I accidentally applied to work on John McCain’s presidential primary campaign. The job posting did not disclose which campaign the position was with, and I only found out when the campaign called me to schedule an interview. Awkward!! The interview went very well…until the last question. Interviewer: “Would you vote for the Senator?” Me: “Well, I’m not a registered Republican, but he wouldn’t be my first choice.”
I did not get the job.
***
I had an interview for a summer position at a large, Philadelphia law firm. I was having a really nice conversation with the interviewer, and I thought things were going great. Until…she suggested I pursue a career as a news anchor. Flattering? Yes. Encouraging for my job prospect as an attorney? No.
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One of my earliest interviews was with the Library of Congress to plan a cross-country celebration of Abraham Lincoln (totally absurd). The interviewer casually mentioned that his nephew was also interested in the job.
I was not hired (thank heavens).
***
I got an interview to work in the Postal Service’s legal department. I asked the interviewer what specific duties the job would entail. Her answer: “I’m not sure. It depends what division you’d be in, and we don’t have any open positions right now.”
Seriously?
***
Please tell me that I’m not the only person with a surprising number of these stories. What amusing experiences have you had?
I interviewed with a real estate company owned by a Chinese group of businessmen. I wasn’t too nuts about working for a Chinese owned company anyway, but about 5 minutes into the interview, the (Chinese) manager popped up and said she needed need to make a phone call and left the table. That was so weird. I was so glad I didn’t get that job, not that I ever expected to anyway.
I once interviewed at a company that did research in paper production. Somehow we got on the topic of textbooks, and I said something along the lines of “it’s so convenient, all of these resources are available online as e-books, I don’t need to buy paper-based textbooks!”
The interviewer replied: “Yes. That’s why our industry is in so much trouble.”
Oops.
HA!
This was such a relatable read! It’s funny how sometimes we can tell right away that a job just isn’t the right fit, whether it’s the interview vibe, unrealistic requirements, or simply knowing our strengths lie elsewhere. Still, those experiences often teach us the most and help us recognize the opportunities that truly match our goals and personality. Really enjoyed the honesty and humor in these stories! By the way, I recently came across this useful guide for plant-based fast food options https://kfcmenu.de/kfc-vegan-menu/