>We've all been interviewed for jobs. And, we've
all spent
>most of those interviews thinking about what not
to do. Don't
>bite your nails. Don't fidget. Don't interrupt.
Don't belch.
>If we did any of the don'ts, we knew we'd
disqualify
>ourselves instantly. But some job applicants go
light
>years beyond this. We surveyed top personnel
executives of
>100 major American corporations and asked for
stories of
>unusual behavior by job applicants. The
lowlights:
>
>1. "... stretched out on the floor to fill out
the job
>application."
>
>2. "She wore a Walkman and said she could listen
to me and
>the music at the same time."
>
>3. "A balding candidate abruptly excused
himself. Returned to
>office a few minutes later, wearing a
hairpiece."
>
>4. "... asked to see interviewer's resume to see
if the
>personnel executive was qualified to judge the
candidate."
>
>5. "... announced she hadn't had lunch and
proceeded to eat a
>hamburger and french fries in the interviewer's
office -
>wiping the ketchup on her sleeve"
>
>6. "Stated that, if he were hired, he would
demonstrate his
>loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on
his
>forearm."
>
>7. "Interrupted to phone his therapist for
advice on
>answering specific interview questions."
>
>8. "When I asked him about his hobbies, he stood
up and
>started tap dancing around my office."
>
>9 . "At the end of the interview, while I stood
there
>dumbstruck, went through my purse, took out a
brush, brushed
>his hair, and left."
>
>10. "... pulled out a Polaroid camera and
snapped a flash
>picture of me. Said he collected photos of
everyone who
>interviewed him."
>
>11. "Said he wasn't interested because the
position paid too
>much."
>
>12. "While I was on a long-distance phone call,
the applicant
>took out a copy of Penthouse, and looked through
the photos
>only, stopping longest at the centerfold."
>
>13. "During the interview, an alarm clock went
off from the
>candidate's brief case. He took it out, shut it
off,
>apologized and said he had to leave for another
interview."
>
>14. "A telephone call came in for the job
applicant. It was
>from his wife. His side of the conversation went
like this:
>"'Which company? When do I start? What's the
salary?' I said,
>'I assume you're not interested in conducting
the interview
>any further.' He promptly responded, 'I am as
long as you'll
>pay me more.' I didn't hire him, but later found
out there
>was no other job offer. It was a scam to get a
higher offer."
>
>15. "His attache [case] opened when he picked it
up and the
>contents spilled, revealing ladies'
undergarments and
>assorted makeup and perfume."
>
>16. "Candidate said he really didn't want to get
a job, but
>the unemployment office needed proof that he was
looking for
>one."
>
>17. "... asked who the lovely babe was, pointing
to the
>picture on my desk. When I said it was my wife,
he asked if
>she was home now and wanted my phone number. I
called
>security."
>
>18. "Pointing to a black case he carried into my
office, he
>said that if he was not hired, the bomb would go
off.
>Disbelieving, I began to state why he would
never be hired
>and that I was going to call the police. He then
reached down
>to the case, flipped a switch and ran. No one
was injured,
>but I did need to get a new desk."