THIS job interview was a joke

[Elderand]

Dear lord, no wonder the administration has such a **** reputation.

On the job posting they said they were going to hire an administrative employee. Turn out they weren't, it was a selection for a recruiting reserve. So there was no actual job, just a spot on the potential waiting list.

I show up, they tell us to bring the convocation and id card. They checked neither. I was told to wait in the waiting room. Turn out I wasn't supposed to wait in the waiting room at all, I was supposed to wait just at the entrance of the room where the interview was to be conducted.

They didn't even have my C.V.

Time between job posting and actual interview? 7 months. Every deadline they set for the written test, results of said test and organisation of the interview they completely failed to meet. And not by a day or two, literally by a month, each time.

They asked me what I thought of the written test, I told them it was highschool level. They clearly thought it was more difficult than that. it really wasn't.

The interview itself wasn't bad but the whole thing was so poorly organized as to be laughable.

[Winter_Wolf]

Yay deceptive business! Wait no, that doesn't sound right.

Reminds me of an interview which was conducted in an unmarked generic office space for rent. The secretary was a nice touch, but otherwise literally nothing but two desks, four chairs, a tv with vhs cassette player, and a phone. Blah blah blah, talking his "company" up, a rather bland video, and the close: "alright, now all we need from you is a three hundred dollar check."

I didn't linger.

[Old Overholt]

Oye... That just sounds like an absolute horrible way to spend the day, especially for all the anxiety interviews generate on their own.

Was this government work or private sector?

[Elderand]

Government.

[Fri]

Now this is a joke interview.

[AdmiralCheez]

Government.

I had an interview for a state government job a few years ago. I went through months of applications, took the test, aced it, got put on a certification list, and finally called in for the interview. When I got there though, they refused to interview me because apparently I wasn't on the right certification list for the county the job was in.

[Aruetii]

. . . That is just impressive, I thought the equipment and testing from the 70s was bad.

[cobaltstarfire]

Government.

Not at all surprising to hear...

The guy has had a government office lose a card with a ton of his personal identification information (PII) not once but twice. (things like fingerprints, SSI, name, address ect).

It's extra funny/maddening because part of the process he's going through for this particular office involves learning and passing a test on proper handling of PII...and this is in relation to getting security clearance...I mean it's a very low level clearance but still leads one to wonder...


It's probably just buried under a bunch of papers on someones desk, but I'm rather happy that he has identity protection in place, cause if that information has fallen into the wrong hands it'll be supremely easy to steal his identity with it.

[Pendulous]

Had an interview at the local Target once a long time ago. They sent all the interviewees to the break room, which I found odd. Most places wouldn't have you in the employee break room, unless they fully intended to hire everyone. But whatever, that's no big deal. There was a few people there waiting to be interviewed, and I assumed I was last on the list since everyone went before me. Turns out that wasn't the case.

First, I interviewed with what I believe was the personnel manager. Doesn't really matter who. Then I was sent back to the break room to wait for the second interview, which would be done by the person who was over the area I would be working in. I waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually someone came back there, and told me the guy who was supposed to do my interview had left for the day. For the record, he was there when I got to the store, and even when I got to my first interview. At this point, I had been there at least two hours. They said they'd call me for a reschedule.

They never did.

[factotum]

Once travelled 200 miles for an interview. Arrived about half an hour early and sat in the reception area. I think maybe an hour after the official time of my interview (so, an hour and a half after I arrived) the previous interviewee came out with the company boss--they then went off into another room for 20 minutes, so I reckon the guy was being interviewed for a good two hours or more by the time he finally left. I got in to have my interview, it was over in 20 minutes with only the most perfunctory questions being asked--pretty damned sure he'd already decided to hire the previous guy and wanted to get me out of the way as quickly as possible. Total waste of time, effort, and fuel that was.

Mind you, might be I missed a bullet there, because the company in question was Autonomy in Cambridge...who are rather more famous for the shenanigans surrounding their buy-out by HP in 2011 (four years after I did that interview).

[cobaltstarfire]

Had an interview at the local Target once a long time ago.

When I applied at a target back around highschool, they rejected me because I completed the computer test "too fast". They said it was a red flag to them, maybe it's the same reason college writing teachers tell people not to write papers that make them sound "too smart". I don't know what that reason is either, but neither of them make sense to me.

[Douglas]

When I applied at a target back around highschool, they rejected me because I completed the computer test "too fast". They said it was a red flag to them, maybe it's the same reason college writing teachers tell people not to write papers that make them sound "too smart". I don't know what that reason is either, but neither of them make sense to me.
The logic I've heard for that sort of thing is that companies usually want their employees to stick around for a while, and if your qualifications are too high they'll expect you to quit because you got a better job elsewhere in fairly short order. Kind of sucks while you're waiting for that supposed "better job" to come along, and really sucks if the job market is such that all the better jobs are taken and everyone's expectations are off, but it makes a significant amount of sense.

And then there's the people who don't like feeling that their subordinates might be more skilled than them.:smallsigh:

[RandomNPC]

I interviewed at the place I worked now, and it was kid of silly.

I made a point about how close I was to work, and the fact that I could jog to work if my car broke. Made another point about my attendance at my last job. Made another point about how I respect the seniority system they have in place. All kinds of things.

We go for the plant tour, and right when I see the machine I'll be on the end of I go "Wow, that loads just like a newspaper printing press!" My tour guide turns around and looks at me for a second, says "Yes, I guess it does."

They schedule a time for me to do my safety training, I put my two weeks in at my other job, and go about my business. Two days before training they cancel my safety training and say they'll call with a new time. At the end of the week I call them and ask what's going on, seeing as I put in my two weeks at the old job. "Oh, we set it for this Monday, didn't we call you?" I had quit my old job, and almost got listed as a no-show at my new one.

When I get there the HR rep was all excited to meet "The printing press guy" apparently they never get anyone who's worked heavy machinery before. These new things dwarf anything I've ever seen but there are some parallels. Turns out all the "I live close and will never be late!" was taken as empty boasting, but they decided to put up with me because they thought I could run a press. My application specifically said I was a finishing department guy for nine years and never loaded/repaired/worked on a press.

[Flickerdart]

I once spoke to a recruiter at a career fair, who put me down for an interview slot first thing the next day. Fast forward to that day, and 30 minutes into my journey to the interview site, I get a call saying that nobody could remember talking to me and so they had bumped me off the interview list in favour of another candidate.

[cobaltstarfire]

The logic I've heard for that sort of thing is that companies usually want their employees to stick around for a while, and if your qualifications are too high they'll expect you to quit because you got a better job elsewhere in fairly short order. Kind of sucks while you're waiting for that supposed "better job" to come along, and really sucks if the job market is such that all the better jobs are taken and everyone's expectations are off, but it makes a significant amount of sense.

And then there's the people who don't like feeling that their subordinates might be more skilled than them.:smallsigh:


You know it's kind of infuriating to consider that I haven't been able to find any kind of a job for the past 2-3 years simply because I appear to be overqualified on their stupid little tests...:smallmad: Maybe I should start applying for managerial positions, even though the only "management" experience I have is in the classroom.

Of course I look so much younger than I actually am that I'd probably fail to get any "management" job once I hit an interview. Nothing like being a month away from 30 and still being mistaken for a teenager.

[AdmiralCheez]

Had an interview at the local Target once a long time ago. They sent all the interviewees to the break room, which I found odd. Most places wouldn't have you in the employee break room, unless they fully intended to hire everyone. But whatever, that's no big deal. There was a few people there waiting to be interviewed, and I assumed I was last on the list since everyone went before me. Turns out that wasn't the case.

First, I interviewed with what I believe was the personnel manager. Doesn't really matter who. Then I was sent back to the break room to wait for the second interview, which would be done by the person who was over the area I would be working in. I waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually someone came back there, and told me the guy who was supposed to do my interview had left for the day. For the record, he was there when I got to the store, and even when I got to my first interview. At this point, I had been there at least two hours. They said they'd call me for a reschedule.

They never did.

Wow, the same thing happened to me when I applied to Target back in high school. I was the only interviewee that day, but they still told me to wait in the break room (which was locked and I had to wait for an employee to open it). Then the first interviewer forgot they had to do an interview and made me wait half an hour. I got questioned, and I was told to wait for the second interview, so I sat there patiently, talking to people as they came in for their breaks. But after another half hour of waiting, they told me the second interview person was "in an all day meeting" and we'd have to reschedule. They never called me back. Instead, a few weeks later I got a generic letter stating I did not get the job.

I have a sneaking suspicion that there is no second interview, and it's just a decoy. Either that, or they already know they don't want you, but just don't want to tell you in person.

[Bulldog Psion]

Yes, that's a pretty awful job interview.

When I got interviewed for my Post Office job, one of the things that I told the interviewer about was my miniatures painting business, which I had at the time. :smallbiggrin: I doubt that very many people have directly cited painting Battletech miniatures for clients as experience qualifying them for a job in the USPS, but I did.

And I got the job. :smallcool: I still ascribe it to the battlemechs. (Only half-jokingly -- I kind of wonder if that didn't make me slightly more noticeable/memorable than the other candidates.) Of course, it turned out to suck in a lot of ways, but that's another story entirely, and nothing to do with the interview.

[Ruslan]

You think you have interview problems? My wife was interviewed for four hours with a 50-person all-male company that didn't have a ladies restroom. At some point during the third hour, she had to take a pee break. I will just let your imagination fill in the dots from here.

[Spacewolf]

Yes, that's a pretty awful job interview.

When I got interviewed for my Post Office job, one of the things that I told the interviewer about was my miniatures painting business, which I had at the time. :smallbiggrin: I doubt that very many people have directly cited painting Battletech miniatures for clients as experience qualifying them for a job in the USPS, but I did.

And I got the job. :smallcool: I still ascribe it to the battlemechs. (Only half-jokingly -- I kind of wonder if that didn't make me slightly more noticeable/memorable than the other candidates.) Of course, it turned out to suck in a lot of ways, but that's another story entirely, and nothing to do with the interview.

Reminds me of the time I was interviewing for a position over Skype, I'd made it through to the 2nd interview (First was someone talking at me for about an hour). So the guy asks me questions for about 5 mins before looking at my CV and noticing I had F1 down as an interest, we then spent about 30-45 mins talking about what we thought was going to happen that season and how it had been going so far. I got the job as well.

[Scarlet Knight]

Qualifications get you in the door, being someone they like gets you the job. Sometimes, they like F1 or Battlemechs. :smallsmile:

[veti]

Reminds me of the time I was interviewing for a position over Skype, I'd made it through to the 2nd interview (First was someone talking at me for about an hour). So the guy asks me questions for about 5 mins before looking at my CV and noticing I had F1 down as an interest, we then spent about 30-45 mins talking about what we thought was going to happen that season and how it had been going so far. I got the job as well.

This is quite a common pattern, in my experience.

The employer has read your CV, and knows that unless you're blatantly lying, you're qualified for the job. So the actual interview is by way of a character assessment, to tell (a) are you likely to be blatantly lying? (a great many people suffer from the completely unfounded delusion that they can tell this just by talking to someone), and (b) can you get along with your prospective boss? (which is, genuinely, an important consideration that you can usually tell from an interview).

Pass those tests, and you've aced it.

[Spacewolf]

This is quite a common pattern, in my experience.

The employer has read your CV, and knows that unless you're blatantly lying, you're qualified for the job. So the actual interview is by way of a character assessment, to tell (a) are you likely to be blatantly lying? (a great many people suffer from the completely unfounded delusion that they can tell this just by talking to someone), and (b) can you get along with your prospective boss? (which is, genuinely, an important consideration that you can usually tell from an interview).

Pass those tests, and you've aced it.

Yea I've never had an interview which I've then not got the job for, I think it's because my industry is so undermanned it's basically just to check your not on drugs or something.

[Bohandas]

I once got the letter saying that I had gotten an interview AFTER the scheduled date for the interview.

[AshfireMage]

I once interviewed for a job (nothing fancy, just a part-time summer camp dishwasher while home from college one summer). I felt like it went well and at the end the interviewer said she'd like to hire me and to contact her as soon as I had my food worker's certification (I was waiting for the card to arrive at the time) so I could get my schedule.

It came a few days later and I sent an email to the address she'd used to contact me. No response. After a few days, I called, only to find the line disconnected. I emailed again, then called again, each time leaving several days gap. Same results. Finally gave up and continued my hunt elsewhere, deciding that if they couldn't get their crap together enough to let me contact them, that I probably didn't want to be working for them.

What's even weirder is that this wasn't some sketchy place, it was a summer camp that had been there for years and is still operating as far as I know...

[Avin]

When a company drops the ball on basics like coordinating an interview, I feel like I've dodged a bullet - I like to remind myself that the interview also exists for me to decide if I like the job/company, not just for them to decide if they like me.

Worst one for me was a bit like the OP's, actually. They asked me to meet InterviewGuy in FancifullyNamedConferenceRoom for my interview - so I show up a little early at this huge corporate building and, having no idea where to go, I tell the receptionist "I'm supposed to meet InterviewGuy at 3 in the FancifullyNamedConferenceRoom, do you know where that is?" She makes a phone call, then asks me to take a seat and wait. About 45 minutes later InterviewGuy walks in looking worried, spots me, "OH! There you are. We were waiting in the conference room, what happened!?" As he was looking over my resume, he made a seemingly light-hearted comment to the effect of "Well, everything looks good, aside from that little mixup about where we were supposed to meet at 3 haha."

After the rocky start InterviewGuy was very enthusiastic and positive, gave me a full tour, introduced me to people I'd be working with, acting like I already had the job. He swore he wanted to sign me up that very moment "except my boss needs to sign off on the paperwork and he's on vacation, he'll be back Monday, I'll let you know as soon as it's official" - and then I never heard from them again. Despite my several attempts to follow up after a reasonable wait, and despite the fact that I know the company didn't exactly go bankrupt overnight or have a hiring freeze, a distant friend-of-a-friend actually ended up working there a few weeks later. I still have no idea what happened and it doesn't even matter, I choose to consider myself lucky it didn't work out.

I had a friend who won "worst interview ever" by a large margin, though. She applied to an online posting of a receptionist position, which sounded pretty normal aside from requiring applicants to include a picture of themselves. I should note she's very conventionally attractive. The almost instant response was a phone call, during which a guy told her suspiciously little about the position/company and scheduled her to meet at 10am in downtown NearbyCity the next day, promising to e-mail her an address and directions. At the last moment she got the e-mail, asking her to reschedule to 8 at night, and giving her a residential address "by the way it's an apartment office." She opted not to attend.

[Jay R]

When I applied at a target back around highschool, they rejected me because I completed the computer test "too fast". They said it was a red flag to them, maybe it's the same reason college writing teachers tell people not to write papers that make them sound "too smart". I don't know what that reason is either, but neither of them make sense to me.

If they are trying to hire somebody for a long period of time, and they have reason to believe you might soon leave them for a better job, then they are correct to not hire you.

[Bohandas]

The logic I've heard for that sort of thing is that companies usually want their employees to stick around for a while, and if your qualifications are too high they'll expect you to quit because you got a better job elsewhere in fairly short order.

Also they don't want them to be smart enough to catch on to all the ways the company is screwing them over

[The Glyphstone]

If they are trying to hire somebody for a long period of time, and they have reason to believe you might soon leave them for a better job, then they are correct to not hire you.

The problem is that it's stereotyping - simply because of your qualifications, and on no other grounds, they assume you won't be a long-term hire.

[Jay R]

The problem is that it's stereotyping - simply because of your qualifications, and on no other grounds, they assume you won't be a long-term hire.

Virtually all business decisions are made with incomplete information. And in any job interviewing process in which they have more than one applicant, they have incomplete information on each of you, and have to make some sort of judgment call. Choosing the person who is most simi9lar to the people who have held that job the longest is a reasonable approach.

Frankly, if the company thinks intelligent people won't enjoy that job, I'm very glad they don't hire me for it.

[Rockphed]

You think you have interview problems? My wife was interviewed for four hours with a 50-person all-male company that didn't have a ladies restroom. At some point during the third hour, she had to take a pee break. I will just let your imagination fill in the dots from here.

The office I worked in until 2 weeks ago didn't have a ladies restroom on the third floor. Well, it did, but the signage had been changed to a men's restroom decades ago. The real problem is that the shop floor only has a mens restroom and at least one of the restrooms had a sign that said "shop employees are forbidden to use office restrooms". Or maybe it was the building with 5 large restrooms in the shop with a total of 3 working toilets. Lets just say that the company has become significantly less ghetto during my tenure (though not through my efforts).

[TuggyNE]

The problem is that it's stereotyping - simply because of your qualifications, and on no other grounds, they assume you won't be a long-term hire.

Hiring is the systemic process of discriminating as hastily and stereotypically as will not either a) immediately cause lawsuits or b) result in vast numbers of blatantly unsuitable hires discovered shortly after hiring. Someone who's not hired that probably should have been is not considered a problem at all unless they can sue over it; someone who's hired that probably shouldn't have been isn't considered a serious problem either unless they are obviously bad.

[otakuryoga]

Hiring is the systemic process of discriminating as hastily and stereotypically as will not either a) immediately cause lawsuits or b) result in vast numbers of blatantly unsuitable hires discovered shortly after hiring. Someone who's not hired that probably should have been is not considered a problem at all unless they can sue over it; someone who's hired that probably shouldn't have been isn't considered a serious problem either unless they are obviously bad.

yes..and "person with good qualifications" is not a protected class

[themaque]

That has to be the ultimate in real world problem that you will get little actual help for.

"I can't get employed because I'm to talented, educated, and intelligent" even just SOUNDS a little douche even if 100% real. I'm not saying you are one, I've got a friend going through that right now.

[cobaltstarfire]

That has to be the ultimate in real world problem that you will get little actual help for.

"I can't get employed because I'm to talented, educated, and intelligent" even just SOUNDS a little douche even if 100% real. I'm not saying you are one, I've got a friend going through that right now.

I never said that I was talented, educated, or intelligent, all I said was that they considered me taking their damn test too fast a "problem". I was a highschooler, where the heck did they think I would go that was better than Target? They'd have gotten a couple years out of me at least, and I have trouble imagining a highschooler as being overqualified in anything.

As far as now, the past 3 years of being able to get a job? Either I'm overqualified because I have a college degree, or there is something so very wrong with me that I can't get a job. I know that having gone 3+ years without a job is also a "red flag". So basically as far as I can tell you're telling me I'm either a douche or a piece of worthless trash, while hiding behind "I'm not saying, but I'm just saying".

[themaque]

I never said that I was talented, educated, or intelligent, all I said was that they considered me taking their damn test too fast a "problem". I was a highschooler, where the heck did they think I would go that was better than Target? They'd have gotten a couple years out of me at least, and I have trouble imagining a highschooler as being overqualified in anything.

As far as now, the past 3 years of being able to get a job? Either I'm overqualified because I have a college degree, or there is something so very wrong with me that I can't get a job. I know that having gone 3+ years without a job is also a "red flag". So basically as far as I can tell you're telling me I'm either a douche or a piece of worthless trash, while hiding behind "I'm not saying, but I'm just saying".

It was a viewpoint that amused and interested me in the manner of an intellectual problem. I don't know you in the slightest and didn't mean it as a personal attack. I'm sorry it's a situation you are personally struggling with where you are damned if you do damned if you don't.

I'm sorry. I didn't want to offend you and I have. I personally don't think you are horrible in ANY capacity. Douche or Garbage or anything like that. I was saying how hard this would be to get practical solutions for in a manner that was amusing to me. You're struggling and I was looking at the scenario but ignoring the person. That makes ME the horrible one. So again, I'm sorry.

[Heliomance]

I never said that I was talented, educated, or intelligent, all I said was that they considered me taking their damn test too fast a "problem". I was a highschooler, where the heck did they think I would go that was better than Target? They'd have gotten a couple years out of me at least, and I have trouble imagining a highschooler as being overqualified in anything.

As far as now, the past 3 years of being able to get a job? Either I'm overqualified because I have a college degree, or there is something so very wrong with me that I can't get a job. I know that having gone 3+ years without a job is also a "red flag". So basically as far as I can tell you're telling me I'm either a douche or a piece of worthless trash, while hiding behind "I'm not saying, but I'm just saying".

Actually I'm pretty sure he was saying he understands the problem and entirely agrees, while commiserating with you over the fact that it's very hard to complain (even when fully justified) about being overqualified without sounding like a "douche".

[cobaltstarfire]

I'm sorry.


I am sorry too, for lack of better words I flipped out some. There's too much guilt and frustration tied up in my lack of ability to find a job, and it certainly reared its head today.

[Ruslan]

I was saying how hard this would be to get practical solutions for.Going off of this, I actually have one practical solution: tailor the resume to the position.

Read the job description carefully, the rewrite your resume in a way that emphasized everything you have that fits the job, and deemphasizes everything else. Repeat same for the interview. Constantly make mention of things in your past experience that pertain to the job. It's a difficult art, but it can be mastered with some practice.

EDIT: also, Google "Liz Ryan human workplace" and read every word she ever wrote. She's like a shining beacon of hope and a patron saint to all frustrated job-seekers.

[themaque]

Going off of this, I actually have one practical solution: tailor the resume to the position.

Read the job description carefully, the rewrite your resume in a way that emphasized everything you have that fits the job, and deemphasizes everything else. Repeat same for the interview. Constantly make mention of things in your past experience that pertain to the job. It's a difficult art, but it can be mastered with some practice.

EDIT: also, Google "Liz Ryan human workplace" and read every word she ever wrote. She's like a shining beacon of hope and a patron saint to all frustrated job-seekers.

This is actually something they harped on us during the Transition Assistance Program when I left the military. Trying to re-educate airmen into civilians again and teaching them the basics on how to find a job. (Shame that isn't part of most standard school curriculums.) And really good advice.


Of course, even then, Resumes are so subjective from person to person everyone was giving my conflicting helpful advice. Three people who regularly go through resumes for their company telling me conflicting ideals to go for!

[DyerMaker]

As someone who's interviewed and hired a number of people, I'm still amazed that candidates show up stoned, so high they can barely form syllables. Do your dab after you get the job, on your off day. Not the day of your interview. Spell the word; S-O-B-E-R.

[Spacewolf]

Heh that reminds me of the best interview story I've ever heard this guy was interviewing for a job I eventually got in a company that had quite afew vacancies so they where hiring alot of people. Anyway most people who came down for the interview had to stay overnight in a hotel the company had booked you into, obviously most people stayed pretty quiet, not this guy he decided to go out for a drink and came back into what was quite a posh hotel after midnight where he started shouting at the barstaff to serve him. They declined saying he had already had too much and he should go to his room, eventually the cops get called and this guy starts abusing them too and gets tased before spending the night in the cells. The Hotel obviously calls the company to tell them what happened but they also receive a call from the interviewee when he eventually gets let out asking if they can reschedule his appointment since he missed the last one. (They declined.)

[Winter_Wolf]

As someone who's interviewed and hired a number of people, I'm still amazed that candidates show up stoned, so high they can barely form syllables. Do your dab after you get the job, on your off day. Not the day of your interview. Spell the word; S-O-B-E-R.

These people are doing you a favor, I'd say. Imagine finding out they're incompetent addicts after they get on the payroll. I used to work for my dad on the commercial fishing vessel. He had a crew member who was a hardcore alcoholic, but was a hard worker when he was sober. Much less so when he was hungover during peak season with nets heavy enough to sink and weather that could swamp a boat. There was one guy who could do his job, but the other crew member changed virtually every season. If you're a greenhorn and you think commercial fishing is easy money, do everyone a favor and stay on shore instead. Fast =/= easy, and you can die out there even if you're not a screwup.

[2D8HP]

As far as now, the past 3 years of being able to get a job? Either I'm overqualified because I have a college degree, or there is something so very wrong with me that I can't get a job. I know that having gone 3+ years without a job is also a "red flag".Sorry to learn of your (sadly familiar) unsuccessful job search, all I can suggest is what worked for me, which was repeated applications and interviews with The City and County of San Francisco (along with other employers)
http://www.jobaps.com/sf/default.asp?orderby=OpenDate&SortOrd=DESC
Thoroughly look at and fulfill the requirements. Make it a job!
While I have found government employment pays less and is often dangerous to my health (asbestos, lead etc.), I have found it to be far less soul destroying, and I encourage seeking a government job instead.
-Good luck

[Traab]

I hope you people are properly ashamed. Because of these stories I have started reading not always right and have a few hundred pages of new stories to work through.

[The Glyphstone]

I hope you people are properly ashamed. Because of these stories I have started reading not always right and have a few hundred pages of new stories to work through.

NotAlwaysRight is amazing - its like TvTropes for the mildly sadistic.

[Asmodean_]

NotAlwaysRight is amazing - its like TvTropes for the mildly sadistic.

You tell me after I've been reading both for years.

[Peelee]

NotAlwaysRight is amazing

Eh, it's been slowly declining over the years. Not Always Working was a good addition, but everything else they tacked on was a great big ball of meh, and the editors are letting poor stories slip in more frequently.

Clients From Hell is slightly better, but fewer updates, and it looks like Don't Even Reply died some time ago. Shame, some of those were golden (like the NYC loft).

[JNAProductions]

My dad has had interviewees show up, and he asks them some basic questions. Such as "If you made $8,000 over 8 months, how much money did you make per month?"

They ask for a calculator... And still fail to figure it out.

Naturally, they did not get the job.

[Traab]

Eh, it's been slowly declining over the years. Not Always Working was a good addition, but everything else they tacked on was a great big ball of meh, and the editors are letting poor stories slip in more frequently.

Clients From Hell is slightly better, but fewer updates, and it looks like Don't Even Reply died some time ago. Shame, some of those were golden (like the NYC loft).

Clients from hell is a good one, but my main problem with it is, a lot of the stories tend to require you to be aware of the graphic design or general computer knowledge fields iirc. Sorry, but as a guy who doesnt know his fonts, I cant share your visceral horror when a client demands comic sans or whatever. And I agree, not always working is pretty much the only spinoff of the main site worth reading.

[Asmodean_]

I'm standing up in defense of Not Always Learning (since I managed to get two (https://notalwayslearning.com/synthesizing-immaturity/40522) submissions (https://notalwayslearning.com/americano/42949) on the main site). They're good for either a sensible chuckle or a I WANT TO STRANGLE SOMETHING HOW CAN SOMEONE BE THAT STUPID :smallfurious::smallfurious::smallfurious: both of which are healthy in moderation.

[Peelee]

I'm standing up in defense of Not Always Learning (since I managed to get two (https://notalwayslearning.com/synthesizing-immaturity/40522) submissions (https://notalwayslearning.com/americano/42949) on the main site). They're good for either a sensible chuckle or a I WANT TO STRANGLE SOMETHING HOW CAN SOMEONE BE THAT STUPID :smallfurious::smallfurious::smallfurious: both of which are healthy in moderation.

Stuff like that second one are what I mean by weak submissions. I mean, no offense to you, it was amusing, but it's not a story so much as it is a "look how witty I am!"

Also why I hate the Geeks Rule header. Too much self-congratulatory one-liners.

Not trying to make you feel bad here; I'm just getting grumpy in my old age.

[Traab]

Btw, just as a random example from clients from hell, here is one of their entries.

Client: Do you know what san serif and serif is?

Me: Yes.

Client: So we want something san serif. But not like Calibri. There is a font called Calibri Light. We like that font.


The only way I can tell that this is a bad thing is because its on the site clients from hell. I have never heard of calibri or calibri light, I have no idea what it looks like, I have no idea what it has to do with san serif, and I have no idea why its horrifying/hilarious for a client to say this thing.

[Ruslan]

Btw, just as a random example from clients from hell, here is one of their entries.

Client: Do you know what san serif and serif is?

Me: Yes.

Client: So we want something san serif. But not like Calibri. There is a font called Calibri Light. We like that font.


The only way I can tell that this is a bad thing is because its on the site clients from hell. I have never heard of calibri or calibri light, I have no idea what it looks like, I have no idea what it has to do with san serif, and I have no idea why its horrifying/hilarious for a client to say this thing.

A Serif (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serif) is a small line attached to the end of a stroke in a letter or symbol.
Sans-Serif (french: "without Serif", and by the way, s-a-n-s is the correct spelling, and not s-a-n) is a type of font that doesn't use Serifs.
Calibri is a font of the Sans-Serif variety.
Calibri Light is another font, also of the Sans-Serif variety.

It's ... not horrifying or hilarious at all. Worded a bit awkwardly, but otherwise reasonable.
"I want a font of the Sans-Serif group, but not Calibri. I want Calibri Light". Makes perfect sense.

[Traab]

See, I was under the impression that the font they want is some terrible amateurish cruddy font that will frighten children, curdle milk, and make every business that uses it fall into bankruptcy. My second guess was going to be something close to what you said only more of a "We want a sans serif font, only it needs to be serif" only using all those other font names instead but amounting to that. Telling me that awkward wording aside they were making a reasonable request just confuses me. It almost has to be some sort of font snobbery. I noticed that show up a lot on the site. Almost as often as "Hey, you mind designing my website and logo and doing it for free while I micro manage you every step of the way, drawing out the project for 4x longer than it should take? It'll be good for your portfolio!"

[Peelee]

Really? My reading of it was, "We don't want it to look like Font X at all. Now, having said that, we want it to look like an almost exact version of Font X."

Not gut busting or anything, but an odd request.

[Traab]

Even that honestly doesnt bug me. It just sounds like they did their research and know exactly what font they would like used in the design. Maybe its a complaint about nit picking clients? Maybe they cut off half the story and right after the designers submitted the work in calibri light, it got sent back saying they want something more like serif. Lord knows there are enough stories on the site about stuff like that.

"I want it done precisely like this." /does it precisely like this "This looks terrible, do it in an entirely different way."

[Flickerdart]

See, I was under the impression that the font they want is some terrible amateurish cruddy font that will frighten children, curdle milk, and make every business that uses it fall into bankruptcy."
It is, sort of - Calibri is the current default typeface in Word, replacing the seasoned Times New Roman a few years ago. If you must, mentally substitute Arial or Times instead of Calibri.

There's nothing wrong with a client recommending a typeface, even if it's stupid, but no design project more complex than, say, a logotype, will use just one weight.

[Peelee]

Let me rephrase.

I understood it as, "I want some ice cream, but I don't want it to taste like peanut butter. I want it to taste like smooth peanut butter."

The stated flavor goes against what they said in their stated desire.

Of course, I could be wrong, or they could be people who are very particular about their peanut butter-flavored ice cream.

[The Glyphstone]

Howabout Retail Hell Underground, in the same vein of websites? I think it's definitely gone downhill a bit, but I still read it regularly for entertaining horror stories.

[Bartmanhomer]

You know, I made a thread similar to this one a few months back. And let me tell you something, interview are always like that sometimes.

[JNAProductions]

You know, I made a thread similar to this one a few months back. And let me tell you something, interview are always like that sometimes.

I think this was inspired by yours.

[Ruslan]

You know, I made a thread similar to this one a few months back. And let me tell you something, interview are always like that sometimes.Sounds like something Yogi Berra would say.

[Bartmanhomer]

I think this was inspired by yours. Really? Wow so many of my threads have been inspired lately.


Sounds like something Yogi Berra would say.
I think you're right.

[gooddragon1]

My partner and I were rather excited to have the opportunity to work on an iPhone app for a client that wanted to release a game. Considering it was our first iPhone app related project, we were rather lenient about the contract, and agreed to present some concepts of the game first.

Client: "These look great! I would like to continue on with this project.“

Us: "Glad you like the concepts. Can we set aside some time now or perhaps in a few days to set up the contract?”

Client: "About that… You see I’m not a very visual person. You can’t expect me to be able to tell what the game is going to look like from these concepts. I need to be able to see what the first level is going to look like before we can set up the contract.“

Us: "With all do respect sir, we can’t do that. You’re asking us to build the game without having a contract.”

Client: "No, I’m not. I don’t know how to make a game, but I made a website 7 years ago, so I know how this works. You need to show me everything first before I agree to a contract. I want to see the first level of the game before we set up a contract. If you can get that done, I will have the contract ready when we meet again for the presentation of the first level.“

After some thought, unfortunately, my partner and I agreed to complete enough of the first level to show the client what the game would look like. About 80 hours into the project, we set up another meeting with the client to show him a render of the first level of the game exactly as it would appear, as well as a proof of concept that allowed the client to test the gameplay, physics and functionality but without the art assets implemented.

Client: "This looks great!”

Us: “Glad you like it. Now about the contract…”

Client: "What about it?“

Us: "Well, you said that you would have it ready today on the terms we agreed upon.”

Client: "Oh no, I never said that. See, I don’t think I can agree to a contract when I can’t see all of the art in the game and actually play it like that. What you’ve presented to me now isn’t really showing me what the game will be like.“

Us: ”You can see the appearance of the game environment… You can even play the game. The art assets aren’t in the playable demo because that would be asking us to build the entire game.“

Client: "No, I’m not. You can’t ask me to play this demo and try to visualize what the game will look like. I want to see what the last level will look like, and any other levels that look different from this one. Then I will be comfortable enough to set up a contract.”


I've always felt that the interviews not going well for me is just because I tend to have a hard time communicating in stressful situations and being ambivalent than bad interviewers. Though I have encountered the interview tactic where the interviewer tries to belittle you to make you take a lower pay.

[Traab]

Clients From hell was the site that convinced me to never, EVER go into business for myself. I cant even stop myself from making snarky comments at the computer monitor when the idiots arent even talking to me. I wouldnt last a year before I ran off half my clients. Even the ones not being giant criminal asses are so unclear on what they want, what is possible, and what your work is worth that I wouldnt be able to deal with it. I am getting a stress ulcer just thinking about collecting payments.

I worked with a guy who did washer/dryer repair for a couple hotel chains and getting paid was a nightmare for this guy. The owners would delay for months before finally he would call them up and say, "Look, until you cut me a check, I wont be going to these three hotels you own and fixing the machines. You are already several jobs behind and I dont work for free." Trying to find the right balance of pushing to get paid without pissing off the client so much they go to someone else? Forget about it. I am perfectly happy being the underling who gets told what to do and picks up a regular paycheck and doesnt have to deal directly with clients.

[MagmaCam]

interesting

[Yael]

Two years.

That's the time I was unemployed, looking for a job in ANY field. Thing is, for a young man like I (and many others), without any real experience of at least 2 years, and in the country I am (México) the struggle IS real.

Anyway, it's not like I wasn't actively looking, and I had an astonishing number of job interviews, that I don't know why I didn't get employment.

One of them, the best I remember, in a Seven Eleven, I remember, was the one where the woman that was supposed to make my interview just looked at me, and said.

"You're, what, 21?"

I answered yes.

"Get out of here, and don't come back until you've gathered at least a year of experience somewhere else."

She didn't even read my CV... Remembering that moment makes me... AAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGG!!!!!:smallfurious::smallfuriou s: :smallfurious:

[Velaryon]

Eh, it's been slowly declining over the years. Not Always Working was a good addition, but everything else they tacked on was a great big ball of meh, and the editors are letting poor stories slip in more frequently.


My least favorite of their spinoffs is Not Always Romantic, because of the sheer number of people asking what they refer to as "The Question."* The stories are repetitive, not interesting or funny, and yet they just keep posting them.

The Question in this case being "What would you do if I was bitten by a zombie?"

Still, NAR and its various spinoffs are a good way to kill some time at work in the morning when there isn't much actual work to do. :smalltongue: