10 Candidates Who Had the Most Bizarre Job Interview

Job interviews often start predictably: “Tell me about yourself” or “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” But they can take a bizarre turn. Some candidates share stories of interviewers asking wildly inappropriate questions or commenting on their appearance. Others recall moments when the employer’s behavior seemed straight out of a sitcom, like eating loudly during the interview or answering personal phone calls mid-conversation.

• I had an interview where they silently gave me a questionnaire to fill out for 50 questions and just went to another room. The questions were very detailed and stupid, mostly about money. “Is your goal to make money in our company?” (If the answer is ‘yes’, then you didn’t pass.)
  I left before I finished answering this list. I found out later that they register employees for an incredibly low official salary, promising to pay most of it at the end of the month, but they delay money for 6 months and don’t give it out if the person quits. I’m glad I left. © Lina_Grapes / Reddit

• At an interview for a tech startup, they asked me, “If you could be any animal, what would you be?” I answered, “Otter, because they’re fun, active, work well with their hands, and cute.” They debated whether or not to hire me because of my answer, because, “We only hire predators, never prey.” © rileysweeney / Reddit

• One time, I went to a job interview for a secretary position, feeling confident about my qualifications. The interviewer started with the usual questions, asking about my background and education. I proudly mentioned that I had an advanced degree, thinking it would reflect well on my abilities and commitment to excellence.
  Their response, however, completely took me by surprise. With a polite but firm tone, they said, “We don’t need a really smart secretary.” For a moment, I was stunned, unsure of how to react. Was that supposed to be a compliment or a rejection wrapped in an insult?

• My interviewer noticed that I majored in International Business and she said that she didn’t finish her degree in International Business because she got cheated on by her ex-husband. She said hasn’t gone back to school because she has 3 kids now. Essentially it turned into a venting session. It turned out to be a ghost job because the posting has been up for 6 months now. © Serial_Finesser / Reddit

• I got told I was going to interview over chat, which turned out to be with an “AI chatbot”, not an actual person. The chatbot asked me 30+ questions, and I answered them all with a fair amount of detail. Afterward, I received an email that had an analysis of all my answers and what it told them about my personality, etc. Their analysis was complete garbage, and clearly seemed to work off trigger words rather than actual analysis of the entire response. They noted at the end of the document that it was the analysis and not my responses that would be sent to the company that was looking to fill the role... © villan / Reddit

• At an interview to be a county street sweeper, the guy asks me if I have a girlfriend, and rants for 5 minutes how young people don’t get married anymore. Then he asks me what I want to avoid on the job. I had no idea how to answer. So I asked him to clarify, to which he just repeated the question, over and over until he got angry that I didn’t know how to answer that, then asked me to leave. © forgotmyfirstname** / Reddit

• I drove about 4 hours to an interview in another city. I told the person interviewing me that I was happy at my current job and wouldn’t consider leaving just for the higher pay. He stood up and looked over the cubicle walls to make sure no one was around and whispered, “You don’t want to work here.” I passed on that job but while in the new city, I applied for another job where I have been happy for the last 25+ years. © carefreeguru / Reddit

• A potential employer scheduled an interview with my brother... without telling him. They were upset when he didn’t show up, even after he explained the situation. “The best they could do” was to reschedule it for later that day. They did not understand why he was unwilling to immediately drop everything and get on a last-second flight across the country to attend. He politely asked that they not contact him again. © sorator / Reddit

• I once went to a job interview for an administrator role at a tattoo salon. During the meeting, the HR manager asked me to show him my Instagram handle. Without overthinking, I handed him my phone, assuming he just wanted to check my profile name. Instead, he started scrolling through my posts, examining my photos, and even paying attention to the number of likes each one had. At one point, he looked up and asked, “Why do some of your pictures have fewer likes than others?” As though that was somehow relevant to the job.

• While at college, I interviewed for a job in a sportswear shop. They asked me, “What’s your biggest weakness?” For some reason, I replied, “Sausage rolls!” I didn’t get the job. © GeekyStevie / Reddit

Not only job meetings can turn into disasters. First dates can surprise you, too. No matter how many hacks you know or how much you prepare, the unexpected has a way of sneaking in. Awkward silences, mismatched vibes, or an accidental spill can quickly turn your dream night into a comedy show.