Todays job interview experience

edited February 2010 in Chit chat
Thought I may share this little experience I had today whilst at a job interview...

Saw an interesting job working as a I.T tutor, got shortlisted and invited to interview. I arrived 15 minutes early, then was kept waiting and told they were running late. Forty five minutes later they inform me they have run out of time, and can't see me since they are closing and they will need to arrange another date and time !

This company work in the customer service area, and by the time I got home, it made my blood boil. Allowed myself to calm down after getting in a rage on how they wasted my time, then decided to phone the companies managing director and asked for an explanation and apology. I got the apology and a promise of an e-mail for 10pm this evening giving another interview date and time. Still heard nothing.

Conclusion: Lack of time management, arrogance, and appauling customer service. Im glad I don't work for them after that experience. Lets hope I get more luck at Fridays job interview which I have elsewhere...

Anyone else care to share their interview experiences?
Post edited by Hercules on
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Comments

  • edited February 2010
    I was told that if I took the job I would have to wear the uniform provided, it was a womans one, I wish now that I had said yes, as it was about thirty years ago, I doubt that I could have taken them to a discrimination hearing though. If it had been today, I would have faced it off, and made their life a living hell............
    Every time I read that the oldest person in the world has died, I have to do a quick check to see it isn't ME..........
  • edited February 2010
    grey key wrote: »
    I was told that if I took the job I would have to wear the uniform provided, it was a womans one, I wish now that I had said yes, as it was about thirty years ago, I doubt that I could have taken them to a discrimination hearing though. If it had been today, I would have faced it off, and made their life a living hell............

    also you had the figure for it back then. :-P

    i went for a job interview at my own place of work, they gave me a test on a computer prog, but they did it in my office, at a pc a few desks away from mine. people kept coming over saying 'you look smart today' or 'how come you are sat there'. was really off putting.
  • edited February 2010
    Yes I did ! thank you for noticing ! He also had a talking crow or something in the office that kept repeating " You`ve got the job, You`ve lost the job ", makes me wonder what the staff turnover was and what his true motives were. If it was anyone on here and you are reading this, " Pervert ", there that made me feel better.......................If it was you Mile, that would explain how you know I had the figure.........................
    Every time I read that the oldest person in the world has died, I have to do a quick check to see it isn't ME..........
  • edited February 2010
    I have (amongst others) a City & Guilds Level II in C programming, a short course six week (maybe longer) basic introduction which I did at night school years ago and is buried at the bottom of my CV.

    Arrive at an interview for an IT job, one guy from the panel takes a dislike to me and decides that as he has never heard of C or City and Guilds, I must be telling porkies. Throughout the interview he referred to me as "liar".
    After asking him to stop calling me a liar twice, I told him that if he did it again I will take him outside and give him a good kicking, suprisingly he didn't find it funny.

    Heard later that he felt intimidated by me so I didn't get the job, but to this day I think what a strange way to run an interview.

    S
  • edited February 2010
    I only called you a liar because I didn`t believe you, honest !..............
    Every time I read that the oldest person in the world has died, I have to do a quick check to see it isn't ME..........
  • edited February 2010
    and I was only kidding about taking you outside, it was just a joke.

    Really, who would make up not only a qualification but also an entire examinig board and expect to get away with it? Also how could anyone work in IT and never hear of C or C & G, just strange.
  • edited February 2010
    not exactly a 100% Job interview experience but...

    I made this movie 10 years ago, back when I was at film school...

    At the time I just wanted to make a silly story/film exercise, but till this day, when I go to job interviews I think about this and I want to laugh!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj4AcX--Xfw
  • edited February 2010
    Hercules wrote: »
    This company work in the customer service area, and by the time I got home, it made my blood boil. Allowed myself to calm down after getting in a rage on how they wasted my time, then decided to phone the companies managing director and asked for an explanation and apology. I got the apology and a promise of an e-mail for 10pm this evening giving another interview date and time. Still heard nothing.

    I am shocked. Phoning and asking for an apology? I would never dream of doing that (and certainly not due to waiting 30 minutes beyond my actual interview time), so no surprise if you don't get another interview, or the position, although it does sound like it's not the job for you. I would imagine tutoring would demand a certain level of patience. I suppose we are all different and respond to thing differently. I guess it's what makes us all unique :)
  • edited February 2010
    thehive wrote: »
    I am shocked. Phoning and asking for an apology? I would never dream of doing that (and certainly not due to waiting 30 minutes beyond my actual interview time), so no surprise if you don't get another interview, or the position, although it does sound like it's not the job for you. I would imagine tutoring would demand a certain level of patience. I suppose we are all different and respond to thing differently. I guess it's what makes us all unique :)

    I've always taken the view that a job interview is both a chance for the prospective employer to see if they want you AND (more importantly to my way of thinking) a chance for me to see if I want to have anything to do with my prospective employer.

    It may sound an immodest approach, but it doesn't seem to have done me any harm over the years.

    I just think it's a much more symmetrical situation than employers seem to think it is. And if that means that they're shocked from time to time when I turn down offers of work, then it's a long overdue wake-up call for them in my view! ;)
  • edited February 2010
    thehive wrote: »
    I am shocked. Phoning and asking for an apology? I would never dream of doing that (and certainly not due to waiting 30 minutes beyond my actual interview time), so no surprise if you don't get another interview, or the position, although it does sound like it's not the job for you. I would imagine tutoring would demand a certain level of patience. I suppose we are all different and respond to thing differently. I guess it's what makes us all unique :)

    Perhaps the whole experience was designed as a test of patience!!
  • zx1zx1
    edited February 2010
    I had a really wierd telephone interview for a bank's call centre position years ago.
    I called the number in the advert and was asked for my name, telephone number and address. I was then asked what my views were on call centres in the modern world, and what qualities i could bring to the position. I was then told i would be notified when to attend an interview. They didn't ask anything about my work experience or qualifications. About six months later i got a letter saying i had failed the interview, by which time i had forgot about the job as i was working elsewhere.
    The trouble with tribbles is.......
  • edited February 2010
    My wife went for an interview at an office where it seemed the boss didnt even know about it, had his feet up on the table, yawning tons etc, just terrible.

    I must admit if someone kept me waiting for ages i wouldnt then ring up the boss to complain about it. Just think 'sod it, they lost someone good' and go elsewhere and constantly slate the company who did that interview

    My old boss used to go entirely on their CV and not what the person was like, i mean so many BS on their CV anyway. She hired some right idiots who totally liked on their CV, couldnt do the job and couldnt socialise much with the team and eventually left
  • edited February 2010
    My strangest one I've had was when I was 18 I went for an interview at the local Cat and Dog Shelter. Got there 10 minutes early spoke to somebody at the desk, and they said "Oh yeah! He'll be with you in a minute!". There was no seats so I just stood near the door for about 25 minutes, then the guy came out and said "No I'm not even going to interview you!". I was obviously a little shocked so I said "What? Why?". Then after standing there for 35 minutes the fucker has the nerve to turn round and tell me I was late for the interview. I obviously said I wasn't late and I'd been standing there for 35 minutes. He didn't believe me so I just said "Fine sod you then!", and off I went. What a tosser that guy was.

    My most unfortunate job interview was when I was about 21 I went for a job at a small telephone company as admin/IT support (which at the time I could've done, not so sure now :lol:). So I ran home from the job centre like a loon cos' my interview was at 4, and it was after 2, I needed something to eat so I ate a pasty I had, but since I was rushing I bit the side of my tongue really hard and put a big hole in it which killed. The side of my tongue swelled up, and because of it my speaking was kind of lispy. I'm spitting out mouthfull upon mouthfull of blood, and it just wasn't stopping. Time was ticking away so I put my smart shoes in my bag put my trainers on and ran to the Metty Station. Got there with about 10 minutes to spare switched shoes went in and waited. While I was waiting I thought it would be a good idea to chew some gum so my gob wasn't stinking of blood which still hadn't stopped properly. So I got my interview and it all went really well and I sat and spoke to these 2 women for ages asking them all kinds of questions about the computer systems how things work around the place everything just seemed perfect I was thinking to myself that went really well.

    So I'm walking down the road from the Metty Station on the way back home and I bump into a mate of mine. He says "Haha! You're looking smart in your suit and wh....fuck me mate! What happened to your lip?". I told him about the pasty related tongue biting and I knew there and then I wasn't going to get the job.

    I got home I looked in the mirror and it looked like my top lip had been burst open, there was a huge blob of dry blood on my lip I mean huge as well.

    Well needless to say a few days later I got a rejection letter in the post, but I was quite pleased they actually took the time to actually send me one. Most places now you just never hear from them again.

    Fastest one ever was at WHSmith, went in all suited an booted, shock the gaffers hand and he said training tomorrow morning. They basically showed me round made me do some of the work the dayshift do, and then the company secretary says to me can you start tonight? So I did. thing that annoyed me is every other new starter turned up looking like tramps. Caps scruffy tracky bottoms, almost pissed me off that I'd put some effort in when obviously any old skag can wander in and get a job there :lol:
    Every night is curry night!
  • edited February 2010
    My first job interview the interviewer started laughing/smirking to himself as i couldnt answer some of the questions so tried BS'ing. Learnt my lesson not to do that again !

    The weekend before the interview on monday i drove there to make sure i knew where to go. Saw the car park so drove up to it, the barrier went up so i thought 'might as well drive in'. So i did and then...

    ...it was one of those barriers where you need a pass to get out (not to get in) so i was stuck ! Had to persuade a security guard to put his car by the entrance and reverse back so i could zoom out when the gate went up. Embarassing !
  • edited February 2010
    I had a job interview just the other day at South West Water. It wasn't till 6 in the evening & I spent the whole day a nervous gibbledegook researching the internet and preparing fluent answers to questions like..
    • What to you know about South West Water?
    • Why do you want to work for South West Water?
    • Name the skills & abilites that would make you appropriate for this job.
    • Give an example of when you made a positive contribution to the team you were a part of.
    • Give an example of when you supplied superb customer service.
    • How would your colleagues describe you?
    • How would you describe a good manager?
    • Where do you see yourself in five year's time?

    Yup, you guessed it. I wasn't asked a single one of these questions - all that hard work gone to waste :sad: I was asked what football team I supported & if I was happy working to targets, 'Eh.. yeah, no problem!'

    Still, got the job so mustn't grumble :smile:
    We have cave!
    WWW
  • edited February 2010
    the worst interview i was ever at was a few years ago. it was quite an improtant one so i was very nervous, i was even sick the night before. i decided to have a drink to settle my nerves. well one led to another and i ended up steaming. I even continued to drink in the interview, i was sluring my words and all sorts. then i decided to give them a song, so i dropped my trousers and started sing 'the wild one'. well the interviewer didn't know where to look. but afterwards he said he'd get some good rating for this, so all was well.
  • edited February 2010
    xyzzy wrote: »
    Yup, you guessed it. I wasn't asked a single one of these questions - all that hard work gone to waste :sad: I was asked what football team I supported & if I was happy working to targets, 'Eh.. yeah, no problem!'

    Still, got the job so mustn't grumble :smile:

    I had something similar once; prepared all my answers, read up about the company, thought of decent questions to ask, suited and booted (office job)... and in the end two of the managers walked me over to the pub, offered me a beer (which I didn't have), spoke to me about the job for fifteen minutes, and that was it. Started there the following week. :smile:
  • edited February 2010
    I had a job interview for a crappy job at homebase.The pay was low and the job probably wasnt going to be that taxing wich suited me, but it was probaly one of the longest job interviews iv ever had. It was held at a hotel and was split into 3 different bits, the first was a group activity where you had to build a bridge out of rolled up news paper wich was fair enough. The second stage was a standard interview face to face and then to top it all off was the ritual humilliation stage where all the candidates were sat round this big table and you had to speak in front of everyone. Well im not that good at talking to a room full of strangers but i was willing to give it a go, until they told us what we had to do.

    Basicaly they had a bunch of objects on the table to pass round and when the object came to each person they had to do a little sales pithc. But you had to make up an alternative use for the item. So the example they gave was a pen and so instead of describing how the pen was a good writing implement, they described it as a walking stick for midgets!. Well at this point i realised the person who was organising the interview was just taking the piss so i stood up and told them i was no longer interested in working for them and walked out. They looked quite shocked but i take looking for a job quite seriously and id been out of work for three months i wasnt having none of it!.
  • edited February 2010
    GreenCard wrote: »
    I had something similar once; prepared all my answers, read up about the company, thought of decent questions to ask, suited and booted (office job)... and in the end two of the managers walked me over to the pub, offered me a beer (which I didn't have), spoke to me about the job for fifteen minutes, and that was it. Started there the following week. :smile:

    Heh! I think the wisdom to be gleaned from this is always expect the unexpected & always unexpect the expected (or something..)
    mile wrote:
    the worst interview i was ever at was a few years ago. it was quite an improtant one so i was very nervous, i was even sick the night before. i decided to have a drink to settle my nerves. well one led to another and i ended up steaming. I even continued to drink in the interview, i was sluring my words and all sorts. then i decided to give them a song, so i dropped my trousers and started sing 'the wild one'. well the interviewer didn't know where to look. but afterwards he said he'd get some good rating for this, so all was well.

    Yah painfully brings back memories of applying for an admin job at Sainsburys back in 2003. I was all well prepared; then, on the night prior to the interview, my housemate comes back with something off the back of a lorry. 'Look' he says, 'Vodka! 40% strength! Only ?1 a bottle to you! Have a free one on the house!'

    Needless to say by 9am the next morning I was absolutely paralytic. I don't even remember how I got to the interview. l vaguely remember slurring my way through the interview with these couple of straight-heads.

    Needless to say, I didn't get the job. The moral of the story is: Don't get pissed before an important job interview :roll:
    We have cave!
    WWW
  • edited February 2010
    I used to be the interviewer..that's a much more interesting position to be in and you see/hear some funny stuff.

    The chick that showed up with her ass hanging out of a 7" skirt and crossing uncrossing her legs while and saying things like ' I really need this job, I'm willing to do anything".

    The guy that when I asked him which accomplishment he was most proud of responded..

    "when I was 18yrs old I had a 40yr old"

    The guy that said to me, "I used to work here and know everyone so you don't need to do this interview crap, I'll probably have your job in 6 months"..whilst waving at his 'friends' through the window

    Another guy who told me he was a convicted sex offender but it wasn't as bad as it sounded as the girl was willing.

    etc.
  • edited February 2010
    I once went to an interview which had my name written on it without fail. After leaving the bus, I had a 3/4 hour walk to get there, through a wild park. However as I got off the bus a freak storm hit and my whole walk was in torrential rain, I got there soaking wet with my shoes full of water. I went in as though nothing had happened, even though I was pouring water, I was introduced to the two interviewers briefly then taken for a 1 hour walkaround of the whole outdoor area in which I would be working, still in torrential rain. Then the second part of the interview for 1/2 hour in a draughty office, but I breezed it, and left feeling on top of the world, and
    1 & 3/4 hours of soaking later, to do another 3/4 hour walk in the rain. On the way home a friend of mine got on the bus and asked what I was doing out in it, I told her and she said " look, don`t be dissapointed but the job was given to a woman last week ". I was furious that I had been through that for an insider with the organisation to get the job.

    Sure enough a week later the woman was started into the job.
    Every time I read that the oldest person in the world has died, I have to do a quick check to see it isn't ME..........
  • edited February 2010
    grey key wrote: »
    I once went to an interview which had my name written on it without fail. After leaving the bus, I had a 3/4 hour walk to get there, through a wild park. However as I got off the bus a freak storm hit and my whole walk was in torrential rain, I got there soaking wet with my shoes full of water. I went in as though nothing had happened, even though I was pouring water, I was introduced to the two interviewers briefly then taken for a 1 hour walkaround of the whole outdoor area in which I would be working, still in torrential rain. Then the second part of the interview for 1/2 hour in a draughty office, but I breezed it, and left feeling on top of the world, and
    1 & 3/4 hours of soaking later, to do another 3/4 hour walk in the rain. On the way home a friend of mine got on the bus and asked what I was doing out in it, I told her and she said " look, don`t be dissapointed but the job was given to a woman last week ". I was furious that I had been through that for an insider with the organisation to get the job.

    Sure enough a week later the woman was started into the job.

    In my view, the fact you were willing get soaked in the rain and were willing to walk in torrential rain demonstrates you probably wanted the job more than some bimbo anyways. If I were the interviewer, I would look at that and the qualifications and experience you had which would count in your favour, but obviously most people conducting interviews these days don't understand loyalty even when it's staring them in the face unfortunately...
  • edited February 2010
    beanz wrote: »
    I used to be the interviewer..that's a much more interesting position to be in and you see/hear some funny stuff.

    The chick that showed up with her ass hanging out of a 7" skirt and crossing uncrossing her legs while and saying things like ' I really need this job, I'm willing to do anything".

    Mmmm any women who flaunts herself at an interview in hoping of getting a job has to be pretty stupid, although when she asked you about the job, you should of asked her if she blows as it's part of the job description. Chuckle :D
  • edited February 2010
    Hercules wrote: »
    Mmmm any women who flaunts herself at an interview in hoping of getting a job has to be pretty stupid, although when she asked you about the job, you should of asked her if she blows as it's part of the job description. Chuckle :D

    Hey! You ain't seen me all dolled up!

    frogirl.jpg
  • edited February 2010
    Hercules wrote: »
    Mmmm any women who flaunts herself at an interview in hoping of getting a job has to be pretty stupid, although when she asked you about the job, you should of asked her if she blows as it's part of the job description. Chuckle :D

    To be honest it happens more than people think. A friend of mine who works at HP had a similar situation with a woman 'flaunting' herself at the interview.. and hired her...6 months down the road she reported him for sexual harassment.

    He managed to keep his job but lost his bonus (about 10k) and had to explain to his wife the goings on....
  • edited February 2010
    All jobs at my place of work, are already promised to someone before they are advertised. I Apply for them all just for the time away from my job that the interviews offer.
  • fogfog
    edited February 2010
    by law companies etc, have to advertise posts even if the job is a sure one for an insider.. crappy, but thats how it is, they won't say it officially

    I've done both sorts of interviews...

    1 when a friend got asked if he knew anyone, it was music computers and a bit specialist at the time, i turned up.. start next day...done

    others where it was formal.. and they took the whole bloody day doing crappy tests and also "team interaction" crap etc .. sorry you can either do a job or can't...

    I unknowingly dated someone who worked in HR before she had kids... just before she said it .. I said yer.. HR people.. most 2 faced snide ****s you can meet :D and in her case it was true...haha.. I also hate recruitment folk as well.

    (wonder how many WOSer's work in that field :) )

    fro, ya roots are showing fella..haha
  • edited February 2010
    beanz wrote: »
    I used to be the interviewer..that's a much more interesting position to be in and you see/hear some funny stuff.

    The chick that showed up with her ass hanging out of a 7" skirt and crossing uncrossing her legs while and saying things like ' I really need this job, I'm willing to do anything".
    Will do anything to get a step up the latter, and has no shame. A very dangerous woman to have in your organisation.

    I was once an intern for at this company and was working on the rollout of a new stock computer based control project. I frequently had female employees try to upstage me or take the credit for the work I'd been doing . They also tried to make me look like the keen but hopeless intern who knows nothing and therefore needs to take order from them, rather than working on his own initiative. Thankfully, my technical understanding of what had to be done and what was done and why, was far greater than theirs and I ended up getting a lot of credit, more responsibility and pay rise to boot.
    Calling all ASCII Art Architects Visit the WOS Wall of Text and contribute: https://www.yourworldoftext.com/wos
  • zx1zx1
    edited February 2010
    I used to interview people over the phone for a recruitment company (way back in 1995). Some of the people who called were wierd. I used to get people from Aberdeen calling up for a job in Glasgow (or wherever) and when i said they were outside the catchment area they would not take no for an answer!
    Another guy who applied for a job was a convicted murderer (he didn't get the job). I left after 3 months as we were overstaffed and as i was last one in etc..
    I was on the dole for over a year after that!:smile:
    The trouble with tribbles is.......
  • edited February 2010
    zx1 wrote: »
    I used to interview people over the phone for a recruitment company (way back in 1995). Some of the people who called were wierd. I used to get people from Aberdeen calling up for a job in Glasgow (or wherever) and when i said they were outside the catchment area they would not take no for an answer!
    Another guy who applied for a job was a convicted murderer (he didn't get the job). I left after 3 months as we were overstaffed and as i was last one in etc..
    I was on the dole for over a year after that!:smile:

    You never got the urge to call them and say you were an Axe wielding maniac from Aberdeen looking for a job?

    EDIT: eh Guess they are 10 a penny up there though!
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