Cringe-inducing Interview Answers

[suityou01]

What cringeworthy answers have you given or received in interview situations?

I was thinking today about one of the few interviews I failed to get; I was 20 it was a permie job and some sort of sales position I think.

I was asked the tiresome "where do you see yourself in 5 years time?" question, to which I replied "in your position hiring the next me".

Criiiiinge. I didn't get the job.

So, I'm guessing there are some corkers out there, care to share? Anybody seen anything particularly wanky on a CV either?

I was once asked "How would your friends describe you?"

Suity : "Dunno, better ask them"
Knob : "But I'm asking you"

Suity : "Ok, they'd probably say I don't take fools gladly"

[alreadypacked]

I was once asked "What would I do if I saw a battleship in a forest", I don't think replying "stop drinking" was the correct answer

[Sockpuppet]

I once had the question: "Why do you want to work here?" Not sure they liked the answer "I don't that's why I'm a contractor" but I still got the gig.

[OwlHoot]

I was once asked "What would I do if I saw a battleship in a forest", I don't think replying "stop drinking" was the correct answer

"I see them each time I'm in a forest; but as battleships aren't made of oak these days they stay in the trees"

(An off the wall question deserves a reply in kind)

[Sysman]

Beats me why anyone would ask this of a contractor esp an ancient one but they do. Something to say I suppose.

I got that question for a three monther at a BT offshoot. The interviewer was obviously a left over from pre-privatisation days and he'd probably been on a course on how to interview folks.

[Gibbon]

The question contains the assumption that one builds life around a ´career´, and the implication that one should build life around a ´career´. I don´t, and I find it a bit sad to consider living my life to a plan that´s primarily about work. I work to live, not the other way around.

Unfortunately that's just a self made delusion common in most of us. In most western European countries you don't have to 'work to live', there are millions to attest to this. Most of us work for material reasons and spend a considerable amount of time and effort doing so. Therefore what we really mean is 'we live to work so we can benefit materially'. For most of us our lives are inextricably bound up in work and we chose to do so.

[MaryPoppins]

I fell over during an interview once. Don't know if that counts.

[d000hg]

Next time don't boast you can touch your toes.

[SueEllen]

I fell over during an interview once. Don't know if that counts.

[MayContainNuts]

What's your biggest achievement!

Always a killer.