Your worst/ funniest job interview stories

I worked in daycare for 12 years. I needed to get a job after having been unemployed for 4 years. I did nothing work related in that timeframe.

At the interview for a craft/hobby industry job (scrapbooking) at a VERY small company, the owner asked me what my skills were. I explained that I had not worked since my years in daycare. I could count from 1-10, sing my ABC’s, and was a great diper changer.

I have NO idea why he hired me that day, but I am so glad he saw my humor, and gave me the opportunity to work in customer service in one of my favorite hobbies for over 7 1/2 years. 😁

I was interviewing internal candidates for a position I had open, and one young woman seemed completely befuddled by my questions (they were your standard interview questions). I got a lot of “I don’t know”s. At one point she looked at me and said, “Why are you asking me all these questions??” 



A day or two later I was in the little company store and there she was. She looked at me and said, “You look familiar. Why do I know you?”  I dryly told her I’d interviewed her the day before. 

My name is somewhat similar to a singer who had some hits in the 80s.  I was interviewing for my first job out of college and the interviewer looked at my resume, saw my name and said "Hey, I know you!  You're a singer!" then he proceeded to start singing one of her songs.  I didn't get the job.  Wouldn't have taken it even if they offered it to me.  I wouldn't have been able to take having that guy sing to me every time he saw me.

Thanks for the stories! I have a second interview Friday afternoon. This time it's with 3-4 of the other men in the office. And also a phone interview with the accountant. My first interview with the CEO last week went well, and he said it was "enlightening". We have a lot in common and he seemed impressed with the questions I asked. (really? "What is something that would surprise me about this job?" is an unusual question?)

A couple of interview stories--

I went to one interview a while back for admin assistant. I saw it advertised on Craigslist one evening (lots and lots of companies post jobs on craigslist here), responded, and got an interview for the next morning. Showed up and was told that the position was already filled. Really? It's been open for less than 24 hours and it's already filled? But the interviewer was more than happy to talk to me about an opening they had for insurance sales. In fact, there was a meeting going on right then with her boss and some other prospects talking about the job, great pay, etc. No thank you, I did not want to join them, as I had said previously that I was not interested in a sales job. The kicker? They reposted the original job the next week. I replied, using a fake gmail account and was offered an interview. I asked if the job involved sales, b/c I had recently been to an interview that was supposed to be for admin assist. but was actually for sales. I never heard back. Go figure! Grrr! What a waste of time and gas!


One of my first interviews when I started job hunting back in January was for an admin assistant position at a place that helps families with special needs kids, foster kids, etc. I was ushered into the room and shown a seat at the end of a long table. There were 6-8 other ladies sitting around the table looking at me, ready to interview me! It all happened so fast, I wasn't sure if I should get up and walk around the table and shake everyone's hand or just sit there. I just sat there and answered their questions. It was very clear that they weren't looking forward to a long day of interviewing a bunch of people. They didn't look or sound very friendly. I think they were wanting someone closer to their age to work with. I was 50 and they were all in their 30's. 

Not my interview, but in HS (early 80's) I managed a video store. The owners decided to randomly send applicants for lie detector tests, at the polygraph place two suites down. I interviewed a girl and the owners said to send her for a polygraph. The polygraph company called and told me the applicant failed the first question, which was... Is your name XXXXXX. Turns out the girl was 13.5 and "borrowed" her older sisters license and social security card, to get a job.

Came home from a teacher interview. I was sure I looked great. I wore a very nice navy suit, crisp white blouse, navy pumps, subtle makeup. I congratulated myself all the way home on my savvy answers that completely mesmerized the interview team so much so that they seemed to just stare at me fascinated by my amazingness.

Once I got home, I entered my home and went up the stairs of my split level home only to catch a glimpse of myself in the hall mirror. What I saw caused me to let out such a blood curdling scream, I am sure neighbors called the police to let them know a grisly murder was occurring.

I had one of those metal sectioning clips holding my bangs straight up off my forehead with the 5 inch clip running parallel to my hairline and bangs sticking straight up (ala ”something about Mary”). This is a grooming technique I USED to use right after I styled my hair to have my bangs away from my face. I USED to leave the clip in while commuting in my car then take it off when I arrived. Somehow I forgot and went through the entire interview that way. No one said anything. And no, I didn’t get the job.

I congratulated myself all the way home on my savvy answers that completely mesmerized the interview team so much so that they seemed to just stare at me fascinated by my amazingness.

"Once I got home, I entered my home and went up the stairs of my split level home only to catch a glimpse of myself in the hall mirror. What I saw caused me to let out such a blood curdling scream, I am sure neighbors called the police to let them know a grisly murder was occurring."

This is so funny! TFS

After being unemployed for several months I was at an interview for a small town business that was owned by the father (Joe) of a man (Tom) whom I had worked for previously (it ended badly, as the son (Tom) was a jerk). So during the interview with Joe and his wife, I was getting more and more feelings like this was a bad idea but I needed a job and it was close to home, so kept going. Joe asked me what hourly rate I needed and I said $12. He didn't look up from his desk and said, "I'm only paying $10 per hour" and kept going on with other questions. At this point I knew this would not work, so I try to end the interview quickly. I say that I really have to have $12 an hour and I thank them for their time. He says they are very interested in hiring me, but the pay is $10 per hour. His wife is kicking him under the desk, and giving him "the look" which he is ignoring. I get up from the chair and thank them again for their time and I wish them well with their business. He follows me out the door, still offering $10 an hour like it is the best thing in the world.

A year later I interview for a job in that same town, for a different company and 8.5 years later I am still here and couldn't be happier.

I can't stop laughing or get the image out of my mind.....best one ever 

That is seriously hysterical! There's no way on earth I would have been able to interview you without cracking up. Those dudes must've been great poker players.

In 2005 I interviewed for a Controller position with the VP Finance and after we finished we left his office so he could walk me out of the building. I realized quickly that I had left my purse sitting on a chair in his office. I told him I needed to go back to get it and made some joke where I assured him that I would be more careful with the corporate assets than with my purse. I felt like a complete dingbat, but I got the job and he told me later it was partly because of the joke I made. Accounting humor for the win!

Once I had a job interview and I was so excited because I had bought a new suit to wear and it was a pretty darkish-green color. Once I arrived and was escorted into the conference room, I realized that my new suit matched their chairs exactly. I probably looked like a chair with a head. I didn't get that job.

One time DH was interviewing and his interview time happened to be during lunch. So he figured he would take the person (I think it was a guy) out to lunch to his favorite Japanese restaurant (hey, if the company is going to pay for it, why not let it be something you like). So they get there and are seated. This restaurant happens to be a place that we used to go to all the time and they would automatically bring us a coke and a diet coke. So, the waitress sees my husband and walks over with a coke and a diet coke. DH said the candidate didn't even comment on getting a soda that he didn't order (the diet coke), just went with it and drank it during lunch. Totally cracked me up.

Not me being interviewed but I was interviewing someone for a job. I had never in my life had someone give answers like this lady....my favorite answer though was when I asked her what her current position was where she worked now and she said "The position of my cubicle is by the copier" I then had to explain that I wanted to know what her job was - not where she was physically located in the office.

This happened to a friend of mine, back in the 90s when all well dressed women wore panty hose.
She interviewed, got the job. About a year or more later, one of the men told her that the 3 of them
had watched her coming through the patio area to enter the building. She stopped to pull up/adjust
her panty hose. The men all had a good laugh, but when she interviewed they liked her and hired her.
Now the guy felt comfortable enough with her to tell her that.

She was mortified.