Job Interview Horror Stories

[Dragon_Heart]

Mga kakaibang job interviews, mga unreasonable questions ng interviewer, mga unusual situations

Meron ba kayong mga ganitong kwento?

Post naman diyan...

[clone19]

yung mukha ng interviewer, mukhang horror

[Dragon_Heart]

I have a few stories, to get the ball rolling...

Interviewer na di binabasa ang resume:
May nag-interview sa akin nung fresh grad pa ako, nagtatanong kung marunong ba ako ng ganito at ganyang programming language. Eh wala nga nakasulat sa resume ko na alam ko yun! Kung alam ko yun sana nilagay ko na sa skill set ko! To think 1 page lang ang resume ko at walang gaanong laman dahil fresh grad ako that time.

Interview na late:
My interview was 2 hours late, hindi dahil busy ang interviewer, kundi dahil sarado pa ang office nila nung dumating ako. My interview time was 8am, tapos 10am na dumating yung magbubukas ng office. Ang maganda pa nito, hindi ako ininterview, binigyan lang ako ng application form tapos fill-up ko daw sa house at balik na lang ako bukas.

Interview na barat:
Nageexpect sila ng super galing, super guru pero ang liit naman ng isusweldo nila sa iyo.

Interview na walang sense:
Walang ginawa kundi sabihing pangit ang result ng technical exam ko, at talagang ipinapakita na sa tingin niya di ka qualified. Eh kung ganun bakit nagsasayang pa ng oras sa interview? Di sana di na lang ako tinawagan para mainterview.

Interview na judgemental:
Sa isang extra skill na nakasulat sa resume ko, sinabi ba naman agad ng interviewer na di siya naniniwala na marunong ako nun. Wala naman siya nakitang evidence para sabihing di ko alam yun. Ni di niya sinabing patunayan ko.

Anyway, halos lahat ng companies involved mga maliit lang at never heard. Di naman lahat ng small companies ganito ha, nagkataon lang siguro na malas ako sa interviews

[m_ke2]

Dragon_heart, nakakatawa at nakakainis naman yung mga naginterview sayo, hehe ang dami mo nang nadaanang interview, ako naman madaming exams pero konti interview, baka bagsak ako

[whattaman]

my first job interview was with a power electronics company (engg ako). i felt that the initial interview went well although the interviewer did most of the talking. there were times when i had to butt in because he was practically narrating a lola-basyang. he ended it by saying that he'll be glad to see me in the company. cool. the second interview was horrifying for me. It lasted for an hour and 15 minutes (my god, gutom na gutom nako nun). since i was applying for an engineering position, he kept on asking me technical questions, processes, how to's and even troubleshooting procedures!!! wahh! i just kept on talking about all the sh*ts that i know, could remember matched with this i-know-what-im-talking-about face. there were times when i felt him rude, directly disagreeing with what i have to say. then, he went through my qualifying exam and asked me to explain how i came up with the correct answer and blah blah, why this item was wrong, what if i change the setting of the blah blah. and then he asked me about my thesis, the specs, design, etc etc everything!!! after that, he got on with the "usual" questions, why i should be hired, why this company etc etc.

halfway through, i got really tired answering his questions, drained intellectually and mejo nabastusan ako sa kanya. i stopped keeping the front, i made him feel that i dint want this job anymore. if i dint know the answer, i said HONESTLY I DONT KNOW SIR and i kept my answers short. after 1.15 hours, he let me go! and i was happy never to return again even if they decide to get me. they dint.

after that, masaya na ako sa mga interviews pa with other companies. i almost make it a point that i make the interviewer/panel laugh. i even had a crush on one HR interviewer.

[malfoy2k]

^so far *** interview ko sa HP ang nakakatawa, pinapunta ako ng HR for an interview, pagdating ko dun, absent *** mag-interview sa akin, absent din *** HR na nagpapunta sa akin at wala ibang nakakaalam about sa appoinntment ko....

si guard lang nag-interview sa akin...iniisip ko nga baka security guard *** position na i-ooffer sa akin


*this was more than 3 years ago...baka ngayon okay na process nila .

[Dacs]

Interviewer na di binabasa ang resume:
May nag-interview sa akin nung fresh grad pa ako, nagtatanong kung marunong ba ako ng ganito at ganyang programming language. Eh wala nga nakasulat sa resume ko na alam ko yun! Kung alam ko yun sana nilagay ko na sa skill set ko! To think 1 page lang ang resume ko at walang gaanong laman dahil fresh grad ako that time.

Mas malala yung nakasulat na sa resume mo at tinanong pa sa iyo. It happened to me once

[funzen]

Sumabay un end of interview ko sa fire drill ng building kun saan un company. I was forced to use the fire exit from the 21st floor. Nakakainis pa nun, hindi ko makuha yun ID ko after kse sinara un building. 30 minutes pa before nagpapasok ng mga tao. Kung mamalasin ka nga naman. Tapos hindi pa ko natanggap dun.

[gwaping17]

It was a stormy day and the vehicle's weren't moving - and that was my first in three interviews. I was ~45 minutes late but the interviewer said it was OK and that it was understandable considering the weather. So it wasn't really a horror story but I thought I was blowing off my biggest opportunity yet.

[Miggy1066]

If you consider applying for a "practicum" the same, I remember a time when my classmates and I applied for "practicum units" in one of the major TV stations located in QC. We went there all dressed to the teeth with copy of our transcripts and resumes and waited for about 2-3 hours with a lot of other masscom students from various campuses. After waiting 2-3 hours, someone comes out of the "interview" room and announces: "Only students from UP, Ateneo, La Salle, St. Scholastica and Assumption may stay, the rest may go." I found it very unnerving that such a prestigious company would actually suffer from the discrimination sickness afflicting this country. What about those students who do not come from those schools? What happens to them? Its as if these schools are the only sources of "brains" in this country, no wonder the country is going to the dogs as well.

[seifadiaz]

^ name that station!

[Summoner_UzuI]

Originally Posted by whattaman

my first job interview was with a power electronics company (engg ako). i felt that the initial interview went well although the interviewer did most of the talking. there were times when i had to butt in because he was practically narrating a lola-basyang. he ended it by saying that he'll be glad to see me in the company. cool. the second interview was horrifying for me. It lasted for an hour and 15 minutes (my god, gutom na gutom nako nun). since i was applying for an engineering position, he kept on asking me technical questions, processes, how to's and even troubleshooting procedures!!! wahh! i just kept on talking about all the sh*ts that i know, could remember matched with this i-know-what-im-talking-about face. there were times when i felt him rude, directly disagreeing with what i have to say. then, he went through my qualifying exam and asked me to explain how i came up with the correct answer and blah blah, why this item was wrong, what if i change the setting of the blah blah. and then he asked me about my thesis, the specs, design, etc etc everything!!! after that, he got on with the "usual" questions, why i should be hired, why this company etc etc.

halfway through, i got really tired answering his questions, drained intellectually and mejo nabastusan ako sa kanya. i stopped keeping the front, i made him feel that i dint want this job anymore. if i dint know the answer, i said HONESTLY I DONT KNOW SIR and i kept my answers short. after 1.15 hours, he let me go! and i was happy never to return again even if they decide to get me. they dint.

after that, masaya na ako sa mga interviews pa with other companies. i almost make it a point that i make the interviewer/panel laugh. i even had a crush on one HR interviewer.

Huhulaan ko ito.

Nasa Libis ba itong "power electronics" na tio?

Kung sakaling tama ang suspetsa ko sa company na tinutukoy mo eh baka swertehan pa lalo kung parehas pala ang naging interviewer natin. Medyo bastos din *** dating sa akin nung interviewer at pati mga personal opinions ko ay pinakialaman. Its nice to comment but to butt in and question the integrity of my decision is another thing.

Pet peeve ko sa mga interviews yung mga tanong na hinihingan ka ng personal opinion pero in the end, papakialaman din pala *** sagot ko. Nagtanong pa ng personal opinion kung ang valid answer lang pala eh *** gustong marinig ng interviewer at may gana pang manumbat. Anyway that's maybe related to what they call "politics" kailangan makisakay sa agos ng pulitika sa ayaw at sa gusto para matanggap at tumagal.

[blue_wednesday]

hehe, memories.

i was a fresh grad and not having much moolah to spend for 2x2 photos for application, i used the contact prints of my grad pic in a resume i sent via email. grad pic so medyo may makeup.

interviewer had no qualms commenting when she saw me nung interview. "EH ANG GANDA MO DITO AH!"

hehehe.

[kaningbrown]

ADTX/AWS is pretty notorious for me. For my case, my records "disappeared" after the test and first interview. After enquiring two weeks later, they told me I may have never applied in the first place. Friend of mine who applied last month got his technical exam results missing as well.

My Trend Micro experience was pretty funny as well. I used live in Cavite when I got scheduled for interview in their office in Libis. So I went there, and after an hour of waiting, I was told that the interviewer was on vacation leave. Apparently, she scheduled me on her set day of vacation. She should've at least taken me with wherever she was going.

[Dragon_Heart]

Interview na ego tripper:
Walang ginawa kundi barahin ka ng barahin tungkol sa mga sagot mo sa tanong niya. Magtatanong ng super technical questions, eh sinabi ko na nga na fresh grad ako(nung time na yun) at hanggang school lang ang experience ko sa coding. Tungkol sa programming syntax pa lahat ang tanong, di bale sana kung tungkol sa programming logic.

Interview na mayabang:
Small company interview, pinagyayabang ng interviewer na client nila ang isang malaking multinational company. Nagsasabi pa ng mga pangalan( who were incidentally, my former classmates and teacher ) na parang sinasamba niya ang mga yun. May gana pa magsabi na kung di raw ako sisipot sa interview with the big guys( yung dati kong classmates and teacher ) do not waste their time daw, don't be late, etc etc...

Ang hirap kasi sa ibang mga employer( hindi naman lahat ganito ) akala nila porke maraming aplikante eh desperado lahat magkatrabaho. Tipong "If you don't want this job, a million other people will be more than willing to take your place."

[DisconnectedMX]

funny thread

[kaningbrown]

Some quotes from my interviews:

HR: Do you believe the customer is always right?
Me: The customer is always right but the customer doesnt always know what's right.
HR: So they're always right?
Me: They have the right to ask for what's right but we as the providers have the task of telling them what's right.
HR: *long silence*
HR: How philosophical.

HR: Do you have any questions about our company?
Me: Actually, yes. I'd like to ask you personally if you find yourself staying in this company after five more years.
HR: I'm not too sure.
Me: *smiles*
HR: Wait, this is supposed to be YOUR interview.

HR: Heh, tagalugin na kita ha. Nuubusan na ako ng ingles eh.
Me: *chuckle* Ako rin.

HR: *raised eyebrow* Are you sure you want to work with us?
Me: I passed your written test. I solved your practical test. I want the job and I think I'm qualified for it.
HR: That's the problem. I checked your resume, you even got good grades.
Me: Nothing wrong with that, Sir. Right?
HR: This is not your field. You'll get bored with what you're going to do. And then you'll quit.
Me: So you're not hiring me because I might quit?
HR: We like to use the term overqualified.
Me: I'm a fresh graduate, sir. With all due respect, I can't possibly be overqualified for this.
HR: Fine.

Me: So you have internet access?
HR: Yes.
Me: What happens if I infect the PC even if it's running software made by our company?
HR: You get fired.

HR: You mentioned you've had background in virus writing.
Me: I "studied" it for a while with somebody in the know.
HR: But you haven't written any viruses?
Me: Only ones that I use for studies.
HR: Then we can't hire you.

HR: So why do you want to join us?
Me: You mean apart from "free unlimited juice at the pantry"?

(this one is from my current company, a small new IT group so the one who interviewed me was actually our head manager)
HR: So is there anything you'd like to know about the company?
Me: Will we bi given internet?
HR: Yes.
Me; Broandband?
HR: Yes. But if you're thinking of downloading movies, download my requests first.
Me: Is there Saturday work?
HR: We discourage that.
Me: What's the ratio between men and women?
HR: I personally want more women in my group because I'd hate working like a sailor.
Me: Where do I sign?

[SUX2BÜ]

Bank HR manager: Tell me something about your "aids."
Me: AIDS? I don't have AIDS.
Bank HR manager: No, I mean are you 21, 22, 23, etc. years old?
Me: Oh, I'm 22. And what else do you want me to tell you about my age?

[AbulugAdventure]

^ Iyan ang malufet. Alam meron taong ganyan ang accent ewan ko lang kung sang lugar.

[aiskilus]

Before I applied in a call center company, I've researched on what are the common questions with 'suggested answers'. So one of the questions I've read from the internet is: "What is your ideal workplace?" and the suggested answer is: "It is important to me that my company strives for success, similarly I like having colleagues whom I admire for their skills and perspectives. Open communication is also important to me because our energy becomes synergy. And Lastly, I also find that I flourish after gaining my supervisor's trust." I attended the invite of one company... and the here's our conversation...

HR: Please read this aloud. (handed me a card with a paragraph.)
Me: I've flawlessly read what's written...
HR: Are you willing to work in graveyard shifts?
Me: I do understand that most of your clients are from the other side of the world, so therefore yes I am willing to work night shifts.

HR: What is you idea of applying here in our company?
Me: (Oh my God! sounds familiar! I know the answer to this! haha!)... "It is important to me that my company strives for success, similarly I like having colleagues whom I admire for their skills and perspectives. Open communication is also important to me because our energy becomes synergy. And Lastly, I also find that I flourish after gaining my supervisor's trust."...

HR: Dumbfounded: ... smiles
HR: What are you gettin' into?
Me: huh? (with a big smile on my faceÜ)
HR: Again, What are you getting into? This time she's chuckling along with her shoulders bouncing up and down...
Me? huh? (with a bigger smile on my face and I felt a formation of heat on my earsÜÜÜ) I'm so confident pa at this moment...
HR: (red faced: Naiihi na) long chuckles....both of us...
Me: Oh! (I've learned by saying "OH" gives me time to think somehow) Then I said 'Oh! you mean what is my idea of applying here...? (parang di ko siya naintindihan! namisheard ko yata yung ideal sa idea) haha chuckles'... Well of course, call center is a booming industry and I also want to be a good provider to help my family and since your company is well known in this industry, I'd like to learn new things...Ü Somehow, I really made the interviewer remember me by making her chuclke and laugh to death... I was able to compose myself and be back on track to the interviewing system. I got hired by the way

Lesson: It's ok to find a formula or be prepared with your answers to any questions that are likely to be asked... but never be scripted or memorise it verbatim. Cheers!