Comments on: Unconventional Job Interviews

By: Leon Tchotchke

Leon Tchotchke — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:02:37 +0000

@tiktaalik These are probably a different sort of personality test than you’re thinking of. For a while, it was relatively commonplace for companies – generally at the behest of some dubious consulting firm – to give those typed/template-based personality tests, where like it would sort you as an EXTROVERT/CREATIVE or an EMPATH/PROBLEM-SOLVER or whatever. And then if you didn’t fit the desired template they’d just dump you. I don’t think this is commonplace anymore, but it was definitely a fad for a moment there (especially with the sort of company that hires shitty consultants and then just does whatever BS they tell them to do without thinking about it rationally).

By: redheaded&crazy

redheaded&crazy — Thu, 24 May 2012 20:40:22 +0000

@DON me too. :(

i can just barely glimpse the sunlight shining in through my coworker’s windows. :(

By: Mirch

Mirch — Thu, 24 May 2012 20:22:09 +0000

I once had a job interview at a company that is run by the Church of Scientology. I realized this when I was given a questionnaire that stated they practiced some sort of L. Ron Hubbard management style. One of the questions was, “Do you believe in God?”

By: Mirch

Mirch — Thu, 24 May 2012 20:18:43 +0000

@Fig. 1 But that would be so fun to sit there and intentionally raise the steaks and one-up the others (when you knew you didn’t want the job). It would be like an SNL skit.

By: stuffisthings

stuffisthings — Thu, 24 May 2012 20:08:54 +0000

“You’re watching television. Suddenly you realize there’s a wasp crawling on your arm.”

By: DON

DON — Thu, 24 May 2012 20:06:24 +0000

@Mike Dang I have no windows and bright hospital lights above my head right now. :(

Is it sunny outside? I have no idea.

By: Andrea Klassen@twitter

Andrea Klassen@twitter — Thu, 24 May 2012 19:34:05 +0000

Back when I spent some time doing retail my favourite was a couple different places where people would get really flummoxed when I tried to be funny. One guy at least actually wrote down some variation of “made joke?” in the little box where he was supposed to note my responses.

Definitely once took a worse paying job entirely because the interviewer at one place laughed at my jokes more than the other guy.

By: tiktaalik

tiktaalik — Thu, 24 May 2012 19:05:10 +0000

@Jenn@twitter I am in a job that I like right now, but my coworkers are more than a little kooky. I sometimes want to call the person before me and ask her if it’s any different at her new (very similar) job.

By: tiktaalik

tiktaalik — Thu, 24 May 2012 19:03:40 +0000

@Grant@twitter Ugh, those personality tests. What the hell are they actually supposed to tell you about someone? Who would admit to being a terrible, awful employee on a test like that? And then normal people end up not being eligible for jobs they should be able to do in their sleep. They always make me wonder if I should just pick the obviously goody-two-shoes answer, or answer honestly with the slightly less perky answer (obviously not the “steal and deal drugs” answer)? But then will they think I’m actually a slacker? AWFUL.

Case in point, I once failed one of those personality tests to work at a major chain bookstore. I am a librarian.

By: elizabeast

elizabeast — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:43:59 +0000

A few years ago, I had an interview to be a hostess at a douchey-hip restaurant. I should have known it was a bad idea when the interviewer asked me “What kind of animal would you be, and why?”