People Share Tragic Tales of Their Worst Job Interviews

There's no way around it: job interviews are usually challenging experiences that can lead to great embarrassment, total humiliation, excessive perspiration, and a whole lot of anxiety. When I interview for a job I sweat like it's 100 degrees out and I've just run a marathon. I look like George Costanza after a few bites of Kung Pao chicken. I stumble my words and make bad jokes out of nervousness. Needless to say, there haven't been a lot of offer letters. Who wants to hire someone who forgets their own name? 

While my job interview experiences leave much to be desired, a thread shared by Twitter user @arb has helped me realize that I'm not the only person with painful tales of cringe and rejection. In a bid for a little moral support (presumably after a demoralizing experience), she asked people to share their stories of their worst-ever job interviews. And oh, boy, did they deliver.

 

Author image for Ada Elder Ada Elder
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  • 01
    Font - amy b O @arb in need of some moral support today. please tell me about the worst job interview you ever had 2:49 PM · 11/30/21 · Twitter Web App 79 Retweets 488 Quote Tweets 1,728 Likes
    via arb
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  • 02
    Font - liz kelley @lizkelley ... i was once asked "list things you could do with a brick for the next 5 minutes" 2:54 PM · 11/30/21 · Twitter Web App 7 Retweets 7 Quote Tweets 431 Likes
    via arb
  • 03
    Font - bob bob bob @NebraskaBobert Replying to @arb I interviewed for an it job at a law firm. "Why law firms?" He asked. Part of my answer was "interesting clients. Like T Boone Pickens is a client here. That's cool" He condescended "that's confidential." I couldn't resist "You should probably take it off your website then" 10:43 PM · 11/30/21 - Twitter for iPhone 7 Retweets 1Quote Tweet 331 Likes
    via arb
  • 04
    Font - Dr. Space Sloth, Esq. @SharksOnCouches ... Replying to @arb Friend told me they had an in and I was an automatic hire, the interview was just a formality. So I didn't prepare. It was the most in-depth interview I've ever had 2:54 PM · 11/30/21 · Twitter Web App
    via arb
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  • 05
    Font - amy it's cold outside @losertakesall ... Replying to @arb i interviewed at 24hour fitness and asked them what their hours were 2:50 PM · 11/30/21 · Twitter Web App 6 Retweets 1 Quote Tweet 526 Likes
    via arb
  • 06
    Font - Matthew Burnside ... @MatthewBurnsid7 Replying to @arb during a PhD interview i memorized all my answers ahead of time, practiced for months, & at the first question (“now do you go by Matt or Matthew?") i just stuttered for one minute as my brain searched through all the questions & then said, "Math is fine" 7:32 PM · 11/30/21 · Twitter for iPhone
    via arb
  • 07
    Font - SiobhanGilbert @SiobhanGilbert Replying to @arb I just kept blanking on things in a zoom interview. 20 min in, I basically said "Hey listen, Annie. I've messed this up bad enough where I know I'm not getting this. Let's call it a day, huh?" "It's Angie." Then i died. 9:50 PM · 11/30/21 Twitter Web App
    via arb
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  • 08
    Font - Andrew, But Slightly More Festive @andrewgutin ... Replying to @arb Once interviewed to work in the office at a TV show and the guy asked me who my favorite TV actor was, I said Christopher Meloni, then he spent 30 minutes trying to convince me that wasn't my favorite actor. 4:43 PM · 11/30/21 Twitter for iPhone
    via arb
  • 09
    Font - Annemarie Dooling @TravelingAnna ... Replying to @arb As a college student I interned at hgtv then applied for a local interior decorator in Staten Island. Office was in her home. She answered w/o shoes on, boxes of papers everywhere, dog hair on chairs, then said she couldn't hire someone with tattoos. 6:24 PM · 11/30/21 Twitter for iPhone
    via arb
  • 10
    Font - maya kosoff @mekosoff ... Replying to @arb went in, had a normal interview, but was then asked on the spot to join a group brainstorm with some employees for the following hypothetical: "say you work for apple and they made a meal replacement drink-how would you brand it?" the job was not at apple nor was it in branding 3:51 PM · 11/30/21 · Twitter Web App
    via arb
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  • 11
    Font - Joi Ito's Jibo sez @JMEightDigits Replying to @arb I brought my own water bottle and was told that it made me appear unprofessional. They told me this because they liked me, you see, and just wanted to be helpful. I've brought a water bottle to every interview since as a litmus test. 2:54 PM · 11/30/21 · Twitter Web App
    via arb
  • 12
    Font - heather schmelzlen @anchorlines Replying to @arb not a single interview but ... spent months doing multiple rounds of in- person meetings, edit tests, etc. with v*ce, which then offered me the job at $15k below my salary at the time (which they knew from day 1!) 4:15 PM · 11/30/21 · Twitter Web App
    via arb
  • 13
    Font - Emvocation ... @Emmytation Replying to @arb volunteered for a non-profit. they created a paid position for some of the duties I did as a volunteer. my cover letter was basically, I know I can do this job because l've already done it for free. I was asked a shitload of questions like I hadn't already succeeded. wasn't hired 9:48 PM · 11/30/21 · Twitter Web App
    via arb
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  • 14
    Font - Donnachaidha O'Chionnaigh @TwoClawsMedia Replying to @arb Audition. Character was an Irish man, from Ireland. I am an Irish man, from Ireland. Do my reading. Got asked to do it again, but "drop the accent, sounds fake" "You... want me to do an American accent?" "No, NO ACCENT" Didn't argue, did an American accent. (Did not get role) 5:15 PM 11/30/21 Twitter for iPhone
    via arb
  • 15
    Font - COO Catherine Belle ... @catherinefloydd Replying to @arb went in to interview for one job, when I got there they told me I was actually interviewing for the office manager position because the previous one had just passed away. they asked me how I could be a "motherly figure" to the office. told them I was only 21 & not ready for kids 2:56 PM · 11/30/21 Twitter for iPhone
    via arb
  • 16
    Font - Cody Permenter @somecody ... Replying to @arb I had an interview with a literal billionaire. He laid down on his office couch and fell asleep during the interview. Every time his head would nod off, l'd speak louder to wake him up. I was internally freaking out the entire time and wanted to die. 5:07 PM · 11/30/21 · Twitter for iPhone
    via arb
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  • 17
    Font - morgan ... @mortymo_ ONWSL Replying to @arb I got a softball question and fumbled it so badly. I was rambling on incoherently, decided I need to stop so I said "fully successful" completely out of context and just stared at the interviewer who was very bewildered. 2:53 PM · 11/30/21 · Twitter for iPhone Support Players
    via arb
  • 18
    Font - Shiv Ramdas Is On Temp Hiatus... @nameshiv Replying to @arb I got asked "don't turn but what is the colour of the wall behind you", I answered & he asked how knew so I said "saw it on the way in" & he angrily muttered "youre supposed to say all 4 are the same" & then didnt ask another Q for 5 min then said "thanks we'll be in touch" 8:47 AM · 12/1/21 Twitter Web App
    via arb
  • 19
    Font - Evie Ebert ... @ohevie Replying to @arb As I was being walked out, a team member came up to introduce himself to me and the interviewer silently nodded 'no' to him 3:10 PM · 11/30/21 · Twitter Web App
    via arb
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  • 20
    Font - DeckTheHallI ... @TheHallWay1 Replying to @arb interviewed at a WeWork office. I walked into the office and the first 2 things I saw were a DJ booth+ a smoothie machine. 4 people interviewed me for 45 minutes and never explained what I would be doing. They said "many hats" and synergy" 14 times. I ran out of the building. 3:13 PM · 11/30/21 · Twitter Web App
    via arb

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