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.
We surveyed top personnel
executives of 100 major American corporations and
asked for stories of unusual
behavior by job applicants.
The lowlights:
- "...stretched out on the floor to fill out the job
application."
- "She wore a Walkman and said she could
listen to me and the music at the same time."
- "A balding candidate abruptly excused
himself. Returned to office a few
minutes later, wearing a hairpiece."
- "...asked to see interviewer's resume to see
if the personnel executive was
qualified to judge the candidate."
- "... 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."
- "Stated that, if he were hired, he would
demonstrate his loyalty by having
the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm."
- "Interrupted to phone his therapist for
advice on answering specific interview questions."
- "When I asked him about his hobbies, he stood
up and started tap dancing
around my office."
- "At the end of the interview, while I stood
there dumbstruck, went through
my purse, took out a brush, brushed
his hair, and left."
- "...pulled out a Polaroid camera and
snapped a flash picture of me. Said he
collected photos of everyone who
interviewed him."
- "Said he wasn't interested because the position
paid too much."
- "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."
- "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."
- "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."
- "His attache [case] opened when
he picked it up and the contents
spilled,
revealing ladies' undergarments and
assorted makeup and perfume."
- "Candidate said he really didn't want
to get a job, but the unemployment
office needed proof that he was looking
for one."
- "...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."
- "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."
