Tales of the Interview

[Capt Worley PE]

Here's another thing that came up last night, funny interview gaffes. These are two that I've done:

Interviewer: We will expect you to work 50 hrs/week. Are you OK with this?

Me: Are you going to pay me 25% moe than you advertised?

Interviewer: Um...no.

Me: Well, I guess not, then.

Interviewer: You appear to be a great fit for this position! Do you have any questions for me?

Me: Will this job require me to wear a beeper?

Interviewer: Yes.

Me: Well, thanks for your time. i hope you find somebody.

Dad said he asked a guy if he could tell him a little bit about himself. he said the guy said, "Well, first off, I don't need this job."

He said another time, he asked if the guy had any specific qualifications that would make him have an advantage for the position. The guy said, "Yes. I am smart."

 

[Supe]

The interview for this job started out legit. Within 15 minutes time, I had them discussing the suspension characteristics and what motor mounts to use when swapping a BBC into a 1978-1987 GM G-body. Needless to say, I got the job.

 

[kevo_55]

Interviewer: We will expect you to work 50 hrs/week. Are you OK with this?Me: Are you going to pay me 25% more than you advertised?

Interviewer: Um...no.

Me: Well, I guess not, then.

LOL!

I'm going to have to steal that one. :rotflmao:

 

[Capt Worley PE]

The interview for this job started out legit. Within 15 minutes time, I had them discussing the suspension characteristics and what motor mounts to use when swapping a BBC into a 1978-1987 GM G-body. Needless to say, I got the job.

In the back of my mind, I'm thinking there was a very rare factory peice to do this, but I read about it in 87 or so...

I'm going to have to steal that one. :rotflmao:

Feel free!

 

[dastuff]

The interview for this job started out legit. Within 15 minutes time, I had them discussing the suspension characteristics and what motor mounts to use when swapping a BBC into a 1978-1987 GM G-body. Needless to say, I got the job.

This reminds me about when I was interviewing for college and within about 10 minutes we were talking about snowboarding...

Strange how much more interested you can get someone to care about something they like, even if it's totally unrelated to the job.

 

[EM_PS]

is openly weeping :bawling: considered a gaffe?

:joke:

 

[Dleg]

I've sat through a number of interviews lately, both as the interviewer and the interviewee.

One of the guys I work with told me that he would always ask off-the wall questions in interviews, especially: "If you could be a plant, what kind of plant would you be and why?" Just for his own entertainment!

I'm sorry to say I haven't received any questions like that. I'm interviewing two people next week, though, and I might spring that one on them.

 

[TouchDown]

If you were a body part, what body part would you be - and why?

If you were a bodily sound, what sound would you be - and why?

If you were a body fluid, what fluid would you be - and why?

 

[Flyer_PE]

Story from an ex-Air Force F4 RIO:

Question: You're flying inverted through the hangar at Mach .85 and you see a red light off to your left. What does it signify?

Answer:

Spoiler

The pop machine is out of Coke again.

 

[Slugger926]

When I interviewed to start working where I am now, the #1 question after the first 10 minutes was "What do you like to do for fun?" Then, that was the question all day with all of the other interviewers, and over lunch. I had the feeling I got the job, and they were just killing time. 6 months later, the qualifications to work there was, do you have a pulse?

 

[Dleg]

^ I had that question on my interview two days ago. But my (long) response was met with something like "OK", and then the next question. Apparently i did good on the interview, but I hate it when you get no response like that to a personal question.

Story from an ex-Air Force F4 RIO:
Question: You're flying inverted through the hangar at Mach .85 and you see a red light off to your left. What does it signify?

Answer:

Spoiler

The pop machine is out of Coke again.

:Locolaugh:

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I actually got this job:

Interviewer (2nd interview): Well, everything looks good, but I have one concern. You haven't worked for the last nine months.

Me: Really? I thought you'd be more concerned about the six and a half years I worked for the government.

 

[Wolverine]

One of my first on-campus interviews as a senior was a Pressure Interview. The guy says "I see you took Motors last year. How about you explain the difference between a synchronous and an asynchronous machine to me?"

Now our Motors prof had a weird grading scale that seemed to be based on a number 8 mathematical system, but I think I got a 40 out of 72, which means I learned about half as much about motors as I should have. It curved to C. I was happy.

If asked that question today I could say something snazzy like, "Well, do you want to hear about it in terms of motors or generators?", or "You know, asynchronous gens are typically not self-commutating," or talk about slip or VARS, but at the time all I could say was "buh, buh, buh, I guess I could draw it for you" (I couldn't). :beat:

A friend of mine who was more experienced with the on-campus interview game said when he realized he was in a pressure interview, he would :redface: get up and walk out.

 

[Chucktown PE]

I did a career fair for our company at Georgia Tech about a year ago. We had the career fair one day and then invited students back for interviews the next. Somehow, this one guy slipped under the radar and got an interview. He basically thought he was God's gift to engineering. At the end of the interview he asked "Are you going to hire me" and we responded "We will evaluate all potential candidates within the next couple of weeks", he then said "Thanks for wasting my time", stood up, and walked out the door. Good riddance.

 

[FLBuff PE]

I did a career fair for our company at Georgia Tech about a year ago. We had the career fair one day and then invited students back for interviews the next. Somehow, this one guy slipped under the radar and got an interview. He basically thought he was God's gift to engineering. At the end of the interview he asked "Are you going to hire me" and we responded "We will evaluate all potential candidates within the next couple of weeks", he then said "Thanks for wasting my time", stood up, and walked out the door. Good riddance.

I think I know a firm in Orlando where he would fit in nicely...

 

[Supe]

I did a career fair for our company at Georgia Tech about a year ago. We had the career fair one day and then invited students back for interviews the next. Somehow, this one guy slipped under the radar and got an interview. He basically thought he was God's gift to engineering. At the end of the interview he asked "Are you going to hire me" and we responded "We will evaluate all potential candidates within the next couple of weeks", he then said "Thanks for wasting my time", stood up, and walked out the door. Good riddance.

Are you sure this wasn't a couple years ago, and that the student isn't gainfully employed in Florida right now as one of the greatest HVAC engineers of all time?

 

[Supe]

I think I know a firm in Orlando where he would fit in nicely...

Amazing the wavelength we all operate on...

 

[Chucktown PE]

Wait a second, I thought the Florida guy was the stormwater douche bag and the HVAC guy was in ATL.

 

[FLBuff PE]

Wait a second, I thought the Florida guy was the stormwater douche bag and the HVAC guy was in ATL.

You are correct.

 

[Supe]

My mistake. I thought they were both all-knowing, and all-being.