Ready for some “interesting” and fun interview stories? Enjoy reading the peculiar mistakes made in these stories as you wouldn’t want to be the one to repeat history – well at least not history in this context.


#1: The Air Freshener

A female candidate walks into her interview and sits down. The interviewer begins to speak and ask questions when she recognizes a strong scent that is awfully familiar to her. She realizes it’s the same scent as the air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror of her car, so she begins to wonder where it’s coming from. Shortly after she notices the same air freshener worn as a necklace around the interviewee’s neck. Quite the accessory!

Moral: Proper hygiene is expected but do mind the strong scents you wear for an interview as it can be distracting, and/or people may be allergic.


#2: The Male Chauvinist

A middle-aged man is being interviewed by a female recruiter. The man starts mentioning that it’s great the company is hiring more and more women; the recruiter didn’t comment. He continues on asking the recruiter if he can now be interviewed by a male and starts complaining about his wife and what he thinks she should and should not be doing. At this point, the recruiter is not impressed and lets him know how inappropriate his comments are. Guess he didn’t get the job!

Moral: Be respectful in your interview and do not speak poorly of others or of their gender, ethnicity, race, religion, etc. No one wants to hire someone who will potentially be disrespectful and harmful in the workplace.


#3: The Flatulence Man

A man is seated for his interview, appearing both professional and courteous. About 10 minutes into the interview, the man leans over to release a bodily noise. The interviewer is shocked but, trying not to get distracted, continues on with the questions prepared for the candidate. A few moments later the interviewee releases the same flatulence, and not just once more but four more times. The interviewer asks the candidate politely if he would like to be excused for a moment, but he didn’t realize that he was doing anything wrong.

Moral: There are just some things that will not get you the job. Remember, it’s important to be courteous and respectful in your interview. Try to avoid anything that may be distracting to anyone involved in the interview process.


#4: The “Job Offer” Call

A young female forgets to turn her cell phone off during the interview. Half way through the interview her cell phone rings and she answers it. It’s bad enough that she answered the call but she then has a conversation with the individual on the other end during her interview. The person she spoke with ended up being from another company she had applied to and they were offering her a job which she accepted on her cell phone in front of the recruiter interviewing her. The interview was clearly finished after this inappropriate behaviour!

Moral: A) Make sure to turn off your cell phone before entering an interview room as it is very disruptive and rude if it goes off. B) Do not answer your cell phone during an interview if it happens to go off, and apologize for having left it on. C) It’s fine to let the interviewer know that you have applied to and are interviewing with other companies but do not waste their time if you have already accepted a job elsewhere or accept one in the middle of the interview. Remember, everything you say or do during your entire interview process can have an impact on your reputation.


#5: The Nail Flicker

A lady is being interviewed for a corporate position. The first and last thing that stands out in the recruiter’s mind is this lady’s brightly polished acrylic nails. Through the entire interview this lady picked at her nails, peeled them off, and flicked them onto the floor. Professional? Classy? Not at all!

Moral: Avoid your bad habits during an interview. On another note, also ensure that your dress and appearance are professional. Women, keep make-up and jewellery to a minimum; neutral colours are best. Men, it is best to go to an interview properly groomed i.e. cleanly shaven.


#6: The Meditator

A man had brought his wife and children with him to wait in the reception area for his interview. The recruiter invited him into the interview room while his family waited at reception. After her husband left, the wife removed her shoes and socks, sat cross legged on the chair, and meditated. Talk about being too relaxed and comfortable!

Moral: A company is not your home and interviewing with a company is not like being at home; you have to conduct yourself in an orderly fashion and proper mannerisms are expected. If it can be avoided try not to bring family and friends along with you to an interview; however, under certain circumstance (i.e. emergencies, commuting and transportation issues, obligations) it will be understood.


#7: The Best Friend

A young woman, just out of university, invites her friend to meet her at the company where she is interviewing to hang out together in the reception area. Of course, the receptionist can hear their entire conversation, and from this point has developed a bias towards and negative first impression of the candidate.

Moral: The reception or front desk area at a company is not a hang out or a place to meet up with friends; meet your friends prior to or following the interview. Also keep in mind that the interview starts as soon as you step foot into the company’s building not into the interview room.

OVERALL MESSAGE

Remember, you have one chance to make your first impression your best impression! The first 10 seconds says a lot about you, through your body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, hand shake, appearance, mannerisms, and so on. Everything you do, say, and wear is evaluated, and, as a tip, nothing catches an interviewer more than using their name. First impressions do make a difference!