| 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, he 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."
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