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Bad job interviews/experiences
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Today I went for a job interview with another branch of a shop I work with 5 years ago. When I walked in, there was a lady I worked with in the other store, had a small chat (about the weather, so British ) and went into the interview room. They turned out to be interested in the fact that I worked in a previous branch (even though it was my first job and I wasn't exactly brilliant at it) and the fact I had worked with the other lady.
The bad point of all this is that I worked on the food court when there, and whilst she had popped out for a little bit I managed to sell a pizza to a customer. Turned out it was a few days old (it was just a display pizza), and we never saw the customer again . I still worry I finished the guy off with nasty pizza! In the same shop I was convinced someone was looking for fish, took them all the way round to the frozen food area and they were actually looking for batteries, got looked at like I was a bit mental. I'm now convinced this is going to get back to the manager and I can wave goodbye to the much needed job .
Anyone else had a bad job interview or work experience? I'm just trying to make myself feel better here
The bad point of all this is that I worked on the food court when there, and whilst she had popped out for a little bit I managed to sell a pizza to a customer. Turned out it was a few days old (it was just a display pizza), and we never saw the customer again . I still worry I finished the guy off with nasty pizza! In the same shop I was convinced someone was looking for fish, took them all the way round to the frozen food area and they were actually looking for batteries, got looked at like I was a bit mental. I'm now convinced this is going to get back to the manager and I can wave goodbye to the much needed job .
Anyone else had a bad job interview or work experience? I'm just trying to make myself feel better here
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I turned up for my first 'proper' job interview spick, span and precisely on time - just on the wrong day. Or so they said. :D
Still got the job in the end though, so good luck OP.
Probably isn't but when you really need a job then things like this tend to stick in your mind . I need the good luck me thinks so thank you.
Don't ask. Once someone came in asking for what I though was a sandwich - they were actually looking for a town a few miles away (the town's name doesn't even sound like Sandwich!). Another time I confused anti-snore with anti-freeze, that could of ended badly.....
Haha - I think it's ok, I just assume I heard something correctly instead of asking someone to repeat themselves. I hope my hearing is ok as my eyesight is terrible!
I wouldn't worry too much about getting fish and batteries mixed up, I can see how it might have happened - did they ask for battered cod or something.
Take heart, it doesnt always ruin your chances. If you shone through in the interview a half decent employer will know you are the right person. if they are the type of employers who will hold delayed busses in the bad weather against you - you dont really want to wrok there
No they asked for batteries, I gave them fish . I wouldn't worry too much about getting there late, you can't help the weather! I had to walk along a main road to get to my interview, the only side of the road with pavement was rock hard with ice, and I was wearing heels, it's not fun is it .
We obviously didn't do a good enough job selling the company to him.
The job was working for a local chemicals firm, got to the interview dressed in smart casual. Nothing too fancy and met the guy.
I was assuming it would be a quick chat, showing me what I'd be doing and then i'd be on my way, it was far from it.
I got there at about 11am feeling great, sat down and had a chat about what I'd done before, had to fill in a form about the role which wasnt too much of a issue. But then things went downhill.The guy (short of memory perhaps) asked me again what i'd done before, and me without wanting to go over myself expanded a bit on my recollections, on this he presented a worksheet and asked I did a quiz about what cleaning items go with what color chart. 15 minutes later I'd done the test and passed with flying colours, to which...again...he asked me what previous experience i've had with cleaning. Now im starting to get agitated if this was just a wind up or a genuine interview, so without being rude I mentioned all the things previously before. To which he left the room for 5 minutes, came back and showed me around the offices. After we'd done that we sat back down, again, and yes...again...he asked what I had previously done similar to the job I was being offered. This guy was really taking the biscuit. So in a daze I just half-assed mentioned I'd done some cleaning. It was probobally around 1.30pm before I was finally on my way.
Interview from hell.
Why can't my husband find someone like you. He's been searching for a job for months, always turned up on time or way before his interviews. Always eager and answered their questions to the best of his ability. He always thought he did a brilliant job and they always seemed to like him.
For some reason which we can't fathom, they reject him!:(
He went for a second interview a few weeks ago, he thought he had it in the bag, perfect job, perfect location, perfect position, perfect wages....they seemed like they loved him not just the first time but also on the second. But yet they didn't offer it to him - heartbreaking!:(
They asked him if he kept fit, nothing to do with the job!!
I'll take it!
Aw I want it! OP are you looking for a brown-noser who will do a half arsed job and skive-off to the shops on a two hour lunch break, cos I'm your lady
The fourth person I interviewed drew up a chair and sat down and announced that she would be grateful if we could be very quick as she had left the baby in the waiting room and had to breast feed him at noon. This suprised me enough so that I set down my cup of tea, tipped it over and sploshed it all over har lap.
One of the other interviewers had a stock question asking her to recall a difficult situation she had had to deal with and she said that she couldn't remember any in particular but if she had one she would sit down and think about it over a cup of tea, and winked at me. She was promoted, what else could we do?
You could try asking koantemplation, although it still sounds too much like hard work.....
Each time I had to do a lot of travelling and give up good self-employed contracts to attend, plus do lots of research. And provide samples, plus map out potential future projects, presenting them to the interview panel.
Didn't get the role and a year later was overseeing a project at a similar place when I bumped into someone who'd previously been at the place where I'd applied unsuccessfully.
Got chatting, and he said: "Oh, you had no chance of getting that job. It was always earmarked for an internal candidate, but HR told the boss to get in some external applicants with the right skills sets so that all the paperwork would make it look like a fair process. You were an outsider just making up the numbers." :rolleyes:
But I did mess up one interview I went to years ago, thankfully for a job I wasn't desperate for. For some reason I twice called the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) the CIA! Only realised when I got outside and re-ran interview in my head.:D
Right, well do you know anything about IT Systems Administration because the bloke has just called back to turn down the job!!!
What recession? :eek:
I walked out when he told me that instead of being able to help with my Dad's care (Dad is disabled and housebound - I care for him 2 days a week) I had to get a nurse in so I could work whenever he had the whim to call me in. And tell my Dad to pull himself together and look after himself.
No wonder that since that interview, they've advertised for managers and assistant managers several times.
I can pretend to know about IT systems Admin will that do?
Can't believe that guy turned the job down! If I were you and if he comes crawling back having changed his mind I wouldn't offer the job again lol
I sat there and had a lovely cup of coffee, and everyone kept walking past me. After about 45 mins a woman came up to me and said "who did you say you were here to see"? I told her, and she said they had never heard of the company or the lady who was conducting the interview :eek:
It turned out the building i wanted was around the corner. So - I ran there and explained what had happened being sure that they would sling me out as i was now over an hour late. Luckily they laughed like drains ... and offered me the job
Another time I had an online test, telephone interview. Passed those. Then invited to interview, including a series of tests. Got past that. Then invited back to stay overnight. Final stage. Many tests and interviews. Failed. Got a mug though. Every time I have a cup of tea I am reminded of my having failed.
I had an interview with Nandos while I was living in Sydney. It was a group interview which consisted of showing 'team player skills' by competing against each other to make a tower out of paper and staples. We then had a general knowledge quiz, to put forward an answer you had to identify yourself by shouting out one of the items from Nando's menu, like "Piri Piri" or "chilli fries". As if that wasn't enough, we then had to get in to two groups and write a song about chicken, then sing it. The people in my team came up with "I ate some chicken and I liked it" Katy Perry style.
That had to be one of the most humiliating experience of my life. I was so desperate for a job I forced myself to 'compete' in everything challenge they threw at me. And I didn't even get a job in the end! I can't bear to even look at a Nandos now
Awww bless you, but this did make me laugh. I can picture it. I even sang along with you in my head