The bad effects of anxiety

Anxiety has a considerable impact on the lives of many people. Sadly, things get worse during a job interview because of the extra pressure and high stakes involved in it. It makes you stammer, and it could also make you lose the ability to speak at that moment.

This person described how a candidate literally lost her voice right through the middle of the interview. That’s what anxiety can do to you. Her throat closed up, and the interviewer said she mentally fell apart. We feel bad for the candidate.

Unacceptable behavior

In specific industries, employers observe the lives of their employees even after their jobs. These companies also host many group meal mixers, and in some extreme cases, the hiring managers even look out the window to see their candidates exit the building. Creepy much?

This situation is one of those, although it isn’t as extreme as what we mentioned. The candidate missed out on a job because of the candidate’s behavior in a nearby store, which was witnessed first-hand by the interviewer. That was a close call.

No phones, please

We just talked about how those looking for a job are constantly on watch during group sessions or other times when everybody is being collectively addressed. When somebody hosts an interview and notices a slip-up from a candidate, it’s easy to dismiss them because you don’t want to stand out for it.

In this story, the candidate, who could’ve gotten the job, lost the prospective job because he was using his phone under the desk while the interviewer was speaking. The moral of the story is to remember that you’re not hidden, even when you think you are.

A big oops

It’s great to have your best foot forward during an interview. Now, that could include anything, from looking invested in the company or even being interested in the company that you would probably work for in the future. A few minutes of research goes a long way.

This person was so excited that he slipped out on the fact that he researched the wrong company. Researching a company before the interview is good, but perhaps, he should have double-checked everything. But, 10/10 for effort. Best of luck next time!

What are your strengths?

If you want to highlight your strengths, a job interview is the best opportunity. Also, you should be very careful with what you say because you only want to choose the right strengths to highlight. We aren’t saying anything wrong about this candidate. Have a look.

We don’t know what’s the point of “going on for 2 minutes about how [he has] a smile that lights up a room.” It’s good if that’s a genuine strength, but how’s that supposed to benefit the company? It obviously didn’t end well.

Long drive

Although many things in the interview are not solely in your hands. Your answers, personality, and how you present yourself mainly decide your chances of getting a job. But, there are some things that you can’t control. Take a look at this one.

The primary thing that you need for a job interview is, of course, an up-to-date resume. An outdated CV could lead to problems like that. The person had to travel for six hours, and on top of that, they didn’t get the job. 

Time is money

It’s evident that interviewers feel more powerful than the candidates for obvious reasons. They have the authority, they have the job, and the candidate’s career also depends on the interviewer’s decision. But, it doesn’t mean interviewers can take advantage of it. 

This candidate waited and wasted thirty minutes for the interviewer to show up. When that didn’t happen, the candidate left. That’s quite a confident call because the candidate also turned down the job when the interviewer called back. You go, girl!

Dysfunctional company

You guys need to know that there’s a lot to digest about this interview. First of all, the entire situation looks like a huge red flag. Therefore, avoiding this place seems to be the best option to consider.

Something is wrong with this place, and they should figure that out before onboarding new employees. Losing it over such a common question isn’t so common. Also, the rant was a pretty unnecessary thing in that situation. What do you think?

A lot of errors

There are certain situations where you think that things could have been better than how they actually went. It feels like things couldn’t get any worse than that other times. After looking at this situation, we think things could’ve been better.

This one doesn’t seem like a job interview. It looks like a scene from a comedy sitcom. However, this candidate indeed left an impression, just not the one impression that was required. But, he still thanked the people for their time. Good man.

Perfect judgment

This story is unique because it is about a job applicant that actually checked out the energy and wellbeing of his workplace. Such things provide a lot of helpful information to the candidate before they want to accept the new role.

In this situation, the candidate noticed the change in the body language of the staff member when the manager walked in. He inferred that the manager wasn’t a nice person to work with. Thus, he left. The attention to detail was just excellent!

Pyramid schemes

We hope you know what they say about the pyramid schemes. If it looks, sounds, and smells like a pyramid scheme, then ladies and gentlemen, it is a pyramid scheme. That’s precisely what this person found out as well, to their utmost surprise.

The guy panicked while stepping into the interview because of everybody’s neat sense of style. He also thought something was fishy, and later on, he realized that it was a pyramid scheme. Great intuition! Well, he also wore his shirt inside out the whole time. We’re glad he was the only one to notice that.

Moral of the story

Before we begin, let us tell you guys something. This job interview isn’t just an interview. It also has an important lesson embedded in it. The lesson is not to drink a lot of fizzy stuff before your interview. If you do, you might end up belching like this guy.

That’s a hugely embarrassing moment. It wasn’t just a normal burp; in fact, it was one of those long and disgusting ones. It came out exactly when he shook the interviewer’s hand and was about to introduce himself. Well, he politely took himself out after the incident.

Where are your manners?

You know that you need to be as polite as you can while you are in an interview. So, always be sure to smile, make eye contact, be formal, say please and thank you, and do everything you can to make a great first impression. Don’t pick up phone calls, and don’t make them wait.

Imagine you’re an interviewer interviewing a newbie trying to land a job at your company, and he tells you to hold on because he’s got a call right in the middle of the interview. Everyone knows the best thing is to turn off your cell phone during interviews, or so we thought.

Washed out

There have been specific incidents where candidates have been denied jobs because of the behavior of certain staff members. It could be because of a particular person’s demeanor or even the tone. It speaks a lot about what happens in the workplace.

But, paying attention to people’s body language and reactions at a workplace is a great way to reveal a lot of detail. In this situation, a teacher who was about to join the school took a round of the school and noticed how burnt out other teachers were.

Overconfidence is dangerous

All those who have conducted a job interview know very well about the types of candidates who are highly overconfident. Some rather average-skilled candidates come with a sense of entitlement that makes them feel as if they are owed those jobs.

That sense of overconfidence and entitlement even exists if the person isn’t qualified or doesn’t even have the experience needed for the job. It’s a weird thing, but such people do exist. There’s no surprise that they don’t get the job.

No illegal activities

We saw an example of what can happen if you should ever lie on your resume. If there is something that’s a bigger no than that, it’s about mentioning illegal actions during an interview. That’s a huge no. However, we can’t seem to understand the behavior of this person.

While in the midst of the job selection process for a phone technical support team, this candidate said something that cost him his future job. He said he liked Android’s operating system because it’s easier to hack. Great way to not get a job.

Uniform problems

You might have seen clothing store employees wearing items from their store as a uniform. It is quite sensible because brands obviously want their employees to represent their brand. The advantage is that the employees get high-quality clothing for free.

This clothing brand had a pretty weird demand. We think they should learn from those brands that give out free clothes to their employees to represent their brand. It works out pretty well for those brands—good job on denying the job.

Why should we hire you?

We saw the story about the retail worker who got the job even after admitting their zoning out skills. This time, we have a fast-food equivalent of that story. This worker admitted that they were applying to KFC because McDonald’s didn’t hire them.

That’s pretty straightforward of that person. Although it’s one of the worst things to say during an interview, and things would’ve been worse if it were two local rival companies instead of McDonald’s and KFC, sometimes, this brutal honesty works pretty well. 

Pass

We actually feel pretty bad for the person behind this post because let’s face it. It is probably the job interview nightmare for most people. We can’t imagine how it must feel when you can’t respond when somebody asks your name during an interview.

This person forgot their name during the interview and said “pass” after a minute of saying random sounds. That’s just bad, and we hope the person overcomes their anxiety and is more successful in their next job. In conclusion, they didn’t get the job.

Stalking?

It’s a pretty good idea to conduct some research before going to a job interview. You might also want to check certain things about the company while also knowing their history. It would help if you also considered searching about the existing staff members.

But, you should also ensure that these things and this knowledge, in particular, should make you look like a stronger candidate instead of making you look like a creepy stalker. This candidate looked like the latter in this case. Eek!

Unnecessary costs

It’s pretty bad when interviewers expect the workers to pay for their training and uniforms. We saw a few jobs like that earlier, and we’re glad all such jobs were turned down. This one is a bit over-the-top because, in this situation, employees need to pick their administrative costs as well.

This company asked its employee to pay an administrative fee. What’s that even supposed to mean? As mentioned in the image, it is indeed a huge red flag. Always dodge the jobs where you have to pay your employers a fee.

In their own world

We talked about teaching interviews that seemed a little out-of-the-world in a weird way earlier. This story is somewhat just like that. Here, a school had a very poor response to a teacher-candidate who tried to calmly explain something.

The teacher was explaining that if she caught a student using their cellphone during class, they would take the phone away and, later on, return it to the student. For some reason, the interviewer called things off after this answer.

Never underestimate people

We saw some rather disturbing stories about men underestimating and questioning the capability of the women interviewing them. It’s terrible, but we’re glad that this arrogant candidate got what he deserved after disrespecting the female VP of the company.

Things were terrible from the beginning, as the interviewee only addressed his responses to the man on the interviewer’s panel, even though the male interviewer never asked any questions. That strategy backfired pretty well after it was clear that the lady was in charge of things in the room.

Tit for tat

Sadly, people in the hiring process don’t always communicate with each other, which results in situations like the one you are all about to see. Here, a director mistakenly started interviewing a person who was already supposed to be recruited.

You know, these mistakes don’t look so good, and they could cost the company an employee. Weirdly, the candidate had a give-it-back attitude, so the candidate started interviewing them right back, which was also pretty strange. Communication is definitely crucial in all walks of life.

Got it all wrong

Particular job interviews that we saw were on the cringe side, but this job interview is just wrong, like, on a painful level. Candidates should be optimistic and open when a point about diversity is raised during an interview. If you don’t know something, then you should consider keeping mum.

Instead, this candidate took the stage to make an outdated and offensive comment. When something like that happens, the chances are that the person will not get a job at the company that they’re applying to. We hope somebody told this guy where he went wrong.

A weird threat

It’s pretty bad for a job interview to take an aggressive turn, but what would you do if your interviewer started to threaten you suddenly? This story looks funny, but it is also pretty scary. Go on. Have a look.

What kind of a threat is that? Cutting your hair if you leak the company’s information to the competitors? Well, it’s still a pretty disgusting threat. We like how the interviewee never revealed any information about the company but told everybody what the interviewer told her.

Red flags

You should steer clear of an ocean of red flags while applying and interviewing for a new job. This short story will help you understand all those things in a much clearer way. You should ensure that you don’t see this sign in the company you’re applying to.

For instance, you should make sure that the company has a web presence, make sure that the employees look happy, and make sure that the interviewer isn’t late. Apart from that, another huge red flag is when a company doesn’t advertise its wages.

No job for you

We talked about how you should never lie on your resume because employers can see through that. Do you know what’s worse than lying on your resume? It’s poorly lying on your resume. There’s going to be a lot of embarrassment with that.

This person needs to work on a lot of things. Not only did the person add some experience to their background, but the person also went on to get rid of some pretty important details. No wonder he didn’t get the job.