Interview Stories: The Good, the Bad, and the Awkward

Most people view interviews as a cross between a trip to Disneyland and a visit to the dentist: They look forward to them and dread them.

That’s why of all the questions I’m asked, interviewing is the most frequent topic. While some people are great at interviewing, there are far too many who don’t know what to do. (And interviewers are not perfect either—we’ll address that in an upcoming column.)

In interviews, emotions—and the stakes—run high, which can set up a perfect storm of nervousness, fearfulness, and cluelessness.

From our interview “hall of shame,” here are some real gems. (And I want to hear from you. Whether you were the interviewer or the interviewee, please drop a message in the comments section with your good, bad, and awkward stories.)

Airing your dirty laundry. The job was for a compliance team at a large financial institution. As the manager explained that part of the role was detecting and preventing financial crimes such as money laundering, the candidate became very excited: “Oh, that is so interesting to me. I want to learn much more about money laundering.” The reason, he explained, was his father had operated a business for 20 years that allowed him to launder millions. Hoping she’d misheard him, the interviewer tried to clarify: “Do you mean your father was a victim of money laundering?” The candidate shook his head. “No, he is serving time…”

The benevolent dictator: An executive was asked during an interview to give an example of arriving at a decision collaboratively. Without missing a beat, the executive replied: “It’s simple. I go around the table and ask everyone for a ‘thumbs up’ or a ‘thumbs down.’ Before they vote, I tell them what I think. If it’s a thumbs down for me, I say so.” The interviewer paused. “Huh, how does that work out?” The executive gave a broad smile. “It’s amazing. Every time, we have complete alignment. Everybody agrees with me.” Needless to say, it was a unanimous “thumbs down” on hiring this executive.

Two scoops of over-confidence. A senior executive with a very impressive background was interviewing for a position at a well-known global company. He’d gone through multiple rounds and it looked like the offer was at hand. The last step was lunch with the CEO. Everything went great—until dessert. When the waiter set a dish of ice cream in front of the CEO, the candidate reached over with his spoon and dug right in. As for the job offer, let's just say, I hope that ice cream was worth the cost.

The latte that sank the job. A chief learning officer candidate had made it all the way to the final step—a meeting with the CEO. It was supposed to be just a formality before the offer. Except, the candidate showed up 20 minutes late for the interview—no apologies or explanation—with a fresh, hot cup of Starbucks. All through the interview, the CEO couldn’t stop noticing the venti cup marked with the person’s name and a smiley face—wondering how long they waited for that special order. When the recruiter followed up, the CEO was adamant. “No matter how good somebody’s qualifications, if they can’t manage their time and be respectful of others, they won’t be a good fit here.” The lesson: arrive early and replace the latte with a notepad.

Despite all the bad and awkward stories, though, there are good ones that really stand out—and not because someone was polished or gave that perfect answer. Inspiring stories can emerge out of being authentic, overcoming setbacks, and making a genuine connection—plus a little luck.

Lost keys, a borrowed suit, and a bicycle. A colleague shared this story from the earliest days of his career, when he had an on-campus interview with a large accounting firm. As he was getting dressed, he realized his suit was still in his car. Barefoot, wearing a dress shirt and shorts, he went outside—without all of his keys. Locked out of his apartment and his car—with the interview fast approaching—he desperately stopped a guy on the street he didn’t know who was about his size and asked to borrow a suit, tie, belt, and shoes. To top it off, he noticed the guy had a bicycle, which he rode four miles to the interview. When he showed up late, the interviewer was not amused—until he heard the story. Laughing, the interviewer said, “Anybody who could show that much creativity in the face of adversity is exactly the type of employee we’re looking for.” Authenticity and honesty are the best policy.  

Proving the doubting dad wrong. A young man, just out of college, was screened by a recruiter for a job at a biotech firm. When asked about his biggest success or contribution thus far, the candidate shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’m just average. That’s what my father always tells me. I’m only average.” It looked like he just blew the interview—except the recruiter was very touched by the young man’s painful honesty. “Listen, no one is average. We all have our own specific talents,” the recruiter told him. “You’re just starting out. Nobody expects you to have discovered a cure for cancer. So, take a deep breath, and let’s have a conversation.” The candidate did very well on the rest of the screening interview. When he met with the hiring manager, his confidence was high, and he aced the interview. When he landed the job, the recruiter recalled, she wished she could have called the young man’s father and told him just how exceptional his son was.

So, what’s the moral to all these stories? An interview is simply a conversation—not an interrogation. Prepare the stories you tell by video recording yourself. Speak in 20-second soundbites, focus on accomplishments not activity, and show why you want to work for this company. Use your A.C.T.—be authentic, make a connection, and give others a taste of who you are. But most of all, show that you’re a real person who connects with others.

And, I look forward to hearing your stories.

For more career advice, consider my new book Advance or check out Korn Ferry Advance.