20 Hilarious Or Weird Job Interviews People Really Experienced

For most of us a job is a necessary evil that funds our individual lifestyles. However, acquiring a job is a hectic experience that can be a mixed bag of emotions from anxiety, to excitement. When going in to an interview one is generally prepared for some unexpected twists but sometimes the outcomes surpass even our wildest imaginings.

#1 The Poop Of Good Luck

Image source: BrilliantUsername, Felix Haumann

I was just walking up to the door of the company for my interview, too late to turn back as the guy had already seen me approaching through the glass doors, so I smiled and then I felt the splat as I opened the door, a bird had just pooped on my shoulder and it was running down my front.

He did see and got me some tissue and at the end of the interview told me apparently it’s meant to be good luck (who knew) and that it had been for me as I was offered the job, it’s never been mentioned since.

#2 When The Boss Goes The Extra Mile For Someone Who Doesn’t Even Work There. Yet.

Image source: NKFell, YuriArcursPeopleimages

I went for an interview in a bank (I was 19) and was wearing ballet pump type shoes, somehow really thumped my little toe/foot off the door frame on the way in. I was sat in agony, trying to ignore it. Stood up to leave, blood had soaked through my shoe into the carpet and the top of my foot had changed colour.

The Area Manager who was sat in on the interview drove me to hospital, then sat with me. I’d broken my toe and metatarsal! She then drove me home, picked up my Mam and took her to the bank to retrieve my car.

I got the job! Lovely woman.

#3 A Very Suggestive Approach To Job Interviews

Image source: Fizbosshoes, Pixabay

One of the first jobs I went for when I was a teenager was for a waitress at a local hotel. When I got there the guy interviewing me took me into a bedroom and closed the door. Then asked if I wanted to sit on the chair or the bed. I chose the chair. (He sat in the bed) I can’t remember a single question or how I answered I just remember feeling quite scared. I didn’t get the job.

#4 So, What’s Your Spirit Vegetable?

Image source: LadyFlumpalot , Alexander Grey

An interviewer once asked me “if your friends were to describe you as a vegetable, which vegetable would it be and why?” I just looked at him a bit flabbergasted and he said “ok, let’s move on”. Didn’t get the job funnily enough.

#5 I Know This Isn’t A Sales Job, But Can You Do It Anyway?

Image source: SunshineAndFizz, Lain De Macias

They handed me a muffin and told me to stand up and sell it to them for 30 seconds. It wasn’t a sales job.

#6 I’m Sorry, But Are You A Wizard?

Image source: IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads, Alabama Extension

I went for an interview the day I moved out of a flatshare. I did a quick wipe round of the kitchen before I went. A bit later the interviewer stared in astonishment as orange spots appeared on my navy trousers where I’d splashed them with bleach.

#7 Too Nervous To Feel Something’s Off

Image source: TheAustralian, Pavel Danilyuk

Went for a job interview in a big city hospital. The interviewer was a male. I’ve walked in and sat down a bit nervous but excited. He’s looking at me like the cats who’s got the cream. all big smiles, wide eyed and overtly enthusiastic for me too take the job with an immediate start of that afternoon.
no reference check, police check or WWCC check.
i tell him I would love to take the job. I can start right away. I walk outside, all excited about how I had pulled off the impossible, I feel a breeze blow on my tummy. I look down and my shirt only has one button buttoned up, the rest are still undone. Leaving my boobs fully exposed. I’m a size E. So lots of boobie exposed.
I was so nervous before the interview I had forgotten to do my shirt up. I still blush and cringe whenever I see a man in a white shirt sleeves rolled up. It was almost 30 years ago now. Feels like yesterday
I never did take the job in the end.

#8 Went Down The Wrong Hole

Image source: GG1986, cottonbro studio

I took a sip of water in an interview once and it went down the wrong way and I spent at least 5 minutes coughing and spluttering all over the table. Never been so embarrassed, they kept asking if i was OK and I couldn’t answer!

#9 Woo The Crowd With Your Wife’s Clothes

Image source: VirginiaQ, Craig Adderley

Not me but a friend of mine. Interview for a promotion in a uniformed organisation which his wife also worked for.

Took a beautifully ironed shirt out of the wardrobe and hung it on the hook in his car intending to change into it when he got to the venue as he didn’t want to risk any creases. On arrival he found out he’d brought his wife’s shirt and not his own! Had to go through the interview in a much too tight shirt although it was certainly an ice breaker and he got the promotion!

#10 Apparently, Board Games Are The New Job Interviews

Image source: Shouldweno2, sputnik

Graduate assessment day.

We had to play a risk board game. It was massive board on the table, we had pieces/ dice etc – we worked in pairs – making decisions on investments and things. About 12 people in total playing. 3 invigilators. No discussion over why we were playing the game. I didn’t know how we were being assessed, I thought it was like a collaboration thing.

I was very excited and animated during the game and I knocked over an entire jug of water across the whole board game.

I got the job. Later told that risk taking was my development area (nothing to do with collaboration) but they were so taken by coolness under pressure, and the fact that other than getting some tissues to clean up, and break to apologise to everyone – I kept on playing.

I just really enjoyed the game! Haha.

#11 The Classic “Stuck On A Desert Island” Approach

Image source: Lemonyf*ckit, Pok Rie

I got asked by the final interviewer (the CEO) if I was stuck on a desert island, which of the previous rounds of interviewers would be most useful to be stuck with, and who would be the least useful (previous rounds being an HR person, the head of HR, and the general counsel….). If he was asking all candidates I guess he was also doing a nice little play assessing his current staff too….
I had been warned by the recruiter that the interview style was unusual so at least I wasn’t completely thrown by this and I got the job.

#12 World’s Loudest Zipper

Image source: Andrelaxzz, Vladdeep

I got locked out my house about an hour before an interview so had to borrow my friends too small trousers. As I sat down in the silent room they very loudly unzipped. Everyone looked down at me now flying low. I was too embarrassed to zip up so just carried on. I got the job and they all took the piss in the pub!

Two years later, pretty much the same panel I went for an interview. We all knew each other well by then. I am quite annoyingly chatty. But on the first question justfrozen and sat in silence opening and shutting my mouth like a goldfish. Until one if them said “quietest you’ve ever been” which we all laughed at and I remembered how to speak. Got that job too ?

#13 What Kind Of Twisted Teambuilding Is This?

Image source: containsnuts, picjumbo.com

I once had a full day interview with group activities and challenges including being shut alone in a windowless room to complete a written task (they called the room the ‘cell’). This was for what was basically an entry-level admin job, not head of CIA! I didn’t get the position. They did write to apologise and they said there would not be a repeat of this interview style.

#14 A Wild Kid Appears [Cue Job Interview Theme]

Image source: Leafblow, cottonbro studio

Interviewing for a position that would involve working with children, the interview was held in a childrens support center, they had cahms services there as well as physio and OT etc.
I was ushered into a waiting room that had lots of baby/toddler aimed toys, like bouncy chairs, duplo blocks, light up plastic toys and a lot of jack in the boxes.
The woman who showed me where to go said that someone would be there to interview me shortly, she then left.
About ten minutes later a boy who looked about 13 walked in and sat on one of the other sofas. I said Hi and asked if he was alright, he nodded, said ‘yeah fine’ got his phone out and angled himself away from me.
We sat there for another 10 minutes and the original woman came back and said I could leave as they didn’t think I was the right fit for the company.
Apparently the boy (her son) had been part of the interview, a test to see how I engaged with children- they had been waiting for me to use the toys to interact with him.

Weirdest set up, but I was definitely not going to be the right fit if they wanted someone who would approach a random teenager in a waiting room with a jack in the box.

#15 When The Interviewer Out-Nerves You

Image source: Catspyjamas17, fauxels

I’ve had interviews when I was dead nervous but relaxed when I realised that the interviewer was more nervous than me and I sort of helped them out by talking about myself and my CV and answering questions they might want to know. First one when I was about 22 for a temp job. Got the job. I suddenly felt like a proper grown up after that.

#16 Cool Guys Wear Glasses All The Time

Image source: MsFannySqueers, Nitin Dhumal

I have had a few! The one that made me really angry though was an interview my DS attended with a well known charitable organisation. Part of the interview was held outdoors on a very hot, very sunny day. The two short listed candidates, my DS and another person were sat round as the interviewer asked them various questions. My DS didn’t get the position, fair enough though he thought the interview went well. When he asked for feedback he was told he didn’t get the job because the interviewer couldn’t see his eyes during questioning. My DS’s prescription specs had reacted in the sunlight to darken into sunglasses. He is blind as a bat without his specs and has to wear them. Turned out subsequently that the other candidate was the sister of the interviewer and strangely she was offered the position!

#17 So, Your Resume Doesn’t Say If If You Always Wear Your Hair Like That…

Image source: LyndaSnellsSniff , GeorgeRudy

I applied for a job in an art gallery owned by a couple. In the interview the man sat opposite me and the woman sat beside me and I could sense her staring at my profile. Very odd but took a decided turn when he asked me about my partner and “how would I cope financially if we split up”? ? Then the woman said, “do you always wear your hair like that?” ??

They kept chasing me for a second interview, but no thanks!

As an interviewer, I once interviewed someone who answered their phone halfway through. Good grief.

#18 Flatulence To The Rescue!

Image source: TheObstinateHeadstrongGirl, Wavebreakmedia

Mine is quite recent. Remote interview in my home office over Zoom, my son had apparently left a toy in the room. It was a farting ninja. I ignored it at first as I was answering a question but then I had to say I’m so sorry my sons farting toy keeps going off I’m just going to remove it from the room.

I got the job ?

#19 Because Knowledge Is Power

Image source: BellatrixLestrangesHeatedCurlers, Gin

My first job, working for a well-known catalogue place – ie. Argos. Told to bring something that encapsulated us as a person. Obviously people (normal people) half-assed it, brought in key rings like oh so I enjoy going on holiday… etc.

I brought in a huge encyclopaedia of film from 1918 to 2006 and breathlessly told everyone about how much I loved Fritz Lang’s films. You have to imagine this awkward shy 16 year old rabbiting on about the making of Metropolis, in a room of barely-concealed smirks. I got a job (desperate for staff) and proceeded to be pushed around, bullied by management and other employees, and cornered and sexually harassed multiple times in the stockroom.

They must have looked at this earnest kid and thought “yeah how can we break
that”

#20 If You Really Need The Job, Just Faint

Image source: countvoncount , DC_Studio

I was just a kid, ridiculously nervous, flat out fainted, came round to my prospective boss straddling me, fanning my face furiously with a cosmopolitan shouting “ring her mother”
They sent me away in a taxi, I went back 2 days later, got the job and stayed for 16 years, only leaving when the boss retired.