20+ Job interviewers who were stunned by their entitled candidates: 'This job is beneath me. Call me when you have something good available'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Apr 3, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

You can probably picture in your mind's eye exactly how your worst job interview played out. You might remember the feeling of your sweaty palms as the interviewer asked you a question you prepared for… only for you to totally forget everything you know about the subject. Sometimes the job interviewer will ask, "Tell me about a problem you had with a customer, and how you solved it," and suddenly, you forget all the lines you practiced in the mirror. Or maybe you showed up to the interview while suffering a fashion emergency, like you spilled some barbecue sauce on your shirt, or ripped your pants just before the interview began. There are a million ways to do an interview wrong, but you've probably never done things quite as poorly as these people. 

These candidates had some really unfortunate job interview moments. One kid got so nervous that he got his mommy to take over for him. Another dude simply would not stop talking, and kept interrupting his interviewer over and over again. Lots of hopefuls showed up in strange attire. Keep scrolling to check out a bunch of stories that'll make you feel better about your own interview flubs. 

Next, read about "the cake that got my coworker fired" and other bakers who had some tough days in the kitchen. 

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  • 01
    'We had a guy come into our office where we all wear business casual, wearing a ripped-up sleeveless shirt, shorts and sandals... We cut the interview short'
    via Leandro Crespi For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    "Employers who didn't hire someone because of how the interview went, what was it about the interview that you didn't like?"

    mu... One time when I was accepting resumes a girl comes in and I go to shake her hand and I ask her her name. She doesn't shake my hand and points to her name on the resume, rolls her eyes and says "it literally says my name right there"
    via u/murphy_girl
  • 03
    Edit: so just to be clear this wasn't an interview yet. She had just come in and asked for the manager. I didn't really do anything, but I just said thank you nice to meet you.. and put a note on the resume.
    via u/murphy_girl
  • 04
    -_rok_- Asked the guy if he had experience with Linux, which was required for the job and stated in the job advertisment. He said kind of, because he was using a Android phone and that would pretty much be the same. Λ
    via u/-_rok_-
  • 05
    AlphaAgain Guy rescheduled with me twice because of issues at his current job. Fine, I get it, putting your work ahead of the interview is cool with me. | agree to a time that would have me staying late in order to conduct the interview.
    via u/AlphaAgain
  • 06
    Then he doesn't show up until 20 minutes after the agreed time, as I was walking out the door and turning off the lights. The position has been vacant for too long and his resume is solid so I just go ahead with the interview.
    via u/AlphaAgain
  • 07
    He doesn't make it more than 2 minutes before he is sitting staring at his phone. I asked him to leave and went home.
    via u/AlphaAgain
  • 08
    LittlestSlipper55 Not necessarily the employer in this case, but I was doing some small training for a management position at the fast food restaurant I worked at and as such was invited to sit in on an interview and learn. First kid we interview is applying for his first job ever and is clearly nervous as anything. Spluttering and
    via u/LittlestSlipper55
  • 09
    stammering his words, fidgeting, asking us to repeat questions the whole nine yards. However, all that being said, for a 15 year old looking for his first job he is doing ok and the words we did manage to get out of him where coherent enough for us to tell that with a bit of practice and training he'd be alright. Eventually he just goes green and asks us to excuse him. He gets up and kinda run walks to the toilets
    via u/LittlestSlipper55
  • 10
    area. My manager and I look at each other stunned. He comes back look a lot better and a lot more confident...with his mum with him. She apologises for her son and explains he's just a bit nervous but is ready to continue with the interview. We tell her it's all good, we understand, he's doing well for his first time and not to worry. She says
    via u/LittlestSlipper55
  • 11
    "Oh good, let's crack on then shall we?" and promptly sits down and waits. We again both look at each other and my manager says "Uh, ok", turns to him and asks him the next question. His mum answers for him. My manager says "Oh, are you planning on sitting on with the interview?" and the mum goes "I think it may be better if I just did it for him."
    via u/LittlestSlipper55
  • 12
    Mr. Nervous Teen suddenly looks very smug and cocky, smirking and nodding in agreement. My manager tells the mum that while it's ok to sit in with the interview, she'd prefer it if he'd answer the questions as it's he that may get the job. Her response: "Oh no, he's too nervous, he becomes sick when he gets too nervous and stressed
    via u/LittlestSlipper55
  • 13
    out. He's my son, I know what's his answers will be!" He did not get the job.
    via u/LittlestSlipper55
  • 14
    mrbadassmotherf... He wouldn't stop talking. I actually couldn't even string 3 words together without him interrupting. Instant fail.
    via u/mrbadassmotherfucker
  • 15
    b season True story. I was interviewing a kid for a sales position a few years ago. Looked and seemed totally normal. We greet each other and sit down. I take a second to look down at the copy of his resume he brought with him and look back up. Suddenly he's wearing glasses. And not regular glasses. Like coke bottle glasses I didn't know
    via u/B***season
  • 16
    existed outside of bad 80's comedies. I looked back down at his resume to reset and compose myself. glasses are gone. I almost di d. He pulled this black magic fuckery 3 more times in the interview. Never actually saw him in the act of taking the glasses on or off. In retrospect I should have hired him. Biggest mistake of my life.
    via u/B***season
  • 17
    swtadpole He told me that he'd do anything for us if he got the job, even if it was illegal. That was a major red flag. If he hadn't said it, he probably would've been in the running for the job too. Another guy kept stopping to answer his phone during the interview. Once, okay. He forgot to turn it off. But he just left it on and kept
    via u/swtadpole
  • 18
    texting his friend. He also said he liked to solve problems through brainstorming, and that he'd find ways not to work overtime even if there was an emergency. When asked about his work experience, he just talked about how is role in projects was to make himself the delegator. Dude really didn't want to work.
    via u/swtadpole
  • 19
    Then there was the gal who tossed her head and said, "You know, you think you're interviewing me, but I'm the one interviewing you! And this job is beneath me. Call me when you have something good available." You wouldn't believe the bad applicants that somehow make it into interviews.
    via u/swtadpole
  • 20
    [deleted] My boss had a highly qualified (on paper) person in for an interview at a Big Pharma company in the microbiology lab. Basically we were there to make sure your meds weren't contaminated with bacteria, among other tasks. Naturally we used a lot of dangerous bacteria and chemicals you definitely shouldn't ingest.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 21
    This interviewee proudly answered that her greatest work related accomplishment was when there was a mysterious filmy substance on a piece of equipment at her previous pharmaceutical job (in the manufacturing plant iirc) and she discovered it was cleaning solution by... a taste test.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 22
    crazynekosama Recently had an interviewee who was a man, mid 50's. His interview was with two women. They got about three questions in when they stopped the interview. They asked him a question about how he handles customer conflict (we are a customer service company and he had customer service experience). He said he "didn't tolerate difficult
    via u/crazynekosama
  • 23
    customers" and would "kick them out of the store." Then they asked him about handling employee conflict and he said something along the lines of "well, you have to handle conflict with women differently because they are more emotional and have trouble understanding more complicated concepts. I left my last job because they hired too many women and I couldn't stand working
    via u/crazynekosama
  • 24
    with them." To two women. So clearly this guy had no social awareness or concept of what was appropriate. So don't do that. I would have loved to be there for that interview but it wasn't in my own department. Just got to hear about it later from the women that interviewed him.
    via u/crazynekosama
  • 25
    I_am_very_sMaRt kid kept talking about how he likes video games but couldn't apply it to anything IT support related like somehow, this a support technician job was going to be his was way in to working at blizzard one day making video games
    via u/I_am_very_sMaRt
  • 26
    we went with the girl who had 0 experience, was honest, and sent us a thank you letter
    via u/I_am_very_sMaRt
  • 27
    BillfredL Skype interview. From his bed. With just the bedside light on so I could only see about half of his face. Sounding like he just woke up. T-shirt on, at least. Yeah, sorry, the next interview was much stronger.
    via u/
  • 28
    honorialucasta I hire quite a bit and my biggest red flag is people who profess to know the answer to every question and never admit to not knowing something. I have a couple of really-too- advanced-for-the-role technical questions that I keep in my back pocket and use almost entirely to see what people will say when they DON'T know the
    via u/honorialucasta
  • 29
    answer. Being able to tell me how you find out information you don't know (and showing me that you don't mind admitting not being perfect/asking questions) is WAY more valuable than "acing" an interview quiz.
    via u/honorialucasta
  • 30
    (This is also one of the most valuable traits of an - employee if you don't know something/screw up, admitting it will win you WAY more points than you trying to hide it/cover your tracks. Coming clean about a screwup - assuming it's not a habit, obviously - shows. me you are both honest and confident.)
    via u/honorialucasta
  • 31
    Trawhe Pretty simple job description. I need you to show up on time and do your job. You will be driving approx. 200 miles per day. Interview question one: this job requires a decent driving record. Before we run your record is there anything I should know? Any DWI/DUI or speeding in the last 2 years?
    via u/Trawhe
  • 32
    Answer: no. Absolutely not. (Runs record) Okay. Your record is clean. You also don't have a driver's license. Answer: Will that really be an issue? I drive fine. ..... Yeah, that's going to be an issue. Sorry. Second interview of the day.
    via u/Trawhe
  • 33
    Guy comes in and tells me he refuses to answer directly to a female about driving a truck (I am a female) and that he will not be able to start work at 8, but could be in by 9. And he will not work the day before any holiday.
    via u/Trawhe
  • 34
    Basically, liars and demanders are instantly out. Low to no experience? Be excited about learning. I'm more likely to hire the guy who comes in and says I don't know how to do this but if you show me I will learn, than the guy who "lays down the law" walking into the interview.
    via u/Trawhe
  • 35
    The-Gargoyle Guy said he was a webdesign/development professional, his resume was 'impressive', according to our HR lady. He did okay-ish on the questions, So I handed him a printed sheet of some simple HTM printed on it. (some text, a few divs here and there, the CSS was basically just colors (in
    via u/The-Gargoyle
  • 36
    english, not hex) and text sizing.) and a blank piece of paper and some colored pencils. He was then asked to draw (approximately) what the code would look like in any modern browser.
    via u/The-Gargoyle
  • 37
    He looked far too confused and baffled at the paper for a few moments, then he just randomly drew something he made up. (which wasn't even close.) I just stopped him about four lines in and thanked him for his time. Next guy in the door didn't have as nearly an impressive of a resume, but he nailed every question, and the 'draw it!' test without a problem.
    via u/The-Gargoyle
  • 38
    Pro tip: Don't lie on your resume.
    via u/The-Gargoyle
  • 39
    PristineUndies She posted the email from our company, and several others, requesting a follow- up interview on her instagram with the caption "daaayum all these want a piece of me".
    via u/PristineUndies
  • 40
    [deleted] Kind of on the other side of this, but.. When I was fresh out of college, I applied for a manager position at a retail store. The store hadn't opened yet, and they basically wanted to hire someone to do everything, from setting up the store and getting it ready to open, to setting prices, doing inventory, buying merchandise, planning
    via u/[deleted]
  • 41
    weekend events (the grand opening was the first of these), etc. Anyway, it was a group interview at the owner's house, and I was interviewing with 2 other applicants. One applicant was late. We waited on her for a bit, but ended up starting the interview without her. She ended up rushing in apologizing for being late. Then she tripped
    via u/[deleted]
  • 42
    on the stairs while going down to the table where we were sitting. In order to keep from falling, she grabbed a nearby birdcage (which was housing some finches) and pulled it down with her. Not a good entrance. Anyway, she joins the interview table. After about 10 minutes, you can CLEARLY see she is the strongest candidate for the job. She has the experience,
    via u/[deleted]
  • 43
    she's confident and professional, she's friendly and easy to talk to... But you KNEW she wasn't going to get an offer because of that wacky entrance. After the interview ended and I left, I got a call - they were offering me the job. It would have gone to the other girl if she hadn't been late, tripped down the stairs, and knocked over the finch cage.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 44
    [deleted] The interview went pretty well until I asked "So what are you looking to get out of this job? What's important to you in a work environment?" And he responded: "Well I just really want to work in a place with a bunch of friends. Hanging out during work. After work. Going on company trips. Playing video games. Just all of us having
    via u/[deleted]
  • 45
    a good time. Hanging out. Being friends. I really hope I get this job. I've been to 38 interviews so far this year. I don't understand why no one will hire me. They like my resume. But for some reason after the interview they don't hire me. Do people not want a new friend? I don't get it. I'd be such a good employee. People can tell me anything. I'm a hard worker. I'm always there for people. So what do
    via u/[deleted]
  • 46
    you like to do for fun? Do you go anywhere? Do you guys all like hang out after work? Get a beer or something? Am I rambling? I feel like I'm rambling? But 38 interviews? Can you believe that?" It went on for a while. So obviously I didn't hire him. But I called him to tell him this and normally I don't tell people why I didn't hire them for liability reasons but
    via u/[deleted]
  • 47
    I felt so bad this dude had been to 38 different interviews over the previous nine months I decided I'd let him know that maybe if he kept it professional and didn't word vomit desperation so much it would go a little smoother for him. That conversation went like this: Me: "Hey we decided to go a different direction with the position but I was
    via u/[deleted]
  • 48
    wondering, if you have a few minutes, I'd like to talk to you about the interview and maybe give you some advice on the process." Him: "No way man, not interested. I'm good. Some people just aren't into meeting new people and gaining new friends. We're done here." [click] I made the right choice.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 49
    paranoid_70 I was interviewing candidates for an Engineering Technician job. When asking one guy some stuff about basic electronics he said something like "I didn't know there was going to be any technical questions".
    via u/paranoid_70
  • 50
    ak ythrowaway32 He was late. Not very late but late enough. We had a ton of interviews scheduled for the position and even 1 late was going to push us back and probably make the boss want to do group interviews which are the worst thing in the world to conduct. He didn't apologize for being late. He didn't explain
    via u/ak***ythrowaway32
  • 51
    why he was late, even just a "Hey, how about that traffic" comment that would have been welcome. He didn't shake my hand but shook all of the men's hands in the room before sitting down. It was clear that despite me asking him questions that he thought I was some kind of talking decoration and would only address the men in the room. He wasn't an
    via u/ak***ythrowaway32
  • 52
    old guy either, he wasn't much older then me! So we have this disaster interview where the last question is "Do you have any questions. that you'd like to ask" and he goes "No. Oh by the way, yes I can start monday." OMG I threw his resume away before he even made the elevator. My boss and her head of department both go "that
    via u/ak***ythrowaway32
  • 53
    was a waste of everyone's time. Group interviews tomorrow." F that guy LOL
    via u/ak***ythrowaway32
  • 54
    adg_07 When I was leaving one of my past roles (in HR) my boss told me that if I could find someone half as good as me he'd be happy (quoting him, not bragging). And I took this responsibility very seriously caused I loved my team and wouldn't leave them with just about anyone.
    via u/adg_07
  • 55
    I interviewed this one dude, among many others, and the interview went spectacular. The drama began right after. As soon as the guy left we knew we'd be offering him the position but decided to wait till the next day to ask him for references. The dude left the interview, found some common acquaintances and somehow got my number. Couple hours later he called
    via u/adg_07
  • 56
    me, wanting to take me out on a date saying he was in my area (super creepy). Needless to say, he didn't get the job and was banned from ever applying to my organization.
    via u/adg_07
  • 57
    RamsesThePigeon I've told this story a few times before, but it remains... well, you'll see. A few years back, I had the misfortune of interviewing a fellow for a role in a film sh ot. Although the production technically had a Human Resources professional in charge of screening résumés, they
    via u/RamsesThePigeon
  • 58
    were far better versed in the recruiting process than they were in what qualifications were necessary for the job. As a result, less than half an hour before I was supposed to meet with the man in question, I was handed a document that would have made most pathological liars blush. According to the résumé, my interviewee had been an "uncredited consultant" on
    via u/RamsesThePigeon
  • 59
    over a hundred feature films. While there certainly are cases in which a given worker goes uncredited - it - has even happened to me the sheer magnitude of the fellow's claim went well beyond the realm of believability. Furthermore, the guy had listed quite a few alleged skills that seemed to suggest a less- than-complete knowledge of the industry.
    via u/RamsesThePigeon
  • 60
    My favorite claim was that he had "expert-level apple box skills." For the record, an "apple box" is literally a wooden box. That's it. There are a few different sizes, and they're used whenever something needs to be stacked on top of a box.
    via u/RamsesThePigeon
  • 61
    I went ahead with the interview anyway, if only because I was curious about how the guy would back up his various claims. He turned out to be maybe twenty years old, which was far too young to have worked on many of the films that he had listed. When pressed, he explained that he had "consulted" on each of them by writing letters to the people involved in the productions, in which he
    via u/RamsesThePigeon
  • 62
    outlined several suggestions on various things. Suffice to say, he didn't get the job... though I'm certain that he listed himself as an "uncredited consultant" on it, simply because he attended the interview. TL;DR: Lights, camera... exaggeration!
    via u/RamsesThePigeon
  • 63
    ANTON BAU B naregrid.com Cano 65
    via Jakob Owens on Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 64
    MrRabinowitz I have a bunch of examples of this. Anyone who acts like I owe them the job is out. This is stunningly common. Anyone who is r de, dismissive, or inconsiderate towards the people at the front desk is out. Like - are you thinking?
    via u/MrRabinowitz
  • 65
    I had a girl tell me one time that it was OK to call out 60 times per year. No. I had a lady highlight to me all of the reasons why she should not take the job. Listen to your inner voice girl. • I had one person begin speaking after the end of every question. They'd basically ramble until their answer came
    via u/MrRabinowitz
  • 66
    . to them and then finally get on topic. I'd rather them sit in silence - and it was an indication that they'd be willing to BS people IRL. • I had one dude try to re-negotiate the pre- defined schedule right off the bat. No.
    via u/MrRabinowitz
  • 67
    - • Another candidate "What's your biggest pet peeve?" "Dramatic people". "What's something that people often misunderstand about you?" "They think I'm dramatic but I'm really just passionate about my work and hold people to high standards". HARD PASS.
    via u/MrRabinowitz
  • 68
    Cheezburger Image 10489438464
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 69
    Nayre_Trawe I was hiring for a position and welcomed existing employees to apply. This one guy, who described himself as a "storyteller", sauntered into the interview somehow under the impression that had to sell him on the role. I dissuaded him of that notion toot sweet which he interpreted as an invitation to drown my ears in verbal diarrhea for 30
    via u/
  • 70
    minutes about his goals and aspirations as a "storyteller" and how he was concerned this role might get in the way. By the end of the interview he determined he was not a good fit and withdrew his application. I truly wish I had it on tape because I have never had a worse interviewee in all my years.
    via u/
  • 71
    WarmFlatbread We recently interviewed a girl for an entry level admin position who had written "Adventure Seeker" below her name on her resume. The first question we asked her was "adventure seeker that sounds exciting can you please tell us about that"? -
    via u/
  • 72
    Her reply was something along the lines of "oh I just put that on there because I thought it sounded cool". She did not get the job.
    via u/
  • 73
    jan-chan I interviewed one guy and I could tell from his answers that he wasn't interested in the position at all, he just wanted ANYTHING that wasn't his current job. It was super obvious. I didn't want to hire him only to have him do the same thing to me in the next year so I passed.
    via u/
  • 74
    The position I was hiring for requires a lot of travel (70- 80%). I asked one person during their interview what their travel experience was like since I didn't want to hire someone who had never been on a plane before and now is needing to fly 3-4 weeks a month. He said he did a bunch of traveling. I asked where he traveled to and all I got was "you know, I've been to a few places" as
    via u/
  • 75
    a response. I asked for specific names and all I got was an awkward silence and he tried to brush off the question. Big red flag that he never really traveled anywhere so that was a pass too
    via u/
  • 76
    timias55 We had a guy come into our office where we all wear business casual, wearing a ripped up sleeveless shirt, shorts and sandals. He was arrogant AF, and we cut the interview short 20 minutes after he got there.
    via u/

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