Sometimes it’s important to take a break from being so hard on ourselves during a job search, and allow ourselves to laugh at our situation — whatever that may be. Another way to free ourselves from self-induced pressure is to read other people’s horror stories from the same situation. True, it may not seem so nice at first, but at times finding humor in other people’s lives makes it easier to find the bright side in our own. Plus, if we’re laughing with them (and not at them), it doesn’t seem so bad, right?
In order to lighten the mood of the job search a little bit, we’ve rounded up a few of the most outrageous stories we’ve ever heard about one of the most painful parts of job searching — the interview. Check them out below for some feel-good laughs. Can you relate to any of these fellow job searchers?
1. Dishware Disaster
“My roommate and I have a really bad habit of letting our dishes pile up, to the extent that we never have clean dishes and our utensils are always buried dirty at the bottom of the sink. To make up for this I’ve developed another really bad habit: stealing, or as I like to say, ‘borrowing,’ plastic utensils from places like Starbucks, Subway, Chipotle …you get the picture.
My interview was in a corporate office building in my city’s business district, meaning there are a lot of fast-food-style restaurants where employees eat lunch and get coffee. I arrived very early for my interview and decided I’d take advantage of the opportunity and collect some utensils for the apartment. By the time I went in for my interview I had grabbed handfuls of utensils from about five different places — meaning I probably had between 50 and 70 forks, knives and spoons in my handbag.
I sat down for the interview and at one point I kicked over my bag — and all the utensils spilled out on the floor. I didn’t know what to say, so I started stuttering, and all I could think of was, ‘Oh, my roommate asked me to get these.’ I didn’t get the job.”
(Source: The Balance)
2. Crash & Burn
“My interview was going too well. Far too well. I had sat there for 55 minutes with them firing questions at me, and me firing answers right back. Their nods confirmed it: I was doing really well. I was pretty certain I had the job. They wrapped it up and stood to shake my hand. As I went to stand up myself, I realised that ‚ for 55 minutes solid‚ I had sat with my legs crossed, unmoved. Needless to say, I didn’t even make it into a standing position. I crashed head-first into a filing cabinet, my legs still locked in a crossed position. I didn’t get the job.”
(Source: Social Talent)
3. A Bad Sign
“I was a fresh design graduate and had had two interviews already at a leading fashion designer. Their business partner loved my portfolio, so I thought I had the job. Third interview was with the designer’s husband, who came in the room and asked one question: “What’s your star sign?” After hearing my reply he turned around and walked straight out. I was stunned, turned to the business partner and asked what went wrong. He shook his head and said: ‘Same as his wife. He won’t have anyone who shares her star sign.’ And that was that.”
(Source: The Guardian)
4. Exit Strategy
“I interviewed a very nervous chap who had a terrible interview. It was embarrassing for all concerned, really. He got up to leave the room and by accident opened the wrong door, walked right into the stationary cupboard. The panel sat waiting for him to emerge, and when he didn’t, my colleague went to investigate. The poor man was so mortified by what had happened, he was trying to climb out the window rather than go back in.”
(Source: Social Talent)
5. An Awkward Encounter
“I had too many cups of coffee and really had to use the bathroom before my appointment began. I ran in from my car and was already starting to undo my belt when I barged into the unisex, single-stall bathroom. Apparently, I didn’t hear the woman inside yell, ‘One second!’ when I was opening the door, because I ran in just as she was fixing her skirt in front of the sink. I slammed right into her, apologized and ran out. I was so embarrassed that I ran to find another bathroom in the building. When it was time for my interview, I was directed to a corner office and guess who happened to be my interviewer — the woman I had walked in on in the bathroom!”
(Source: The Balance)
Sometimes a good mindset is all it takes to create success. Feeling positive? Click here to download Rake and start your job search on an optimistic note. And when you need a break from the job search grind? Take some time for a few laughs.
Originally published at Rake.
