Strangest Job interview you've had?
Discussion
Ok it was 1988-89 and I had just left school and was out of work, I was doing my daily tour of the job centre to see if anything new had come up that would take someone with no experience or few qualifications.
Whilst I was there I some suited up lad approached me and asked me if i wanted a job?
Well of course I did, and he told me to meet him outside for a chat where he told me that his company required people for trainee financial advisor positions and would I like to pop along to this address?
I told him I didn't know anything about financial matters but he said I didn't need to but come along anyway but begged me to not tell anyone at the firm where he had got us from or he'd be sacked.
It later transpired that his boss had told him to get 3 people or he'd lose his job so he decided to try wandering round the job centre trying his luck.
I turned up at this companies rented offices in Stockport in my borrowed suit not knowing what to expect, I was invited into his bosses office with 2 other people who hadn't even
bothered to smarten up in anyway, in fact one had a t-shirt with his dinner down it and the other was smoking a joint i kid you not. I was simply amazed at what i was seeing.
It turned out it wasn't a trainee financial advisors job at all (not that I could have doine it) but pounding the streets cold calling offering financial services.
The boss in question was a big fat b
d with red braces and who was no more than 24-25 who didn't actually ask us anything but just bleated on about how sucessful he was but the best bit was his constant boasting as to how he had a brand new Cavalier SRi and how 'fking' rapid' it was, this went on over and over again.
Even as a kid it was quite a surreal experience to see this bloke going on with himself and some long haired bloke stood next to me stoned out of his head.
Needless to say when I chased up a few days later I was told that no one got the job for whatever reason.
I'll never forget the name 'Stubenvoll (UK) Ltd
So has anyone had any weird or unusual job interviews like this?
Whilst I was there I some suited up lad approached me and asked me if i wanted a job?
Well of course I did, and he told me to meet him outside for a chat where he told me that his company required people for trainee financial advisor positions and would I like to pop along to this address?
I told him I didn't know anything about financial matters but he said I didn't need to but come along anyway but begged me to not tell anyone at the firm where he had got us from or he'd be sacked.
It later transpired that his boss had told him to get 3 people or he'd lose his job so he decided to try wandering round the job centre trying his luck.
I turned up at this companies rented offices in Stockport in my borrowed suit not knowing what to expect, I was invited into his bosses office with 2 other people who hadn't even
bothered to smarten up in anyway, in fact one had a t-shirt with his dinner down it and the other was smoking a joint i kid you not. I was simply amazed at what i was seeing.
It turned out it wasn't a trainee financial advisors job at all (not that I could have doine it) but pounding the streets cold calling offering financial services.
The boss in question was a big fat b
d with red braces and who was no more than 24-25 who didn't actually ask us anything but just bleated on about how sucessful he was but the best bit was his constant boasting as to how he had a brand new Cavalier SRi and how 'fking' rapid' it was, this went on over and over again.Even as a kid it was quite a surreal experience to see this bloke going on with himself and some long haired bloke stood next to me stoned out of his head.
Needless to say when I chased up a few days later I was told that no one got the job for whatever reason.
I'll never forget the name 'Stubenvoll (UK) Ltd
So has anyone had any weird or unusual job interviews like this?
About 5 years ago had an interview where all 6 candidates were there in the room at the same time, md gave a brief company history, talked about he job, we had a factory tour, back to the board room where we asked questions trying to look clever. They selected 2 from that 6 for a second interview, i was one of them, neither of us got the job, seemed like a massive waste of time to me.
went to what i thought was an informal chat with a job agency a few years ago (jeans and t shirt). At the end of the chat the guy said 'when can you start?'
'Start where?'
'Here..'
'I dont want to work in a recruitment agency....?'
'This is an IT company and you are interviewing to be a field engineer'
'Oh ok then then - Monday....?'
'Great see you then...'
Not my fault the company had a stupid name but yes I managed to get a job at an interview I didn't know i was at
^^ genuine true story
'Start where?'
'Here..'
'I dont want to work in a recruitment agency....?'
'This is an IT company and you are interviewing to be a field engineer'
'Oh ok then then - Monday....?'
'Great see you then...'
Not my fault the company had a stupid name but yes I managed to get a job at an interview I didn't know i was at
^^ genuine true story
Two spring to mind:
First was an interview for a PhD position.
I was on a gap year and they happened to contact me while I was out of the country. I was travelling round NZ in a campervan and they requested a telephone interview. Now, this was in the time of BT Chargecards which my parents had provided for emergencies.
We arranged via email for them to contact me on the payphone number I provided in the campsite. At the alotted time the phone started ringing but unknown to me it was set up to refuse incoming calls so I could hear them but they couldn't hear me. this was at about midnight local time. So there I was standing at a payphone in the dark, without notes trying to complete an interview that woudl keep me off the 'streets' for 3-4yrs.
The solution was for me to use the BT Chargecard to call them for the interview. This call lasted about 1/2 hour and I'm led to believe cost the best part of £75. My mum paid the bill without telling my dad.
Outcome: I didn't get the post.
Second one was another PhD post, but a year later.
My other half had been offered a post to do a PhD after we'd completed our Masters courses. I figured I'd try my hand at the job market but wasn't having much luck; upwards of 50 letters and possibly 5 replys. So I found myself as the hired help carrying the reams of paperwork into her new office on her first day. I was introduced to her boss, who asked what my background was. Having explained, he straight out offered me a PhD post for the next 4 years. He'd been considering a role that would have used my skills but for one year down the line, I just turned up early. The missus wasn't impressed as she'd been through the formal interview process and I got simply offered a desk and a salary on the basis of a passing comment in the hallway.
Dr Rick
First was an interview for a PhD position.
I was on a gap year and they happened to contact me while I was out of the country. I was travelling round NZ in a campervan and they requested a telephone interview. Now, this was in the time of BT Chargecards which my parents had provided for emergencies.
We arranged via email for them to contact me on the payphone number I provided in the campsite. At the alotted time the phone started ringing but unknown to me it was set up to refuse incoming calls so I could hear them but they couldn't hear me. this was at about midnight local time. So there I was standing at a payphone in the dark, without notes trying to complete an interview that woudl keep me off the 'streets' for 3-4yrs.
The solution was for me to use the BT Chargecard to call them for the interview. This call lasted about 1/2 hour and I'm led to believe cost the best part of £75. My mum paid the bill without telling my dad.
Outcome: I didn't get the post.
Second one was another PhD post, but a year later.
My other half had been offered a post to do a PhD after we'd completed our Masters courses. I figured I'd try my hand at the job market but wasn't having much luck; upwards of 50 letters and possibly 5 replys. So I found myself as the hired help carrying the reams of paperwork into her new office on her first day. I was introduced to her boss, who asked what my background was. Having explained, he straight out offered me a PhD post for the next 4 years. He'd been considering a role that would have used my skills but for one year down the line, I just turned up early. The missus wasn't impressed as she'd been through the formal interview process and I got simply offered a desk and a salary on the basis of a passing comment in the hallway.
Dr Rick
I went to an interview to be a technical proposal writer in the automotive industry (3rd party engineering, that sort of thing)
Was being interviewed by 2 people, one with laptop then halfway through, with no warning, gave me a 1 page brief on selling fencing to a farmer and left me with the laptop and half an hour to write a proposal while they went to get a coffee!
To be fair though, it was a decent introduction to the job, as there's a lot of "Can you just do this by tomorrow?" and they did give me said job.
Wasn't a bad old place to work.
Was being interviewed by 2 people, one with laptop then halfway through, with no warning, gave me a 1 page brief on selling fencing to a farmer and left me with the laptop and half an hour to write a proposal while they went to get a coffee!
To be fair though, it was a decent introduction to the job, as there's a lot of "Can you just do this by tomorrow?" and they did give me said job.
Wasn't a bad old place to work.
About 8 weeks ago I went for an interview for an IT Manager position. The first interview was fantastic, got on really well with the HR lady, and knew I'd managed to secure a second interview.
3 weeks later I got a call for a second interview with HR and the senior manager I'd be working for - and to put it bluntly I thought he was an absolute cock. He argued with every answer I gave, and interrupted constantly to tell me I was wrong. After about 30 minutes of this I thanked them for their time and explained that I thought this wasn't the type of culture I would feel comfortable in. The HR lady walked me to the door and apologised for his behaviour and bid me farewell.
Thought no more about it until last Friday when I got a phone call from HR to say the guy I fell out with was no longer with the company, and would I be interested in his job!!! I'm off to speak with the MD next week to talk about the package
3 weeks later I got a call for a second interview with HR and the senior manager I'd be working for - and to put it bluntly I thought he was an absolute cock. He argued with every answer I gave, and interrupted constantly to tell me I was wrong. After about 30 minutes of this I thanked them for their time and explained that I thought this wasn't the type of culture I would feel comfortable in. The HR lady walked me to the door and apologised for his behaviour and bid me farewell.
Thought no more about it until last Friday when I got a phone call from HR to say the guy I fell out with was no longer with the company, and would I be interested in his job!!! I'm off to speak with the MD next week to talk about the package
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