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:
1. “… stretched out on the floor to fill out the job
application.”
2. “She wore a Walkman and said she could listen to me and the
music at the same time.”
3. “A balding candidate abruptly excused himself. Returned to
office a few minutes later, wearing a hairpiece.”
4. “… asked to see interviewer’s resume to see if the
personnel executive was qualified to judge the candidate.”
5. “… 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”
6. “Stated that, if he were hired, he would demonstrate his
loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm.”
7. “Interrupted to phone his therapist for advice on answering
specific interview questions.”
8. “When I asked him about his hobbies, he stood up and started
tap dancing around my office.”
9 . “At the end of the interview, while I stood there
dumbstruck, went through my purse, took out a brush, brushed his
hair, and left.”
10. “… pulled out a Polaroid camera and snapped a flash
picture of me. Said he collected photos of everyone who
interviewed him.”
11. “Said he wasn’t interested because the position paid too
much.”
12. “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.”
13. “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.”
14. “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.”
15. “His attache [case] opened when he picked it up and the
contents spilled, revealing ladies’ undergarments and assorted
makeup and perfume.”
16. “Candidate said he really didn’t want to get a job, but the
unemployment office needed proof that he was looking for one.”
17. “… 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.”
18. “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.”