Interviewer laughed at me!

[Corky,LPN]

Hi! So I'm a recent LPN and have been going on interviews and I am just having terrible experiences. I went on one yesterday (3/21) and the interviewer who was the Director of quality control asked me what I thought my typical day was like. I proceeded to answer with what the duties were that were listed when I applied to the job. (This job was for a day program for individuals with disabilities) When I said that I would assist with first aid for staff their response was "ha! No definitely not" I was so confused bc it listed it on their job duties! Then later during the interview I had said how I was really organized and that I actually love data entry and making med sheets and he laughed again and said wow you're a weirdo! I could not believe it. I continued with the interview and he said he would follow up next week. However, I absolutely do not want to work there anymore. Part of me is so upset about his unprofessionalism that I want to email their HR department and just let them know that I no longer wish to be considered for the position. Is that a bad thing to do?

[llg, PhD, RN]

That job might not be a good fit for you. But his behavior doesn't sound as bad to me as you seem to think it was. I don't think the interviewer was laughing "at" you in a demeaning way. I think he was just being jovial about the fact that you were claiming to like things that most nurses hate. What you said was similar to someone saying, "I really like paperwork." "I really like writing care plans." "I really like writing policies." It's unusual (weird) to find someone who says those things -- and means them. His reaction wasn't intended to be demeaning or unfriendly. It was meant to be humorous. He was just a little socially clumsy, not realizing that you might not appreciate his humor.

About the first-aid ... that may have been a mistake in the job posting and he might not have been aware of it. That would have been a good follow-up question for you to ask him -- to ask what was meant by that part of that job posting. Clarifying that aspect of the job posting would have demonstrated to him that you had read the posting and were not off-base with your expectations of the position. It might also lead the employer to review the position description and make it more consistent with the actual expectations.

[chacha82, ADN, BSN]

I have worked for people who have what I thought were "odd" senses of humor; I once shared a concern and the manager laughed at me in front of everyone, then he scoffed. So...yes it happens, however if you like other things about this job I would not let one remark deter you. Now, if it continues, or if he is making jokes at your expense all of the time, yes, that's an HR matter. I wouldn't contact HR on the basis of this remark in the interview. If you don't feel comfortable accepting the job, you can always decline if they call and offer. If this one person is an oddball but other things are great, it can still be a good job.

[amoLucia]

Response from PP llg was exactly the same thing I was thinking as I read your post. Like he was thinking 'Wow! Someone who really read the ad and did some pre-interview prep".

Of course, maybe you might have been laying it on a little thick, and that made him laugh.

[DowntheRiver]

There's a difference between a laugh and a chuckle. I've had someone chuckle at a joke I made during an interview or at a comment I've made but it never felt offensive. I don't know, I'm a pretty sarcastic and funny person so it did not offend me. Now, if the person fell to the floor laughing or grabbed co-workers and told them what you said and laughed, I'd might think twice about that.

[NurseDiane]

Chuckling at someone's response is one thing, calling them a "weirdo" in an interview is another thing altogether. I don't know why the Director of Quality Control would be interviewing you in the first place. Asking you what you thought a normal day was like when this would be your first job as an LPN was a stupid question. I would have bounced it right back at him and said "Since I am new to this, maybe you can tell me what a normal day is like here". Personally, I think calling you a name at your interview is unprofessional at the very least----if you are being called a weirdo before you're hired, what are they going to call you after they've hired you?