Bad Job Interviews

[BWST]

Good thread.

I'm 39, and in my intire working life, i have had 3 job interviews. First was for my apprenticeship with BHP, then transferring that position over to a Mining Company in Henry Walker......then recently to OneSteel.

In those three interviews i felt very intimidated, and thought i did really bad. But managed to shoe my job in. I'm a very nervous person when it comes to things like this. But i know my job well, maybe that's where i won.

Horses for courses i suppose.......all my job interviews have gone crap, but i have managed to get what i want.

 

[Giants FC]

About 15 years ago I remember an interview I went to. The owner of the business was an Indian man who could talk under concrete. The interview went for about 90 minutes, during which time I got about 5 words in.
To my surprise, he asked me back for a second interview. He started by saying "I do realise that I spoke too much last time and didn't give you the opportunity to state your case for this very very important position..." and went on for about an hour's monologue.
Fortunately I didn't get the job. I'd have gone mental.

 

[Diesel_2000]

After the shocker of an interview i had first time around, I did a hellava lot better for an interview with a competing firm. Was a complete contrast to the first firm and I will now be meeting a partner this coming Monday.

 

[Uncle_Leo]

I've had a few shockers.

First one was a group interview with a bunch of Indian people who all talked over one another and were to the point of arguing with each other while I calmly answered the questions. I got the job and none of them were there when I arrived at work.

Second one was with a security place and she basically told me all about the job I said yeah it sounds good waiting then for her to start the actual interview. She didn't she said thanks we will let you know and never did.

Had one two weeks ago, while waiting to go in I realised my lip was bleeding, I started to lick at it and blood was all over my tongue, tried to wipe it, got it all over my hands, sat there waiting to go in trying to hold my lips closed and work out what i would do. Got in there and everytime she put her head down I would rub my lip and of course smear it further over my face, you know that face people give you when you have something on your face but they don't wanna say anything, she was giving me that. Thought I was gone.

Went for a second interview last week and got the job.

 

[drew_j]

Had two bad ones.

First one was for a job running pokies when I was 18 and going to uni. I didn't wear a tie because I didn't have one (a mistake I rectified pretty quickly). Anyway it was a group interview and the guy got up and started ranting about if you didn't have a tie you shouldn't have even bothered turning up. Instead of just leaving I sat back and gave the interview of a life time. Answered every question well, blitzed the test and waited for the decision. My competition was generally old women who had to ask each other what 20% of $8 means. I already had the licences and was clearly the best person for the job. I waited to the end and was not called out as accepted. This old bastard then went on about presentation and the tie and that one person didn't get the job because of it. Well I was the only guy there without a tie so I basically told him to get ****ed and that I would not have accepted a job from a grumpy old (C word) anyway. Seeing as everyone else had been rejected by this prick not moments before most of them found that pretty funny. Strangely enough I never worked in that industry again.

The second one I went into a job agency looking for work in my field (Elect Engineering, student at the time) and the first thing they asked me was "would you be willing to work in a slaughter house." Being young and not knowing how this worked I said yes through fear I wasn't going to be considered for anything because I wasn't willing to work. They gave me an application questionnaire and it was literally 2 + 2 = ? All I could think of was going to work with people who cut up freshly killed animals who needed to be tested to prove they were not mentally ******ed. Needless to say I got the job, but I turned it down by saying I'd found something else.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

I have probably got all but 2 of the jobs I have ever gone for. Most of them have been promotion opportunities within the public service and had large fields.

My second to last interview was the most important as it was a foot in the door in my current field with plenty of advancement room (went sideways for 8 years, then jumped 3 spots in 2 years, the government is like a game of frogger). I had been doing the job for a couple of months, mostly learning the ropes. I had printed out heaps of reference material as everyone says to use notes to refer to. I was given 15 minutes perusal time and had to read case studies and consider the questions. I looked at the sheet, starting madly flicking reference material without really looking at it ... 10 minutes ticked by, I freaked out, considered leaving because my mind was blank.

When they came to get me, I took a deep breath, decided to not take anything in with me, and just told myself that the information was all in my head somewhere and would come out when I needed it. It did. I fluke interviews so often that I am beginning to expect it will just come together every time now.

I hate interviews and I only get my applications in with minutes to spare even though I get two weeks to type something up.

 

[MF]

Tomorrow I'm supposed to be having a job interview in a car on the way to melbourne with my current manager which should be interesting. I'm taking it as a sign that I've already got the job and this is just a formality... hopefully

 

[Shinboner '07]

haha, i just got a job interview for friday, and it will be my first formal 1-on-1 interview... any words of advice?

 

[MF]

haha, i just got a job interview for friday, and it will be my first formal 1-on-1 interview... any words of advice?

Avoid eye contact, End all your sentences with "thats what im talkin' 'bout" and if they ask you any questions about your personal life or previous jobs say "I'm not supposed to talk about that".

 

[davey_magik]

Avoid eye contact, End all your sentences with "thats what im talkin' 'bout" and if they ask you any questions about your personal life or previous jobs say "I'm not supposed to talk about that".

And emphasise the 'BOUT' .

 

[nokiacasio]

In group taks, don't be the aggressive one.

I find the best way to prepare for interviews is to rehearse by writing out answers to common questions.

 

[Jizza9]

I had an interview today and they asked me if i was good at maths I said "Yeah I'm ok" then he goes "What's 9 x 9?" and i just choked massively and said "42". And i am actually quite good at maths, i just choked under the pressure. I still can't believe it.

 

[Get Thee To A Nunnery]

I attended an interview a few years ago.......had to fly from Melbourne to Orange (NSW) for a job in the NSW public sector. It was a shocking interview, as I was asked "stock questions of a list"...and it went for about 40 minutes. After the interview, I was stuck in Orange for about 5 hours, and had a snooze in the local park. By the time I got back to Melbourne later that night.....I told my mates..it was a shocking interview, and I would not expect it to go any further.....surprise surprise ..two week's later I was offered the role and took it.......

Even when you think it's gone to sh**t somtimes..it aint as bad as it seems...

 

[Willow_2000]

I attended an interview a few years ago.......had to fly from Melbourne to Orange (NSW) for a job in the NSW public sector. It was a shocking interview, as I was asked "stock questions of a list"...and it went for about 40 minutes. After the interview, I was stuck in Orange for about 5 hours, and had a snooze in the local park. By the time I got back to Melbourne later that night.....I told my mates..it was a shocking interview, and I would not expect it to go any further.....surprise surprise ..two week's later I was offered the role and took it.......

Even when you think it's gone to sh**t somtimes..it aint as bad as it seems...

Its funny u say that.
I always thought my job interviews went real well but i never got the job. I always got the "Sorry but you were our 2nd choice, we'll keep in touch if it doesnt work out with this bloke"

Anyway my last job interview it was a pretty shitty place when i rocked up so i thought nar dont wanna work here. I tried my hardest to throw the interview and make it real bad... Turns out 3 days later i got a call back saying i got the job, i was like wtf.

Anyway iv been there for about 4 months now, boss is great, work guys are great and they are paying me double then what the other places were