This article was originally published on WHerMoments
There's so much advice out there about how you should behave in a job interview. Don't cross your arms. Wear the right thing. Turn up on time. Be polite. But why should the interviewer be the only one doing the judging? Sometimes we forget that an interview is also a brilliant place to discover any red flags about the company. Want to know what to watch out for? Redditor "JimmySaulGene" asked the website, "People who walked out of a job interview, why did you do it?" And the answers are pretty eye-opening.
Please note: answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Top of the pyramid
"Pyramid scheme advertised as 'sales and marketing.'It was a group interview. They served wine! They had obvious stooges initiating conversation about how great this opportunity was.I got very drunk and stopped being polite about it." — [deleted]
"For anyone in the comments: If you have nerves of steel and are as stubborn as a horse, you can go to these kinds of things all the time and get a ton of free food and drink on the regular. Just make sure not to sign anything. It's not like they aren't scamming people anyways. Besides, they're giving it out for free." — bayygel
Security!
"I wasn't informed about the evidently very strict building security prior to the interview. The front door was practically unmarked, and you had to swipe a card to get in, but there was no intercom. The elevator required a card as well, but the stairs didn't. HOWEVER, no one informed me that the stairwells are locked from the outside, meaning I was locked in the stairwell with no way to get out.I called the recruiter over and over and even called the front desk, but they just kept putting me on hold instead of sending someone to let me in at the correct floor.
I ended up getting a call from the recruiter while STILL STUCK IN THE STAIRWELL telling me they would not be going forward with the interview because I was late.They sent security to get me, and I was treated like a criminal as I was led from the building. I have never been so confused, humiliated, and angry in my entire life. I left them a scathing review on Glassdoor." — SnowMiser26
To beard or not to beard
"Sat down with the owner and the first thing he said was, I don't hire people with beards. I said okay, got up and walked out." — lookssharp"I remember hearing a story about an engineer who went to a head-hunter for help in finding a job. He was told first thing that he needed to shave off his beard. The head-hunter lands him a group interview with an engineering firm.
He walks into the room having noticeable tan lines on his face because he'd just shaved his beard, and each one of the male engineers who were interviewing him had a beard!" — [deleted]
Groupthink
"Applied for a software developer position for an online retailer. First round of interviews was a traditional technical-skills-and-whiteboard-coding session; second round was a cultural fit interview with HR.I assumed it would be a one-on-one interview with HR.
It was a room with 20-something people applying for anything from legal to finance.They asked us to stand up, then crawl into a ball and pretend we were flowers opening.At this point, I honestly thought it was some kind of prank, but then I saw everybody around me doing it.I just said thanks for the opportunity and left." — neolabaque
Prime cuts
"I once showed up for a job interview in a suit and tie after answering a newspaper ad for a 'warehouse worker.'Instead of a job interview at the warehouse, they had me get into a freezer truck with one of the employees who drove me a few hours away, pulled over in some random neighborhood, and explained to me that the job was going door-to-door trying to sell cuts of meat to people, unsolicited.
I told him this was not the 'warehouse worker' job that they had advertised and that if he didn't bring me back home immediately, I was going to call the police and report a kidnapping. I was brought back to my car, but I was not paid for the several hours of my wasted time." — [deleted]
Virtual insanity
"It was a virtual interview, and I ended it. The interviewer was a complete jerk, had an ego, and would make condescending remarks.
Just told him that it sounds like he's not interested in working together so in the interest of both our time, we should just end the call.I want to put it out there that this is something that everyone should feel comfortable doing. Don't let anyone treat you poorly and walk away calmly with your head held high, my kings and queens." — cginc1
Puddle trouble
"I once went to a job interview for a large welding shop, in the middle of a rainstorm. After talking to the interviewer for 30 or so minutes, he walked me out to the shop floor to take a welding test. The machine we went to was in decent condition but was literally sitting in a puddle of water. The welding table's legs were rusty and not grounded well, and also in the puddle.
Over half the shop was flooded. I turned around and said, 'No thank you.' Then proceeded to walk out the door. My life is worth more than $20 an hour." — Alpha_Hellhound
Fast-food nation
"Showed up and the manager practically bragged about how the job offered no breaks for an 8-10 hour shift, and if there was a food break, it would be 5 mins max at a hip-height table with no chairs. She said that you’d be fired if you sat down even for 30 seconds.I'm more than capable of doing that. I did that every day at my last job.
But when you brag about how your employees are so overworked that they don’t get breaks or an option to rest their legs, it tells me all I need to know about how little you value your employees.I should also note that this job wasn’t paying exceptionally well. Above minimum wage, but not at a level that was even enough to live on." — Balrog229
A teachable moment
"Applied for a teaching job. My job at the time job was at a school for people with disabilities. This new school was a school for children gifted in a particular field. I was headhunted when one of my students from my current school was accepted to the new school.The woman interviewing asked why I wanted to work there, so I explained the above (including the student with a disability).
She goes, with the most disgusted look on her face, 'We don’t have students like that here.'Should point out that I’m also disabled. Was not going to work out obviously!" — Nixie9
Empty promises
"I was approached at work (bagger for a major grocery store chain when I was 16) by a guy who asked me if I would be interested in making $1,100 a week. He told me to meet him at one of the empty businesses in the same plaza after work.He went on this long spiel about the melaleuca tree from Australia and how his company made soaps and shampoo out of it.
Then he told me for $500 he would train me how to sell the products. I just turned and walked out the door with him yelling behind me that I would never amount to anything with my attitude." — DeusEx-Machinist
Crossing the guard
"A jumped-up security guard made me walk away before I even got in the building for an interview. I followed the instructions I was sent by the hiring manager which was to park in the designated guest spaces. A security guard came charging out of the building yelling at me when I was barely out of the car about how I couldn’t park there, then when I raised my voice just to try and get him to listen he started yelling at me for yelling at him.
Eventually, when I got to tell him that I was told to park there, he called the hiring manager and started yelling at them about how I’d been yelling at him. Partway through that phone call I thought, 'Nah,' got back in the car and drove off. The hiring manager called me to apologize and asked if I’d come back. I politely declined, saying I wanted nothing to do with that security guard again." — FumbleMyEndzone
No "I" in interview
"It was for a management position, running a mail room. Something I’d done twice before. All the standard questions were asked. I felt like it was going well. Then he suddenly says to me, “I’m hearing a lot of “I” from you. I’m concerned, because we are about the team, and not the individual, here.”The hell? It’s a job interview and you’re concerned that I am answering questions you have asked specifically about me, with answers that address your questions about me.
That’s utterly nonsensical.I don’t even remember how I responded, but I knew I didn’t want to deal with his stupid semantic word and mind games, which I was sure I’d only seen the surface of, so I steered us right into concluding the interview, and I left. I also made a subtle show of taking back the copies of my resume that I’d brought with me." — ArmyOfDog
The not-so specialists
"I'm a vet tech. Interviewed at a primary care, single-doctor practice. The manager was over 25 minutes late to my interview. While I waited for her, the front desk staff ignored me while they talked crap about the techs, manager, and clients. The manager said they did not believe in referring to any specialists, because "Dr. A is a specialist in everything from grizzly bears to canaries." He was not.
He hadn't even done a rotating internship and definitely had not done any type of residency program.I had already worked in a toxic clinic, but at least the doctors were competent. When she asked if I had any questions, I just asked if I could have my resume back, so I didn't waste the paper." — Karbar049
The cost of living
"I should have; I stayed there out of morbid curiosity to see how low they would go, but I had made the decision I wasn't gonna work there early in the process. I'm glad I stayed.
The last thing that happened in the interview was the CEO personally asking us all to promise that, if we ever make a mistake, the company will calculate how much that mistake cost us, and we will voluntarily pay the company that amount." — Oudeis16
Bar none
"Owner of a bar told me in the first interview. to never approach him with a problem because I wouldn't like how he fixed it." — DeftTrack81"
That tells me he either doesn't know how to fix things, or he uses illegal methods to fix things." — Omny87
That tells me he either doesn't know how to fix things, or he uses illegal methods to fix things." — Omny87
"He doesn't want to fix things. He does a bad job intentionally so you won't ask him." — [deleted]
(A lack of) attention to details
"They spelled my name wrong on their internal documents all the while emphasizing how important attention to detail was.
On top of that, they kept asking the same exact question about 12 different ways — the answer to which was clearly listed in my work experience on my resume.This was for a thermal engineering position.They offered a tour of the facility while the person I was to work under finished up a meeting. I declined and left." — Chibbly
Failure to deliver
"I applied for a register position at [a chain restaurant]. I specifically told them during my two interviews that I cannot be a delivery driver due to my car being unreliable. They even acknowledged that and told me okay. Got the job, came in for training on the first day, the very first thing they do is sit me down in a chair and started up a training video on delivery driving.
I asked them if I could skip it since I’m only working the register/in the kitchen, and the manager tells me that every position is a delivery driver. Walked out right then and there and got paid for one hour of training." — Turnbob73
You're hired — kind of
"Made it to the third interview for a large company. The first two, they told me what my role would be, base pay + commission, and told me they were so excited to have me on board because of my experience. So I sit down for the third interview. They again go over my role, my pay, etc. They say they're prepared to offer me that job right now and had the paperwork ready since this morning. BUT THEN. They say, 'But we already hired someone for that. So instead what we'd like you to do is...' and proceeded to tell me the pay was less than half what they were already offering me prior for a lot more work.
Basically, I went from being offered a management job to just being asked to train all the new employees they just hired then stepping down to cashier for $10 per hour. And no guaranteed hours.I stood up and told them I was worried I was wasting their time prior to this interview because I wasn't entirely sold on the job yet. But after today, it's become pretty apparent you guys were the ones wasting my time instead. No thank you. And I left." — EmbalmMeDaddy
A crying shame
"I had been told it was a marketing job. The first interview was about marketing and took place in an office. I got a callback and was very happy as it meant I'd be able to get out of a call center and do something I liked. I took my last day off I was allowed to go to the next interview, and when I got there they said they wanted me to go to the local home depot with them. I got there and found out it was a [Multi-level Marketing scheme].
I was so stunned that I let them take me out on the floor and show off the aggressive sales technique they wanted me to use on random customers. I walked out crying because now I had no days off to interview, and I was ashamed to have been tricked by the first interview." — ThomasLipnip
Family values
"Third and final interview (all same day) at a tech company. First two went well, and I was told this last one just was a formality — they wanted me to join. Interview with the head of the office guy seemed to start well. We walked to the cafeteria, grabbed a couple coffees, and with some small talk, we learned we knew some of the same people. We get back to his office and sit down. He looks at my file, 'It says here you’re looking for [certain salary].' I said yes and explained it’s really close to market for someone with my skills and experience.
He looks at me and says, 'I don’t think you’re worth it.' I said, 'Excuse me?' He repeated it. I laughed, grabbed my bag, stood up, thanked him for his time, and walked out.The company went out of business like a year later, so I feel I dodged a bullet there." — weirdkid71
Dodged a bullet
"Once interviewed with a company here in Chicago for an engineering manager role. First part of the interview went well, then I met with a senior manager there, and he talked about the kind of [stuff] they did...
after a short time, it clicked with me: these [guys] are loan sharks.I thanked him for his time and told him that I wasn't interested in [screwing] over poor people, got up, and walked out the door.No thanks, I'm not going to help payday lenders get more customers." — absentmindedjwc
Raise Hell
"Interviewer: What would you do if an employee of 15 years asked for a raise?Me: I'd remind him that he already gets a yearly raise...Interviewer: I don't give out raises." — mtg-Moonkeeper
"Huh? No raises?I wonder what he wanted your answer to be." — Cleverusername531
"Huh? No raises?I wonder what he wanted your answer to be." — Cleverusername531
"Correct answer: crack the whip and remind the employee of their place. Followed by a stern 'don't you dare ask for more pay ever again or you'll see what happens.'" — Massive-Risk
No pay, no play
"I walked out of a second interview. The promised/advertised wage had been changed due to a recent budget change.
Was substantially lower than what was promised in the ad and in my first interview.It was for an Assistant Manager's role (pre-COVID) at a cinema.I thanked them for wasting my time and walked out and got a Five Guys." — detectivebabylegz
We don't negotiate
"I moved to a new city and tried finding a job in my preferred area. I went to an interview where I sat down with two well-polished ladies, who were the company owners. One of the women said, 'Glad you could make it! Now, before we really begin, I see where you were being paid X amount per hour at your last job.
I'm sorry, we can't afford to pay you that much.'I immediately smiled, stood right back up, and said, 'Thank you for not further wasting my time.' The shocked look on both their faces was priceless as I skedaddled on out of there. They were probably expecting negotiations, but honestly, any person who opens an interview with THAT kind of statement deserves a walkout." — thornyrosary
Pink slip
"Showed up and the woman at the front desk greeted me while I waited for the interview. I introduced myself and handed her my resume, waited. Once I got into the actual interview, I saw that she had taped a bright pink note to my resume that read, 'Has the personality of a rock.'How she determined that from our brief introductory exchange was beyond me at the time. The interviewer saw my facial expression when I saw the note.
I thanked him for his time and left.I later found out (a couple of years later, when I worked with a former employee of that firm) that the woman at the front desk was the boss's wife. She had made it known that she didn't want young (or thin, or single) women working in the office. LOL." — Aggravating-Lychee27
False advertising
"Job was advertised as a senior level Unix admin position, the same job I'm doing now for about 20 years. Showed up and was told in fact the job would start as an entry-level help desk job, with entry-level pay and that I could 'earn' my way up to being a sysadmin and work my way up the pay scale.
I got up and explained that I'd already 'earned' my way up to being a sysadmin and wished them a good day and walked out. They came out into the parking lot and asked why I was leaving. I explained that their job description was deceptive." — mysticalfruit
Salary dressing
"Refusal to discuss salary…this was interview #3" — Up-down-side2side
"From my end, that's an interview #1 thing, preferably even before the interview. I don't want to waste time if the range isn't going to fit...
"From my end, that's an interview #1 thing, preferably even before the interview. I don't want to waste time if the range isn't going to fit...
I don't need to drive an hour for something that is not in my range and they don't need to waste 15 minutes on someone who will decline if the salary range isn't right." — myopinionisshitiknow
Happy place
"I finished up four hours of interviews in their offices when I asked my final question to the three senior software engineers in front of me: 'Do you enjoy working here?'I was one of the three people they were looking for to replace them. They were unhappy.Of course, it wasn't just a yes or no answer each gave me and I wouldn't have let that suffice. We went over the pros and cons.
But all three of them were very eager to move out. Had I not asked the question that way, they might've told me the usual 'selling the company' spiel. Instead, I made it personal, and I got personal answers." — mahade
The recruiter
"I get dressed up all smart and drive an hour through traffic to go to the interview at their office... First question: 'What's your availability like if you were offered this role?' 'I'm starting a 3-month contract next week' 'Why have you come to interview for this permanent job then?' 'I haven't. I said I didn't want it, and the recruiter told me to come anyway because you use contractors too and are interested in using me in the future.' 'No, that's not true. We've never used contractors. We're looking for someone permanent to start as soon as possible.' 'Right.
Okay then, bye.'The contract role I'd already secured paid almost as much in three months as this job did in a year, but the recruiter thought if he could just trick me into going to the interview that maybe I'd change my mind and take his role instead." — geoffs3310
Interrogation, not interview
"It was a job below my current salary spectrum. I was kinda desperate. I had years of experience in that role.I attended many interviews in my life so I thought I knew what to expect. I also knew the money they were offering at this one which wasn't great. But hey. Let's try. The interview was the most intense I have ever encountered. I didn't like the interrogation style of it and its seriousness. Many tricky questions. Three people asked me a variety of questions in turn, follow-up questions, especially for someone who knows the role after years of doing it.
It seemed that I was applying for a CEO of all CEOs role.It was coming to 45 minutes when I just started laughing, shaking my head at the ridiculousness of this charade, and said I am sorry I can't do it. Got a job at my current salary rate soon after (elsewhere)." — Alarming_Program_243