Foo - So this girl comes in for an interview

Dressed in shorts and with a Big Gulp. She looked like she was headed to the mall. I mean I was like O.o. Ok I'll be nice, smile and ask all the questions, you never know, benefit of the doubt, can't judge a book, that sort of thing.. I mean it is an artsy sort of position working in a TV studio but still. Major points deducted for not having common sense. Aren't jobs supposed to be scarce?

Some people aren't conscious of standard norms.. it's pretty wild to think they're out there.. but they are.

Yes good jobs are hard to come by, and one working in a TV studio sounds pretty cool! I know i'd wear my best flip flops and hawaiian shirt to that interview. :p

My advice, don't take a beer into a job interview, and don't ask if they prosecute employee theft.

Did you ask for a drink?

Big Gulps are rad!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5qTP6v2Wpc

How short were the shorts?

"What drugs do you test for?"

:lol: the shorts were short but not THAT short. We don't test for drugs are you good with Final Cut?

Was she hot? JK

Anyway, kind of goes back to my other thread about slackers. Many young adults simply have no clue. Nobody has told them that you don't go to a job interview looking like you just got back from the beach. They will ***** and moan about not being able to find a job, but then concern themselves more with the next party instead of the next interview. They will spend $300 on a pair of designer sunglasses, but not buy a basic suit and tie. The minute she walked in you should have said "Thank you, have a nice day. Next!"

Long time ago, I had a position open for an engineering assistant. I work at a very structured, old, stale company. I truly believe a candidate should research a company before interviewing. I go in to meet this candidate, after HR gave me a wink, and here, perched on a chair, one leg draped over the side, was a woman wearing a bohemian dress, her hair done hap-hazardly up in a bun with a chopstick, strings and strings of beads, and leather sandals on dirty feet... I had only one question for her "did you forget to stop home first and get dressed for this interview?" nothing else was said, I just opened up the door and showed her out. I don't waste time with folks who aren't serious....

^ and yet here you are :p

Interviewers are lucky if I get dressed.

BUT WAS SHE HOT???

Every place of work needs some eye candy. It's good for morale.

a woman wearing a bohemian dress, her hair done hap-hazardly up in a bun with a chopstick, strings and strings of beads, and leather sandals on dirty feet

Braless is OK as long as firmness and perkiness are evident. But in a classy way.

a woman wearing a bohemian dress, her hair done hap-hazardly up in a bun with a chopstick, strings and strings of beads, and leather sandals on dirty feet

Braless is OK as long as firmness and perkiness are evident. But in a classy way.

My first job after college was as a software engineer at a very, very, VERY conservative payroll firm. ( As in a dress code where women couldn't wear pants, men had to wear suits, etc. ). I overheard a bunch of my cow-orkers whispering "What the hell do we do?" "I dunno, we'll get in trouble...", etc. Suddenly my manager pops in and say "Hey, let's have you interview this candidate, you can give her an overview of what it's like to work here."

I walk into the interview room and see an enormously endowed college woman. Wearing short-shorts. And a net top. Not one of those exercise shirts with mesh - it really was net-like.

To this day, I have to believe that she was engaging in some sort of prank. She did, however, know her engineering.

The company I worked for interviewed a guy noontime at a restaurant. My boss and another person ordered ice tea. The job candidate asked for scotch. Needless to say, he didn't get the job.

The company I worked for interviewed a guy noontime at a restaurant. My boss and another person ordered ice tea. The job candidate asked for scotch. Needless to say, he didn't get the job.

He ordered the wrong brand, right?

Perhaps kids today are idiots.

Well not all kids. I know where I went to college there actually is a program to get old suits and the like from alumni and match them to recent grads as interview clothes.

I've never heard of anyone for losing points for overdressing at the first interview. One can usually underdress when young, as long as they at least show some effort to be in the business realm.

To this day, I have to believe that she was engaging in some sort of prank. She did, however, know her engineering.I had a co-worker (really good programmer) who showed up to his interview in shorts and a t-shirt. His thinking was that he wanted to be hired by a company that valued knowledge over dress code. For better or worse, this method did find him a job that fit his expectations.

He ordered the wrong brand, right?
...or he ordered some high end Macallan on the company dime.

I had a co-worker (really good programmer) who showed up to his interview in shorts and a t-shirt. His thinking was that he wanted to be hired by a company that valued knowledge over dress code. For better or worse, this method did find him a job that fit his expectations.

In the 20+ years since I did that "interview", I've evaluated dozens of engineering candidates. It didn't take long to come to the conclusion that their mode of dress has almost zero bearing on their technical skills. However, it does offer a pretty good ballpark estimate of how well they fit into positions that require lots of interaction with customers, or whether they'd be better off in the brilliant-but-don't-let-him-out-of-his-cave sort of job. Luckily, many firms need both kind of people.

In the 20+ years since I did that "interview", I've evaluated dozens of engineering candidates. It didn't take long to come to the conclusion that their mode of dress has almost zero bearing on their technical skills. However, it does offer a pretty good ballpark estimate of how well they fit into positions that require lots of interaction with customers, or whether they'd be better off in the brilliant-but-don't-let-him-out-of-his-cave sort of job. Luckily, many firms need both kind of people.

The don't let me out of my cave, I prefer it that way too. In my case, I figured out how to play the game so dressed accordingly, I so freaking hate dealing customers/clients.

In the 20+ years since I did that "interview", I've evaluated dozens of engineering candidates. It didn't take long to come to the conclusion that their mode of dress has almost zero bearing on their technical skills. However, it does offer a pretty good ballpark estimate of how well they fit into positions that require lots of interaction with customers, or whether they'd be better off in the brilliant-but-don't-let-him-out-of-his-cave sort of job. Luckily, many firms need both kind of people.

Yeah and that's the thing here it's a bit of both. I mean we are not conservative. I have long hair almost to my waste and do just fine face to face with anyone, and often do, simply because I know how to play the game when necessary. Got nothing going on that day? Jeans and a t-shirt. Going to a job interview? Put some pants on at least.

a woman wearing a bohemian dress, her hair done hap-hazardly up in a bun with a chopstick, strings and strings of beads, and leather sandals on dirty feet

Braless is OK as long as firmness and perkiness are evident. But in a classy way.

I forgot to add she was in her 50's and gravity was not her friend but that did not stop her from going braless...

Was she hot?

Couch

I forgot to add she was in her 50's

Being that age myself, I have found that (sadly) you can only get away with being a kid for so long. And I think it's even tougher for women in terms of societal expectations that change as we age.

The company I worked for interviewed a guy noontime at a restaurant. My boss and another person ordered ice tea. The job candidate asked for scotch. Needless to say, he didn't get the job.Was he unqualified for the position? I think you skipped part of the story.

Was he unqualified for the position? I think you skipped part of the story.

That really depends on the position, doesn't it? A job isn't just doing tasks x, y, and z in a vacuum. It's also evaluating context and the environment you're in and at least making a token attempt to match your behavior with expectations. It's a pretty basic social rule that you don't order alcohol at an interview when your host doesn't.

Was he unqualified for the position? I think you skipped part of the story.

It doesn't even matter when a candidate orders a scotch for lunch at a job interview. Id be wondering does this guy have a drinking problem? He's obviously not taking the interview seriously. There was probably a whole stack of other candidates just as qualified waiting for interviews. When you go for an interview you don't want to raise ANY red-flags.

I figured out how to play the game so dressed accordingly


I know how to play the game when necessary.

I appreciate that there are at least 2 mentions of this so far. It is almost the distilled essence of getting along in the world. The more you realize it's a game, the better you can play it.

As a 23 year old people watcher, I can tell you, pretty much everyone my age and younger are complete idiots when it comes to dealing with people and whatnot... myself included probably, but I at least know enough to dress up for a job interview, no matter how low level the position may be.

I was in a group of 10 people being hired for a new store opening in high school, and they specifically stated, "all team members must wear a tie, collared shirt, and black slacks or khakis." I was one of two that dressed properly, despite being the youngest person there. I knew at that moment that there was no hope.

The company I worked for interviewed a guy noontime at a restaurant. My boss and another person ordered ice tea. The job candidate asked for scotch. Needless to say, he didn't get the job.

When I first graduated from college, I went to an interview across the country. I went out to lunch with a manager from the company, plus another interviewee and another manager. The waitress asked what we wanted to drink. The first interviewee (kind of a nerdy type) ordered soda; so did his manager. Then it came to me and I ordered a Beck's. My manager smiled and said, "Well, if he's having a beer, I will too."

I got the job.

My first job after college was as a software engineer at a very, very, VERY conservative payroll firm. ( As in a dress code where women couldn't wear pants...

A building full of pants-free women? Sounds interesting.

A building full of pants-free women? Sounds interesting.

It did make up for what was otherwise an exceedingly boring job.

Dressed in shorts and with a Big Gulp. She looked like she was headed to the mall. I mean I was like O.o. Ok I'll be nice, smile and ask all the questions, you never know, benefit of the doubt, can't judge a book, that sort of thing.. I mean it is an artsy sort of position working in a TV studio but still. Major points deducted for not having common sense. Aren't jobs supposed to be scarce?

It happens all over the place. Today I was in court handling a couple of cases and the judge dressed down a defendant (pun intended) for showing up in court (for her case) dressed in shorts and a belly shirt.

No common sense.

I've never heard of anyone for losing points for overdressing at the first interview.

Last time I went on a job interview -- which was 10 years ago, when I was eventually hired for the position I still hold today -- the last thing the company president said to me on my way out was "You realize if you're hired I'll never see that suit again?"

I've never heard of anyone for losing points for overdressing at the first interview. One can usually underdress when young, as long as they at least show some effort to be in the business realm.

I remember an interview I had years ago. Because of a few geographical factors the technical director of the company arranged for me to meet him for an initial interview at his home on a Saturday morning. So I made a special trip to collect my suit so I'd look the part and when we met the first thing he said was "I'm sorry, I should have told you there was no need to dress up". That said two weeks and three interviews later I had the job.

When I first graduated from college, I went to an interview across the country. I went out to lunch with a manager from the company, plus another interviewee and another manager. The waitress asked what we wanted to drink. The first interviewee (kind of a nerdy type) ordered soda; so did his manager. Then it came to me and I ordered a Beck's. My manager smiled and said, "Well, if he's having a beer, I will too."

I got the job.

BS...that is from a commercial. Nice!

I remember an interview I had years ago. Because of a few geographical factors the technical director of the company arranged for me to meet him for an initial interview at his home on a Saturday morning. So I made a special trip to collect my suit so I'd look the part and when we met the first thing he said was "I'm sorry, I should have told you there was no need to dress up". That said two weeks and three interviews later I had the job.

That is one where I'd say yuo can ask, especially since yuo needed a special trip.

I'd say 9 out of 10 times it IS NOT about dressing the part but about not knowing the game. Show in somethgin short of shorts and sandals to an interview that is cross country and explain the airline lost your bag and expect to get away with it.

I've never had a suit and tie job. I do not recall ever interviewing in anything but a suit and tie.

Maybe she got her interviews wrong. She might've been there for a different type of interview altogether- the kind that MV would like to see (and direct and produce and perhaps perform)...

BS...that is from a commercial. Nice!

It really happened. Hughes Aircraft Company, El Segundo, 1984. I wouldn't do that now, but back in 1984 I was still a fraternity boy.

It really happened. Hughes Aircraft Company, El Segundo, 1984. Without doing a search, what make of car was built in that factory prior to Hughes moving in?

I asked if the company posted bail for traveling employees on my last interview. I got the job.

Without doing a search, what make of car was built in that factory prior to Hughes moving in?
That's the car my dad had when I was born.

We're looking for an extra programmer for my job and this guy sent hisr application from an AOL emailbox, with no CV or message in it, and only an attached resume PDF scanned from a paper sheet.... upside down. HIRED!

(and the cherry on top is the fact that, despite it being a programmer position, his two top skills were "dish washing" and "driving a truck." Yeeeep)

As a 23 year old people watcher, I can tell you, pretty much everyone my age and younger are complete idiots when it comes to dealing with people and whatnot... myself included probably, but I at least know enough to dress up for a job interview, no matter how low level the position may be.

I was in a group of 10 people being hired for a new store opening in high school, and they specifically stated, "all team members must wear a tie, collared shirt, and black slacks or khakis." I was one of two that dressed properly, despite being the youngest person there. I knew at that moment that there was no hope.

Why do you suppose that is? I'm trying to avoid the 'damn kids these days' thing because as you get older it's hard to tell if I just forget that I was the same when I was 23 or that kids are indeed different today. Of course I say kids, 23 is not a kid, but again seems to me that the age of being considered a kid is well into your 20's now. Hell I had my own apartment and a job when I was 17 damn it! :)

Technology partly. It's promoted laziness and offered up too many options for the kids of this era to choose from. It used to be go to college or get a job. Period. Now kids have gotten too many crazy ideas of how they can make it implanted in their heads because of the lucky few that have been showcased. Also our entire society has become much more "sensitive," and lenient, which is basically a nice way of saying my generation has been babied.

The company I worked for in the 90s was expanding rapidly at the time, so hiring was an almost constant process. I spent a lot of time interviewing applicants for positions slightly above entry level. It was quite entertaining seeing what some of the contenders thought was appropriate for job interview.

I had the shorts, halter tops and flip-flops example too. She explained it away with her opening line. "I hope you don't have a problem with my outfit but it's casual Friday at my current job and I don't dress up for no-one." Okeydokey then. Next.

Another guy's only question was "How many smoke breaks do we get?"

Another responded to the question "Tell me a little about yourself" with "Well now, in the evenings I work as a phone psychic. So let me tell you a little about you." He then attempted to give me a psychological evaluation based on our 90 second acquaintance.

Yet another shared, unprompted, that he'd been "let go" from his last job for downloading pornography on his computer, which was in a public space, visible to all. "Yeah, I should have realized that wasn't a good idea but I've learned from my mistakes"

There was the girl who got her tongue pierced on her way TO the interview, the (totally unqualified) guy who told me he would only work for us if we hired his (also totally unqualified) wife as well.

Then my personal favorite; the uhm, buxom lady, some 30 years my senior who sat down, squirmed in her seat like a bobby-soxer and squealed "Hoo boy, I'd like to be working under you!"

Happy days.

Not a hiring story...but at one point I worked for a software company that hired the "best and the brightest" out of the top colleges. We took one of these "kids" on a sales call...he had a suit, a tie, a nice white dress shirt. At breakfast before the call he took off his coat to sit down and you could see he was wearing a concert t-shirt as his undershirt! It had printing both front and back. I mentioned it to him and his response was "I don't own any plain white undershirts!"...but he could manage a suit/tie/shirt??? Anyway...I told him that he had to leave his coat on even if everyone else on the call took theirs off.