'I don't hire people with beards': 20+ Candidates share the reason they walked out of job interviews

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Nov 16, 2023 9:00 AM EST

Job searching can be a painful process, and trying to stand out from a crowd through an electronic submission is difficult to do, meaning that you'll probably submit hundreds of applications to jobs—most of which you'll never hear back from. In a hundred submissions, you might hear back from a few—let's say 5%—so five interviews per 100 applications, which is a generous estimate. Of these five, you'll actually sit a first-round interview for three, hopefully getting asked to come back by two of them for a round two interview and proceeding further with one of them.

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  • So, with all of this in mind, with the huge amount of time and effort to get to the point of an interview, it can be easy to get desperate and let the sunk cost fallacy take hold, committing yourself to a role despite obvious red flags and bait-and-switch tactics. With certainty, even if you don't end up taking the role, it is extremely difficult to up and leave an interview, preferring to at least see it through in the hopes that it might eventuate to something.

    These candidates shared the interview experiences that led them to realize that things just weren't going to work out here, choosing to depart earlier rather than endure another moment.

  • 01
    "The manager practically bragged about how the job offered no breaks for an 8-10 hour shift..."
    via Resume Genius
  • 02
    9? r/AskReddit Posted by u/JimmySaulGene (Serious) People who walked out of a job interview, why did you do it?
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 03
    [deleted] Pyramid scheme advertised as "sales and marketing". It was a group interview. They served wine for sake! They had obvious stooges initiating conversation about how great this opportunity was. I got very drunk and stopped being polite about it. ↑ 14.3k ↓ Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 04
    bayygel For anyone in the comments: If you have nerves of steel and are as stubborn as a horse, you can go to these kind of things all the time and get a ton of free food and drink on the regular. Just make sure not to ever sign anything. It's not like they aren't scamming people anyways. Besides, they're giving it out for free. 4.8k Share ●●● M_Drinks How might one find one of these? 1.5k I could always go for free drinks and a good story. Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 05
    SnowMiser26 I wasn't informed about the evidently very strict building security prior to the interview. The front door was practically unmarked, and you had to swipe a card to get in, but there was no intercom. The elevator required a card as well, but the stairs didn't. HOWEVER, no one informed me that the stairwells are locked from the outside, meaning I was locked in the stairwell with no way to get out.
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 06
    I called the recruiter over and over, and even called the front desk, but they just kept putting me on hold instead of sending someone to let me in at the correct floor. I ended up getting a call from the recruiter while STILL STUCK IN THE STAIRWELL telling me they would not be going forward with the interview because I was late.
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 07
    I almost screamed, and asked her as calmly as I could manage if she had gotten any of the messages I left for her letting her know I was presently stuck in the stairwell with no way to get out. She said she hadn't, and said it was too late anyway because they had gone with another candidate. She almost hung up before I could yell (probably too loudly), "THEN CAN SOMEONE PLEASE COME FREE ME FROM THE STAIRWELL SO I CAN LEAVE??"
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 08
    They sent security to get me, and I was treated like a criminal as I was led from the building. I have never been so confused, humiliated, and angry in my entire life. I left them a scathing review on Glassdoor.
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 09
    lookssharp Sat down with the owner and the first thing he said was, I don't hire people with beards. I said okay, got up and walked out. 11.2k Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 10
    [deleted] I remember hearing a story about an engineer who went to a head hunter for help in finding a job. He was told first thing that he needed to shave off his beard. The head hunter lands him a group interview with an engineering firm. He walks into the room having noticeable tan lines on his face because he'd just shaved his beard, and each one of the male engineers who were interviewing him had a beard! ↑ 5.5k ↓ Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 11
    neolabaque Applied for a software developer position for an online retailer. First round of interviews was a traditional technical skills and whiteboard coding session, second round was a cultural fit interview with HR. I assumed it would be an one on one interview with HR, it was a room with 20 something people applying for anything from legal to finance.
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 12
    They asked us to stand up, then crawl into a ball and pretend we were flowers opening. At this point I honestly thought it was some kind of prank, then I saw everybody around me doing it. I just said thanks for the opportunity and left. 10.9k Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 13
    [deleted] I once showed up for a job interview in a suit and tie after answering a newspaper ad for a "warehouse worker". Instead of a job interview at the warehouse, they had me get into a freezer truck with one of the employees who drove me a few hours away, pulled over in some random neighborhood, and explained to me that the job was going door-to-door trying to sell cuts of meat to people, unsolicited.
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 14
    I told him this was not the "warehouse worker" job that they had advertised and if he didn't bring me back home immediately, I was going to call the police and report a kidnapping. I was brought back to my car, but I was not paid for the several hours of my wasted time. you, Pa Connecticut. 9.3k PrO of Cr O of cro Share ●●●
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 15
    /PLACE m cginc1 It was a virtual interview and I ended it. The interviewer was a complete , had an ego, and would make condescending remarks. Just told him that it sounds like he's not interested in working together so in the interest of both our time, we should just end the call.
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 16
    PapaGeorgieo It was a commission based sales job selling kitchen knives. The interviewer pulled out a knife and it fell apart in his hands. I am also not a salespeson. 7.9k ↓ Share eddyathome CONOR? ↑ 2.1k ↓ r? Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 17
    Throwmylifeaway190 Showed up and realized it was a pyramid scheme that involved door-to-door sales. Edit: Thank you to everyone sharing your own experiences with these in the replies! I actually really appreciate reading your stories. 6.9k Dr Tokinkoff Share "Wanna work in a rock n roll atmosphere and be your own boss?" ↑ 2.6k ↓ Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 18
    Alpha_Hellhound I once went to a job interview for a large welding shop, in the middle of a rain storm. After talking to the interviewer for 30 or so minutes, he walked me out to the shop floor to take a welding test. The machine we went to was in decent condition, but was literally sitting in a puddle of water. The welding table's legs were rusty and not grounded well, and also in said puddle. Over half the shop was flooded. I turned around and said "No thank you." Then proceeded to walk out th
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 19
    Balrog229 Showed up and the manager practically bragged about how the job offered no breaks for an 8-10 hour shift, and if there was a food break it would be 5 mins max at a hip-height table with no chairs. She said that you'd be fired if you sat down even for 30 seconds. Im more than capable of doing that. I did that every day at my last job. But when you brag about how your employees are
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 20
    so over-worked that they don't get breaks or an option to rest their legs, it tells me all I need to know about how little you value your employees. I should also note that this job wasn't paying exceptionally well. Above minimum wage, but not at a level that was even enough to live on. 6.6k Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 21
    [deleted] Slightly different - I actually interviewed and was hiring by a call center that focused on getting donations for a variety of non-profit organizations (i was desperate). It was on a Thursday, and I was told to show up the following Monday. When I showed up Monday morning, the entire business unit was completely empty. Like, stripped to the floor, wires
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 22
    hanging from the roof empty. When I was there the week before, I saw around 20-25 cubicles of people all working diligently, a managers desk at the far back, and waiting area chairs with a table, all in one large room. To this day I have no idea what happened, I just know they got out of there quick in 3 days time. 6.5k Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 23
    Nixie9 Applied for a teaching job, my current at the time job was at a school for people with disabilities, this new school was a school for children gifted in a particular field. I was headhunted when one of my students from my current school was accepted to the new school. The woman interviewing asked why I wanted to work there, so I explained the
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 24
    above (including student with disability), she goes, with the most disgusted look on her face "we don't have students like that here". Should point out that I'm also disabled. Was not going to work out obviously! 5.9k Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 25
    Fumble MyEndzone A jumped up security guard made me walk away before I even got in the building for an interview. I followed the instructions I was sent by the hiring manager which was to park in the designated guest spaces. Security guard came charging out of the building yelling at me when I was barely out of the car about how I couldn't park there, then when I raised my voice just to try and get him to listen he started yelling at me for yelling at him.
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 26
    Eventually when I got to tell him that I was told to park there, he called the hiring manager and started yelling at them about how I'd been yelling at him. Part way through that phone call I thought "nah this", got back in the car and drove off. The hiring manager called me to apologise and asked if I'd come back. I politely declined saying I wanted nothing to do with that security guard again. 4.8k Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 27
    Star_Drive Well, if it's any consolation I'd say there was at least a 50% chance that security guard was fired ↑ 2.0k ↓ Share shellwe Most likely they contract security out and they just swapped him with someone else. For him to be so uptight I'm wondering if he got a ton of for not cracking down on someone else parking there. 1.1k Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 28
    Army Of Dog It was for a management position, running a mail room. Something I'd done twice before. All the standard questions were asked. I felt like it was going well. Then he suddenly says to me, "I'm hearing a lot of "I" from you. I'm concerned, because we are about the team, and not the individual, here." The ? It's a job interview and you're concerned that I am answering questions
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 29
    you have asked specifically about me, with answers that address your questions about me. That's utterly nonsensical. I don't even remember how I responded, but I knewI didn't want to deal with his stupid semantic word and mind games, which I was sure I'd only seen the surface of, so I steered us right into concluding the interview, and I left. I also made a subtle show of taking back the copies of my resume that I'd brought with me. 4.6k Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 30
    Karbar049 I'm a vet tech. Interviewed at a primary care, single doctor practice. The manager was over 25 minutes late to my interview. While I waited for her, the front desk staff ignored me while they talked about the techs, manager, and clients. The manager said they did not believe in referring to any specialists, because "Dr. A is a specialist in everything from grizzly bears to canaries." He was not, he hadn't
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 31
    even done a rotating internship and definitely had not done any type of residency program. I had already worked in a toxic clinic, but at least the doctors were competent. When she asked if I had any questions, I just asked if I could have my resume back, so I didn't waste the paper. 4.5k Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 32
    Oudeis16 I should have; I stayed there out of morbid curiosity to see how low they would go, but I had made the decision I wasn't gonna work there early in the process. I'm glad I stayed. The last thing that happened in the interview was the CEO personally asking us all to promise that, if we ever make a mistake, the company will calculate how much that mistake cost us, and we will voluntarily pay the company that amount. 4.3k ↓ Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 33
    DeftTrack81 Owner of a bar told me in the 1st interview. to never approach him with a problem because I wouldn't like how he fixed it. ✩ 4.1k 4.1k Share Omny87. That tells me he either doesn't know how to fix things, or he uses illegal methods to fix things. 2.6k Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 34
    Chibbly They spelled my name wrong on their internal documents all the while emphasizing how important attention to detail was. On top of that they kept asking the same exact question about 12 different ways, which the answer to it was clearly listed in my work experience on my resume. This was for a thermal engineering position. They offered a tour of the facility while the person I was to work under finished. up a meeting. I declined and left. ↑ 3.8k ↓ Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 35
    Turnbob73 I applied for a register position at P I specifically told them during my 2 interviews that I cannot be a delivery driver due to my car being unreliable, they even acknowledged that and told me okay. Got the job, came in for training on the first day, the very first thing they do is sit me down in a chair and started up a training video on delivery driving. I asked them if I could skip it since I'm only working the register/in the kitchen, and the manager tells me that every position i
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 36
    Thomas Lipnip I had been told it was a marketing job. The first interview was about marketing and took place in an office. I got a call back and was very happy as it meant I'd be able to get out of a call center and do something I liked. I took my last day off I was allowed to go to the next interview, and when I got there they said they wanted me to go to the local home depot with them. I got there and found out it was an MLM. I was so stunned that I let them take me out of the floor, and show
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 37
    weirdkid712 yr. ago Third and final interview (all same day) at a tech company. First two went well and I was told this last one just was a formality - they wanted me to join. Interview with the head of the office guy seemed to start well. We walked to the cafeteria, grabbed a couple coffees, and with some small talk we learned we knew some of the same people. We get back to his office and sit down. He looks at my file, "It says here you're looking for
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 38
    [certain salary]." I said yes, and explained it's really close to market for someone with my skills and experience. He looks at me and says, "I don't think you're worth it." I said "Excuse me?" He repeated it. I laughed, grabbed my bag, stood up, thanked him for his time and walked out. The company went out of business like a year later, so I feel I dodged a bullet there. ↑ 2.9k ↓ Share ●●●
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 39
    absentmindedjwc Once interviewed with the company enova here in Chicago for an engineering manager role. First part of the interview went well, then I met with a senior manager there, and he talked about the kind of they did... after a short time, it clicked with me: these are loan sharks. I thanked him for his time and told him that I wasn't interested in over poor people, got up, and walked out the door. No thanks, I'm not going to help payday lenders get more customers. 2.8k Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 40
    mtg-Moonkeeper Interviewer: What would you do if an employee of 15 years asked for a raise? Me: I'd remind him that he already gets a yearly raise... Interviewer: I don't give out raises. 2.7k ↓ Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene
  • 41
    Zulias Any job that says: "You get what you put into it. You wouldn't want to limit yourself to -just- a 9-5 would you?" Yes. Yes I would. 40 hr workweek max, thanks. I want to do my job and get paid for my job. F-Off. 1.7k ↓ Share
    via u/JimmySaulGene

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