'I dunno, I’ll have to ask my mom': 30+ Job interviewees who didn't get the job thanks to their hilariously wrong answers

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Oct 9, 2023 11:00 AM EDT

Okay, be honest: what's the worst way you've ever answered an interview question? 

This topic could unite us all. No matter how long you've worked, no matter how qualified and prepared you are, every person gets nervous going to job interviews. It's a universal fear, and for many people, it's just one of those things you have to do every few years in order to advance your career. For every five or ten interviews you do, you might get offered the job one time---or not at all. It's brutal out here! You've got to be the perfect candidate for the job, which is harder than it sounds. 

Bad interview answers really stick with you, too. I still find myself lying awake some nights thinking about the unimaginably bad answers I've given in interviews. Probably the worst, though, was a time when I was very young and interviewing for internships in the film industry. I randomly applied to a video production internship, even though at that point, I had only done in-class video editing projects in school, and had really nothing to show for it. So I showed up to the production company and started talking with the interviewer, who I could already tell didn't like my lack of experience.

After a few minutes went by, he said to me, "Well, what do you have to show me?" I stared at him with a blank face and asked him to clarify. "What videos have you made? Can I see your work?" 

I turned bright red. I didn't even bring my laptop with me. I explained to him that since I was still young and learning, and I thought this internship would be a great place to start learning video editing.

"So you can't show me any videos? Nothing?" he asked in amazement. I realized, in real time, how utterly stupid it was to apply for a position like this with such little actual experience. I was so unprepared. I wanted to sink into the floor and disappear, but instead I was stuck with this dude. 

"Normally, I'd laugh you out of the room," this guy told me. "But I'll give you until tomorrow to send me some examples of your work." I told him that sounded good. Then I left and never contacted him ever again. How could I ever show my face at that company again? Sometimes, you mess up real bad and then you get to spend the rest of your life cringing over it. 

Scroll down to read about other people who had the worst answers to job interview questions. Then, read all about this housing developer who kept pushing a couple to get off their property. 

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  • 01
    Glasses - 'He was so nervous at the interview. Instead of saying "I'm a hard worker," it somehow came out, "Is the work hard?"
    via Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - What was the worst thing you said during a job- interview? You know, those things that we keep thinking on, hours after the interview ended, while you question "Why did I even mention that?"
    via u/u/auroraelisex
  • 03
    Font - NoTransition4168. My first interview was at a movie theater, dude hit me with the "what are your weaknesses" question. I had never heard it before. I then sit there in silence for a solid 25 seconds before I mutter "I'm trying to think of the worst one" in an attempt to break the silence.
    via u/NoTransition4168
  • 04
    Font - When applying to stock shelves at a grocery store as a teenager, they asked my biggest weakness, and I said I wasn't that outgoing. Apparently introverts aren't even qualified to stock shelves because it totally sunk me.
    via r/ask
  • 05
    Rectangle - DifficultAd8007 I was in the middle of a zoom interview and my desk collapsed. I yelled "F". Needless to say I didnt get the job lol.
    via u/DifficultAd8007
  • 06
    Font - Shoboy_is_my_name. In a room with 10 people, 7 "corporate types" and 3 trades. I was asked by one of the corporate guys how I see myself as a tradesman. So I said "I'm the 2nd best M/W you'll ever have". He says "why second best" and I said "saying I'm number 1 would just be arrogant and I'll let all the other s you got already argue with each other about whose number 1". The trades guys laughed their as off and the corporate guys just sat there, not believing I'm cussing in front of them
    via u/Shoboy_is_my_name
  • 07
    Font - Going on 6 months now at the company. Later I find out the trades guys make the hiring suggestions from the interviews and the corporate guys make the final decisions based on that. Trades guys say to the corporate guys "if he's like this in an interview than he's gonna be great on the floor cause only experience gives you those kinda bolls. He's gonna be a team player". Corporate guys don't understand the shop floor unless they started there.
    via u/Shoboy_is_my_name
  • 08
    Font - BIGscott250 When asked why they should hire me..... I said, "I'm cool ! " • I got the job, it's been 10 yrs. Now.
    via u/BIGscott250
  • 09
    Font - Bebe Bleau I went to a job interview, and had almost gotten it. My new supervisor started to show me around the building, which was under renovation.We walked into this one large room with some of the well knocked out. In the middle was this huge old metal fountain looking thing.
    via u/Bebe Bleau
  • 10
    Font - I asked him what it was. He just kind of cleared his throat and changed the subject. I asked him again what it was. It was an old fashioned communal urinal. I never seen anything like that I didn't get the job. But in my own defense it was some kind of a manufacturing plant, I thought the urinal might have been some of the manufacturing equipment
    via u/Bebe Bleau
  • 11
    Font - unaskthequestion. I was a HS math teacher asked to sit in on an interview for a new teacher. During the interview, the applicant said in response to her classroom management style, "I don't like kids and they don't like me" She got the job anyway, but didn't even last the year.
    via u/unaskthequestion
  • 12
    Font - Koda_20 At the end of the application "tell us a funny story" "Me, filling out a job application"
    via u/Koda_20
  • 13
    Font - [deleted] I listed off a couple of skills I had and finished it off with; "All these are great skills for someone applying to a low level position" In my defense the job paid $12/hr.
    via u/deleted
  • 14
    Font - PuffPie19 Apparently "I can't start today, I told you on the phone and wrote on the application that I could start 2 weeks after it was confirmed if I got hired." I was put on their do not hire list.
    via u/PuffPie19
  • 15
    Font - rks1743 Had a job all but wrapped up at a home foreclosure firm and they asked what kind of work environments I liked/disliked. I said I preferred autonomy over micro- management. I found out the next day they had badges that were traceable to what floor you were on or how long you had been away from your office. Every minute was accounted for. I'm so glad I didn't get an offer.
    via u/rks1743
  • 16
    Font - Was asked why I wanted to work there. Said "I saw the help wanted sign in the window." Still got the job, but on the first day the woman who hired me got into an argument with a customer trying to return some pants. She then threw the pants across the register counter into the customer's face, ran crying into the back, took her purse and never came back.
    via r/ask
  • 17
    Font - [deleted] I was trying to work a Zumiez and the last question they ask you was, what would I steal? I originally said I wouldn't steal anything but they insisted I gave a answer and my idiot self just gave a great detail of what I would steal and I think about it a lot cause If I wasn't detailed about it, I probably would've been fine
    via u/deleted
  • 18
    Font - OkSquash2766 Interviewer asked me what job I wanted if I could do anything in a world. I replied that I would want to be a nascar driver, I did not get the job. This was a low stakes job as a server at a Steak and Shake. I ended up being a server at a barbecue joint instead.
    via u/OkSquash2766
  • 19
    Font - PotterheadZZ. Not me, but someone I interviewed. We run a program for low-income kids to have the same opportunities as their affluent peers. We do a lot during the school year, but this was a guy for our summer job. During the summer we pay for them to go to X camp and the rest of the participants pay big bucks to be at X camp. Our workers just monitor our kids and make sure they're being treated fairly.
    via u/PotterheadZZ
  • 20
    Font - Me: Do you have any questions about the program before we move on to the actual job description? Interviewee: So pretty much, this is the poor kids' club, right?
    via u/PotterheadZZ
  • 21
    Font - Impressive_Ad_8617. They asked me what kind of people I liked to work with. I I said "people that were friendly." Then they asked what kind of people would I not like to work with. I said "people that are not friendly". I didn't get the job.
    via u/Impressive_Ad_8617
  • 22
    Font - 1up_for_life I forget exactly what question they asked but it had to do with what skill I had that would be useful for this job. My answer was Patience. They responded with "Would you say that communication was one of your skills?" To which I replied "НАНАНАНАНАНАНАНА HAHA! No... Let me remind you that I have a degree in pure mathematics."
    via u/1up_for_life
  • 23
    Font - I still got the job but it was pretty funny that I literally laughed in the interviewers face at the idea of me having communication skills. The job was for an after school robotics coach, I don't think there were any other applicants.
    via u/1up_for_life
  • 24
    Font - deadloq Not me but a family member. He was so nervous at the interview. Instead of saying " I'm a hard worker" it somehow came.out. " is the work hard?" Hahahaha
    via u/deadloq
  • 25
    Font - dinsboots Can't even remember what was asked to bring it up. But I started talking about how much I liked food and that I would definitely work for food if it was good enough. He laughed and said "well we would be paying you with money," then a long-ish pause, "which you can actually use to buy food". Worked with him on and off for a good 5-6 years. Anytime it would come up we would all just bust up laughing again.
    via u/dinsboots
  • 26
    Human body - Najjikumi "I expect people to treat me with respect unconditionally"
    via u/Najjikumi
  • 27
    Font - jeophys152 I applied for a job at Lowe's while in college. They asked if I ever stole anything from an employer. Being young and over thinking it, I thought it was a trick question I thought I was supposed to say yes to. They asked what I stole. I said popcorn (I had worked at a theater but I couldn't really steal popcorn as we could just eat it as a perk). They ended up not hiring me because they were concerned that I would end up stealing from the store.
    via u/jeophys152
  • 28
    Font - lafc_darling Had the woman comment that I look young for my age and I replied 'it's because I don't smoke and don't have kids'. She stands up at the end and is about 8 months pregnant.
    via u/lafc_darling
  • 29
    Font - dal-Helyg Probably shouldn't have said, "Scrw that." when they mentioned mandatory overtime with no notice.
    via u/dal-Helyg
  • 30
    Font - Sad Playground. My husband. He was around 16 and got an interview at a fast food restaurant. He. Brought. Along. His. Friend. who was hoping to get a job too!
    via u/Sad Playground
  • 31
    Font - Scottishdog1120 25 years old, applying for a teaching job. They asked me what I thought my weaknesses were, I said that I like SOME country music. (When you're 25 you have no weaknesses!)
    via u/Scottishdog1120
  • 32
    Font - dragislit The worst thing I said during a job interview was nothing I was 18 and so nervous I couldn't answer any questions. I didn't wanna work there anyway tho but it was embarassing
    via u/dragislit
  • 33
    Gesture - Disastrous-Ice6398. More of a crying sound.. I cried. It was a tough time in my life.
    via u/Disastrous-Ice6398
  • 34
    Font - dumb_ e_ya_know I was asked what my biggest weakness was. I said it would be my honesty. They said they don't think honesty is a weakness. I said I don't give as what they think
    via u/dumb_ e_ya_know
  • 35
    Font - grownslow I got some bad advice going in that they expected my behaviorial answers to be 4-5 min long, so thats what i prepped for. It was painfully obvious I was talking too much, and they were bored out of their minds, but I was committed. I ended up getting a role in a different department a year later and now actually work side by side with those interviewers. We've shared a good laugh about it since then.
    via u/grownslow
  • 36
    Font - PowerfulPickUp The interviewer was also a manager. I was looking for a low stress job in the industry I'm interested in. Almost like a hobby. He rud ly cut me off while I was talking. Me: Nevermind, you won't do well as a supervisor for me. You'll have to develop leadership skills that may be beyond your abilities.
    via u/PowerfulPickUp
  • 37
    Font - ObiWanUrHomie I asked how "the vibes" were and then when they answered I said something akin to "pretty chill, then" I got the job, though. I guess they thought my vibes were pretty chill lol
    via u/ObiWanUrHomie
  • 38
    Font - Need 2sleep0901 Yeah, I have job interview anxiety already so I try and practice answers to behavioral questions but I got asked a trick question once asking what color I'd be or something of that nature and I froze. After a really long awkward pause, I just blurted out blue because I love looking at the sky. They looked at me like I had 3 heads. Ugh! It was well over a decade ago and I'm pretty sure i didn't get the job.
    via u/Need 2sleep0901

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