Just wanted to share my horrible interview experience

[larien37]

well a recent interview for LPN at a local jail definitely gave me a bad impression of the employer. I applied thinking I would be a perfect fit, I have a background in law enforcement as a police officer and a deputy sheriff and worked with inmates for 7 years. The company is contracted into the jail to provide the medical care for inmates so the county that owns the jail isn't the direct employer. The interviewer (supervisor from the contracted company) was rude and quite frankly ignorant. He paid no attention to my resume, asked me no interview questions to get to know me and my qualifications. The first words out of his mouth was that he hates new nurses and he won't hire them (so I'm thinking why did you call me for an interview then), then he continues to go on about the tough atmosphere and how I could be shanked at any moment, and then asked me if I was there to find a boyfriend (I'm married and definitely would not choose a jail to find a significant other). Then he kept saying that the position is as needed and that all his as needed nurses work other jobs but that he knows I have another job but he doesn't see I can handle working at the jail and work at my current job. He said the f word multiple times and **** a few times. He then asked me what do you do with a pen when its empty, and I said well (remembering that I'm in a jail) I wouldn't throw it in the garbage and then he cuts me off and says you throw it in the sharps container!, he wouldn't even let me finish my sentence to say that I wouldn't throw it in the garbage because inmates could grab it and use it as a weapon. I never felt so small in my life and insulted, that my time was so wasted. It does take a certain type of person to work in corrections but still as an interviewer you don't act that way in front of someone. He acted the whole interview out as if I couldn't handle working there and that he wasn't going to hire me anyways because he hates new nurses. And to ask me if I'm seriously there to find a boyfriend and to keep reiterating that my boyfriend (he didn't care to see that I'm married) isn't going to want me working there which if given the chance I could of told him how proud my husband is of my law enforcement career and that he had no problems with me working in a corrections environment. Part of me wants to call his boss and say how inappropriate he was and how insulted I was but I think I'm still in shock from it all. Before leaving he handed me a paper that gives instructions on how to complete a telephone interview with an automated service with his company and that if my background check comes back clear he'll call and let me know I can call and complete the phone interview but part of me doesn't even want to pick up the phone. Why would I want to work somewhere that employs someone like that esp when that person would be my supervisor.

I started asking around to some of my buddies in corrections and found out that this guy can't keep nurses because of his lousy attitude and how he treats them. No wonder!!

I'm used to hearing swear words and seeing hard personalities but when your interviewing someone be professional, it doesn't make you look good and gain respect and it definitely doesn't make the company you work for look any better either.

[JMomBaby]

After that interview I would NOT work there, even if he cleared me for a second interview! It was disrespectful, and you know he would love to chew you up and spit you out for fun. I WOULD call his boss and explain the situation, and why you will have no further involvement with the company (the f-word? Really? Plus, I'm willing to bet that "boyfriend" question qualifies as sexual harassment, insinuating that a woman couldn't do the job because she'd be *overwhelmed* by the sexiness of his men. Again- Really?)

To commiserate, here's my worst interview: I was invited to an interview with a place, and at the last minute the interviewer changed the location of the interview. Turns out she felt more like hanging out with her livestock than interviewing me that day, so she had me interview at her BARN (yes, dressed all in my good interview clothes while standing around in manure). She would ask me an interview question, I would begin to talk, and she would interrupt me to talk to her barn hands about her livestock. Most of the interview was spent with her staring at her horse's tack and talking to her barn hands about fitting it. She ended the interview by noting, "Hmm, you sounded *older* on the phone." WTH was that?

[larien37]

OMG a barn!! WOW now that definitely makes the list of oddest and terrible interviews for sure. I just wonder where professionalism has gone these days. Professionalism and respect shows so much of an interviewer and potential employer and its not a hard thing to do either. Thankfully my second interview at a local OB/GYN office went well. I'm hoping to hear back this week on the thumbs up or thumbs down from the employer.

[sillywilly]

Stay clear of that place. I can not believe how unprofessional people are. I love the barn story! My worst interview was at a clinic. The Dr took me in an exam room to interview me, and pulled out my resume. All of the sudden he backed me up against the wall and started screaming in my face "You used to work for Dr xxxxx! Well you tell him I hate him and he f****** ruined my life"! He went on and on about how since my old boss opened his practice he is losing patients because my old boss was cheaper and starting calling him names. It was crazy, he was so mad I thought he might hit me.

Keep in mind the clinic I used to work for was about ten miles away from him. Its not like they were neighbors... I finally got back in the Dr's face and asked him if he called me in here just to yell at me, or did he actually want to interview me? He said "as you can tell, I'm a real a-hole. All the girls that work here are really mean and everyone is always fighting. Are you interested in working here?"

I told him I did not want to work there and started walking towards the front door. This Dr "interviewing" me looked me straight in the eye and told me that he was serious about him wanting me to tell my previous boss that he hates him and how he ruined his life. I could not get out of that building fast enough!

The best part was I am still friends with the previous DR I used to work for. I had so fun much telling him that I had a interview with Dr crazy and he wanted me to tell you that he hates you and you ruined his life. I told him the story and Dr xxx said he did not even know that crazy Dr I interviewed with. We both laughed and laughed, and it is still a ongoing joke to this day.

[larien37]

@sillywilly wow! he actually admitted he was an a-hole lol well at least he got that part right. I can't believe the low level of professionalism out there. I had to actually call the guy who interviewed me for the jail position and tell him that I wasn't interested in working there. I used the excuse that the as needed title wasn't going to work for me. He immediately cut me off just like he did in the interview and started saying that he knew it wasn't going to work out so I then cut him off and said Well I just wanted to let you know my decision thank you good bye and I hung up. I don't like the idea of burning bridges but I can never see myself working there esp with a guy like him as my supervisor.

[sillywilly]

I don't like the idea of burning bridges but I can never see myself working there esp with a guy like him as my supervisor.

I don't even see it as a matter of burning bridges at that point. If the interview is that unprofessional, just imagine what you would have to put up with working with him. Sometimes it is just not worth it. You need to look out for your sanity and well being.

[SimonJester]

Many moons ago, I was out of work and applying for work at several different places. So I interview with company A and they really sounded like they wanted to hire me but had a few other candidates to interview. So I go about my week and interview with company B, this guy doesn’t really sound like he wants to hire me and leaves the interview with the standard we will get back to you… A week or so passed and I follow up with company A, they say oh well we ran into person xyz from company B at a mutual business meeting, we were discussing hiring someone and mentioned we were going to hire you. Person xyz said he was going to hire you as well, so we hired someone else sorry. I called company B to follow up, he says no I’m not going to hire you because you interviewed with company A, go work for them…

What a jerk, you cost me a job at company A and didn’t even really want to hire me…

In the end I was much better off not working for either company...

[CBsMommy]

Holy COW! I thought I had bad interviews before but after hearing these stories, all of my interviews seem like a walk in the park! LOL. larien37 - I really hope that you get the job you want! After hearing about your interview, you deserve it!

[phlox]

run forrest run!

[larien37]

Great news, I was hired by a local hospital at their OB/GYN office :)!!!!!!! I start March 5, now I need to buy scrubs lol

[sillywilly]

Congrats!!!! I'm so happy for you :cheers: