Interviews
We've all been interviewed for jobs. And, we've all spent
most of those interviews thinking about what not to do. Don't
bite your nails. Don't fidget. Don't interrupt. Don't belch.
If we did any of the don'ts, we knew we'd disqualify ourselves
instantly. But some job applicants go light years beyond this.
In a survey top personnel executives of 100 major American
corporations and asked for stories of unusual behavior by
job applicants.
The lowlights:
1. "... stretched out on the floor
to fill out the job application."
2. "She wore a Walkman and said she
could listen to me and the music at the same time."
3. " A balding candidate abruptly
excused himself. Returned to office a few minutes later,
wearing a hairpiece."
4. "... asked to see interviewer's
resume to see if the personnel executive was qualified to
judge the candidate."
5. "... announced she hadn't had
lunch and proceeded to eat a hamburger and French fries
in the interviewer's office - wiping the ketchup on her
sleeve."
6. "Stated that, if he were hired,
he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the corporate
logo tattooed on his forearm."
7. "Interrupted to phone his therapist
for advice on answering specific interview questions."
8. "When I asked him about his hobbies,
he stood up and started tap dancing around my office."
9. "At the end of the interview,
while I stood there dumbstruck, went through my purse, took
out a brush, brushed his hair, and left."
10. "... pulled out a Polaroid camera
and snapped a flash picture of me.
Said he collected photos of everyone who interviewed him."
11. "Said he wasn't interested because
the position paid too much."
12. "While I was on a long-distance
phone call, the applicant took out a copy of Penthouse,
and looked through the photos only, stopping longest at
the centerfold."
13. "During the interview, an alarm
clock went off from the candidate's brief case. He took
it out, shut it off, apologized and said he had to leave
for another interview."
14. "A telephone call came in for
the job applicant. It was from his wife. His side of the
conversation went like this: "Which company? When do
I start? What's the salary?" I said, "I assume
you're not interested in conducting the interview any further."
He promptly responded, "I am as long as you'll pay
me more. "I didn't hire him, but later found out there
was no other job offer. It was a scam to get a higher offer."
15. "His attache [case] opened when
he picked it up and the contents spilled, revealing ladies'
undergarments and assorted makeup and perfume."
16. "Candidate said he really didn't
want to get a job, but the unemployment office needed proof
that he was looking for one."
17. "... asked who the lovely babe
was, pointing to the picture on my desk. When I said it
was my wife, he asked if she was home now and wanted my
phone number. I called security,"
18. "Pointing to a black case he
carried into my office, he said that if he was not hired,
the bomb would go off. Disbelieving, I began to state why
he would never be hired and that I was going to call the
police. He then reached down to the case, flipped a switch
and ran. No one was injured, but I did need to get a new
desk."
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