Bad Interview Moments Forum

[somewhatwayward]

Screener. Had just transferred from lower T1 with LSAT median around 163 to MVP. Interviewer says something that basically is like "haha now you can go around and tell people you got a 175 on your LSAT and no one will know you're lying." Dumb thing of him to say, and I think he realized as it came out of his mouth that he probably shouldn't say that. Stupid, stupid, stupid, I couldn't let it go. Should have just been like, "yeah, it's nice to be here" and moved on.

Instead, I blurted out "I got a 177."

Silence. Awkward silence.

No CB.

Are you Joefish? Cuz you sound like Joefish irl.......god were glad you transfered

LOL

[Anonymous User]

had an interview where the person couldn't seem to figure out what type of law the agency I interned at did. The type of law is in the name of the agency (and in my description on my resume). It's a well known federal agency.

[dreakol]

Screener. Had just transferred from lower T1 with LSAT median around 163 to MVP. Interviewer says something that basically is like "haha now you can go around and tell people you got a 175 on your LSAT and no one will know you're lying." Dumb thing of him to say, and I think he realized as it came out of his mouth that he probably shouldn't say that. Stupid, stupid, stupid, I couldn't let it go. Should have just been like, "yeah, it's nice to be here" and moved on.

Instead, I blurted out "I got a 177."

Silence. Awkward silence.

No CB.

Are you Joefish? Cuz you sound like Joefish irl.......god were glad you transfered

LOL

180 would read again. I also like how the poaster edited out the last part but it was already too late.

[Anonymous User]

I had an interview recently just with a junior associate who told me he only took this job because he needed any job. He made it seem like this was not a happy place to work and he certainly wasn't happy to be there. It was uncomfortable.

[sunynp]

A junior associate at my firm got in trouble ( ie called into the partners office and lectured to) for being honest about his evening and weekend hours in an interview.

If someone tells you the truth as they see it about a firm, don't out them to recruiting.

[Rocío]

This is from a post-college, pre-law school job interview, but is one of my favorites. My interviewer was a young woman, probably in her late twenties. She asks me about some of my jobs and internships on my resume. I interned for a city councillor for a couple summers in college, and she asks me: "So, I don't know if this is a stupid question, but what does a city councillor do?" I am silent because I am not quite sure what she is getting at. I respond, "what do you mean? As in, generally, what does a city councillor do?" My interviewer responds, "yeah, I mean, I just don't know what city council is. Can you explain it?"

I respond, "Um . . . So I guess think of the mayor of a city like he is the President of the United States. Then the city council would be like Congress, but on a city level. So the mayor is the city executive power, and city council is a city legislature." My interviewer says, "OK, thanks, I just was never really sure." I mutter, "yeah, it's confusing." Also, I was explaining this in the nicest most non-judgmental tone I could muster.

I received a rejection letter in the mail the next day, so she must have overnighted that shit.

[fatduck]

of course in a lot of cities the mayor sits on the council and has no formal veto power

[Rocío]

of course in a lot of cities the mayor sits on the council and has no formal veto power

Yeah, but this didn't really seem like the time to get into a nuanced discussion about it with her.

[fatduck]

of course in a lot of cities the mayor sits on the council and has no formal veto power

Yeah, but this didn't really seem like the time to get into a nuanced discussion about it with her.

true, a follow-up memo after the interview seems more appropriate in this situation

[Rocío]

of course in a lot of cities the mayor sits on the council and has no formal veto power

Yeah, but this didn't really seem like the time to get into a nuanced discussion about it with her.

true, a follow-up memo after the interview seems more appropriate in this situation

[Myself]

.

[Anonymous User]

A junior associate at my firm got in trouble ( ie called into the partners office and lectured to) for being honest about his evening and weekend hours in an interview.

If someone tells you the truth as they see it about a firm, don't out them to recruiting.

I wouldn't out him, but I wish he could have lied to me. I'm desperate for a job too, but I'd like to go into it with a good attitude and liking the firm rather than feeling apprehensive about life there but taking the job anyway because I have no other offers. Honesty only helps those who have other options.

[romothesavior]

A junior associate at my firm got in trouble ( ie called into the partners office and lectured to) for being honest about his evening and weekend hours in an interview.

If someone tells you the truth as they see it about a firm, don't out them to recruiting.

I wouldn't out him, but I wish he could have lied to me. I'm desperate for a job too, but I'd like to go into it with a good attitude and liking the firm rather than feeling apprehensive about life there but taking the job anyway because I have no other offers. Honesty only helps those who have other options.

You want him to just lie to you and sugar coat it? Tell you it's all gonna be okay and blabber on about how life at the firm is fun, when he knows full well that it isn't? Honestly, if you don't know that law firm work can be and often is miserable with long hours and weekend work, then it was probably good for you to hear this.

[TTH]

of course in a lot of cities the mayor sits on the council and has no formal veto power

Yeah, but this didn't really seem like the time to get into a nuanced discussion about it with her.

Yeah. The credited answer may have been "If you ask their constituents, they do as little as possible."

[RodneyBoonfield]

bump

[Anonymous User]

(Caveat: this is a funny and slightly awkward interview moment, not a bad interview moment.)

I'm at an CB dinner for firm X. Prior to the two associates arriving, I'm perusing the wine menu. The associates arrive, see me when the wine menu, and tell me to pick out two bottles, so I did. Later at dinner, the female associate talks about how she's going to be going to a different city fairly frequently, as her boyfriend is lateraling from a firm that she refused to name to a different firm in a different city (Boston). We pressed her on where the boyfriend worked now, but we couldn't get an answer.

The next day, I'm at a CB at firm Y. The regular interviews are over, and I'm about to head to lunch. A male associate, one of the two bringing me to lunch, meets me in a conference room. The conversation starts as follows.

Associate: So I heard you made some great wine selections last night.
Me: So I heard you're moving to Boston.

[09042014]

Sounds like they made a wise decision.

User has been outed and warned.

Yea. I should have lied on my NALP form to save that firm a few bucks. Career services recommended that I withdraw my application, since their offer to interview me only if someone else paid for it was clearly against NALP guidelines.

You're missing the point. You could have politely declined rather than laughed at the recruiter. The firm did something bad here and you managed to still come out of it not taking the higher ground.

Furthermore, if you didn't have an offer already, you gotta HUSTLE.

[Anonymous User]

Just had an interview with a small firm. When asked "Why didn't you bid on us at OCI?" I responded with: "Quite honestly, because I was overconfident about how OCI would go." It just kind of came out.

[Pokemon]

Just had an interview with a small firm. When asked "Why didn't you bid on us at OCI?" I responded with: "Quite honestly, because I was overconfident about how OCI would go." It just kind of came out.

[UnamSanctam]

Just had an interview with a small firm. When asked "Why didn't you bid on us at OCI?" I responded with: "Quite honestly, because I was overconfident about how OCI would go." It just kind of came out.

Your subconscious even gave you time to stop by qualifying it with "quite honestly."

[Gorki]

Just had an interview with a small firm. When asked "Why didn't you bid on us at OCI?" I responded with: "Quite honestly, because I was overconfident about how OCI would go." It just kind of came out.

IMO asking that Q at this point is just douchey... I mean, they know people still interviewing at this point are desperate, and that obviously OCI did not work out... Why even interview the person if you are going to ask that?? I mean, how many people are not giving an HR-game answer to that Q.

[glitter178]

Just had an interview with a small firm. When asked "Why didn't you bid on us at OCI?" I responded with: "Quite honestly, because I was overconfident about how OCI would go." It just kind of came out.

IMO asking that Q at this point is just douchey... I mean, they know people still interviewing at this point are desperate, and that obviously OCI did not work out... Why even interview the person if you are going to ask that?? I mean, how many people are not giving an HR-game answer to that Q.

At least one person, apparently.

[Anonymous User]

Just had an interview with a small firm. When asked "Why didn't you bid on us at OCI?" I responded with: "Quite honestly, because I was overconfident about how OCI would go." It just kind of came out.

This is just as bad as if you would have asked them "why are you still interviewing even though you came to campus during OCI?" Bad form on their part.

[Anonymous User]

This is just as bad as if you would have asked them "why are you still interviewing even though you came to campus during OCI?" Bad form on their part.

OP here, yeah the more I think about it, the more upset I am that they asked me the question. But still, I should have prepared a lie that would have been more PC--because, I am getting desperate at this point.

[TooOld4This]

Just had an interview with a small firm. When asked "Why didn't you bid on us at OCI?" I responded with: "Quite honestly, because I was overconfident about how OCI would go." It just kind of came out.

This is just as bad as if you would have asked them "why are you still interviewing even though you came to campus during OCI?" Bad form on their part.

Not bad form. An entirely predictable soft-ball question. It is designed, unfortunately for the person who posted this, to screen out exactly that sort of answer. One of the things law firms are looking for is good judgment. This type of situation comes up all the time in practice. You are often asked entirely obvious questions that are uncomfortable. The interviewer was looking for the prepared response -- the question was designed to see if you could anticipate the obvious. For people who miss the A+ answer (an obviously prepared answer delivered in an easy-going manner), the B+ answer is one that shows that the interviewee was caught off guard, but has good instincts and still answers with grace.

Sorry, OP. Learn from this one and move on. Everyone has a foot-in-mouth interview story.