Bad Interview Moments Forum

[SplitMyPants]

Interviewed at a firm with two associates. Upon their initial screening they invited the hiring partner in. He comes in with an obviously bad orange spray tan wearing a great big red truckers hat with "Make America Great Again" emblazoned upon it. I held it in. He met me with a handshake and in his thickest New York accent greeted me. I then lost all ability to stifle any sort of a laugh which caused one of the two associates to laugh uncontrollably.

This is an objectively GREAT interview moment.

Indeed! I didn't get a call back and the rest of the interview was insanely awkward with the laughing associate turning beet red trying not to laugh. She walked me out afterwards and I did get her number, so not a total waste.

so you mean, like, she gave you her business card like most interviewers...?

[Sgtpeppernyc]

Recent lateral interview. Interviewer's name was Mike - we were joking around, and I mentioned that people always get my name wrong in emails, and he goes "I know - people always call me Mark in emails, but I guess they're pretty similar." I wanted to reference him in a later interview, but after that story couldn't remember whether he was Mark or Mike. I rolled the dice. I rolled wrong.

[GreenEggs]

Before law school I was interviewing at a relatively elite non-profit consulting group and in the final round the managing director looked at my resume and saw that I was in a fraternity in UG. His first question was, "Do you support organizations that discriminate on the basis of gender for no real reason?" This went on for about thirty minutes before he moved on to something else.

Was told they would be letting people know in three weeks. I was dinged the next day. I took fraternity off my resume after that.

[Nekrowizard]

.

[smallfirmassociate]

Recent lateral interview. Interviewer's name was Mike - we were joking around, and I mentioned that people always get my name wrong in emails, and he goes "I know - people always call me Mark in emails, but I guess they're pretty similar." I wanted to reference him in a later interview, but after that story couldn't remember whether he was Mark or Mike. I rolled the dice. I rolled wrong.

"Yes, people always get my name wrong. No worries. According to your partner, people always mistake Mike and Mark as well, so I'm not alone."

Hindsight is 20/20. Good story. How did the person react?

[GreenEggs]

Before law school I was interviewing at a relatively elite non-profit consulting group and in the final round the managing director looked at my resume and saw that I was in a fraternity in UG. His first question was, "Do you support organizations that discriminate on the basis of gender for no real reason?" This went on for about thirty minutes before he moved on to something else.

Was told they would be letting people know in three weeks. I was dinged the next day. I took fraternity off my resume after that.

To be fair, it's also entirely possible he didn't want to hire rapists and the guy couldn't find a tactful to bring that up.

Don't really blame him on that one.

[Sgtpeppernyc]

Recent lateral interview. Interviewer's name was Mike - we were joking around, and I mentioned that people always get my name wrong in emails, and he goes "I know - people always call me Mark in emails, but I guess they're pretty similar." I wanted to reference him in a later interview, but after that story couldn't remember whether he was Mark or Mike. I rolled the dice. I rolled wrong.

"Yes, people always get my name wrong. No worries. According to your partner, people always mistake Mike and Mark as well, so I'm not alone."

Hindsight is 20/20. Good story. How did the person react?

"That's great. I'm going to start calling him Mark." I got the offer and am starting there next week.

[Rocío]

One time at an interview in Chicago, the interviewer asked me why Chicago. Somehow my response referred to "Ohio," and not Illinois or Chicago. Whoops! (Got a CB though)

At another interview, at the end of a callback interview (panel interview), one of the women actually refused to shake my hand. I just thought she was a bitch, but I heard from other people that she apparently was racist. (No offer, surprise surprise)

At another interview, I swore. The entire panel laughed. (Got a CB)

Affirmative action in action.

What do you mean by this?

I know this is an old thread but I just saw this when I was responding to a PM, and I feel the need to respond to this idiotically racist post about "affirmative action in action" by pointing out that I am the whitest person alive. I have blond hair and blue eyes. I speak Spanish, but only because I lived in Spain like a super privileged white person. So cheers motherfucker!

[Rocío]

One time at an interview in Chicago, the interviewer asked me why Chicago. Somehow my response referred to "Ohio," and not Illinois or Chicago. Whoops! (Got a CB though)

At another interview, at the end of a callback interview (panel interview), one of the women actually refused to shake my hand. I just thought she was a bitch, but I heard from other people that she apparently was racist. (No offer, surprise surprise)

At another interview, I swore. The entire panel laughed. (Got a CB)

Affirmative action in action.

What do you mean by this?

I know this is an old thread but I just saw this when I was responding to a PM, and I feel the need to respond to this idiotically racist post about "affirmative action in action" by pointing out that I am the whitest person alive. I have blond hair and blue eyes. I speak Spanish, but only because I lived in Spain like a super privileged white person. So cheers motherfucker!

Also congratulations on your Supreme Court loss Abigail Fisher! http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/15 ... 1_4g15.pdf

[kaysta]

One time at an interview in Chicago, the interviewer asked me why Chicago. Somehow my response referred to "Ohio," and not Illinois or Chicago. Whoops! (Got a CB though)

At another interview, at the end of a callback interview (panel interview), one of the women actually refused to shake my hand. I just thought she was a bitch, but I heard from other people that she apparently was racist. (No offer, surprise surprise)

At another interview, I swore. The entire panel laughed. (Got a CB)

Affirmative action in action.

What do you mean by this?

I know this is an old thread but I just saw this when I was responding to a PM, and I feel the need to respond to this idiotically racist post about "affirmative action in action" by pointing out that I am the whitest person alive. I have blond hair and blue eyes. I speak Spanish, but only because I lived in Spain like a super privileged white person. So cheers motherfucker!

1) Calling yr interviewer a "racist bitch" on the strength of what you've written here is not a good look for anyone, however blonde you may be;
2) your story as written makes no sense, esp. regarding the unspecified hearsay or gossip from "other people" that you reference;
3) confusing Ohio and Illinois is really fucking stupid;
4) though I wouldn't have tied it to affirmative action.

[El Pollito]

+1 to 1) of the above. that's kind of awful.

[cron1834]

If you're so blonde & blue, then how are you attributing the handshake thing to racism? I really don't follow what's going on here.

[rpupkin]

If you're so blonde & blue, then how are you attributing the handshake thing to racism? I really don't follow what's going on here.

I think I follow: Dumb + Mean-spirited + Confused + (Blond Hair + Blue Eyes) = Callback

[bern victim]

guess you guys haven't been following the news lately but we're in the midst of a white genocide in this country and reverse racism is the new norm. that's why the interviewer (who assuredly got her position through affirmative action) refused to shake OP's beautiful aryan hand

god bless & MAGA

[Bluem_11]

I have the fond memories during my CB of the managing partner going through my Facebook account while asking me questions related to law and/or what he was looking at. Good times. Nothing horrific was there, but that shits been locked up on super private since.

[hipcatdaddio]

I've only got two interview moments that really stand out.

1. CB at smaller market of V20 firm
Interviewer: So you clearly know why we picked you to call back, right?
Me: My strong passion for healthcare law, my competitive academic credentials, and the fact that I'm a local of this area?
Interviewer: No! It's because you went to X for undergrad! I also went to X for undergrad! Do you know how rare it is to meet somebody else in this area who went to X for undergrad?
Me: It must be pretty rare, because I didn't go to X for undergrad. I believe you're looking at another candidate's resume.

2. CB at regional firm in a different smaller market
Interviewer: So, I see you minored in English. What do you think of Chaucer?
Me: Typical response regarding Chaucer's work.
Interviewer: Milton?
Me: Typical response regarding Milton's work.
Interviewer: Faulkner?
Me: Typical response regarding Faulkner's work.
Interviewer: Jane Austen?
Me: I go on an absolute tear about how much I loathe Jane Austen and how I hate that all the action is in the dialogue and how she essentially wrote the same novel five different times, barely bothering to change the names of the characters, and that although it sends an important message about the role of women during this time period, I did not believe it was a story that needed repeating five different times and profited upon five different times.
Interviewer: I don't suppose it would change your opinion if I told you that I'm the president of X's chapter of the Jane Austen Society.
Me: Walks out of interview.

[Tanicius]

I've only got two interview moments that really stand out.

1. CB at smaller market of V20 firm
Interviewer: So you clearly know why we picked you to call back, right?
Me: My strong passion for healthcare law, my competitive academic credentials, and the fact that I'm a local of this area?
Interviewer: No! It's because you went to X for undergrad! I also went to X for undergrad! Do you know how rare it is to meet somebody else in this area who went to X for undergrad?
Me: It must be pretty rare, because I didn't go to X for undergrad. I believe you're looking at another candidate's resume.

2. CB at regional firm in a different smaller market
Interviewer: So, I see you minored in English. What do you think of Chaucer?
Me: Typical response regarding Chaucer's work.
Interviewer: Milton?
Me: Typical response regarding Milton's work.
Interviewer: Faulkner?
Me: Typical response regarding Faulkner's work.
Interviewer: Jane Austen?
Me: I go on an absolute tear about how much I loathe Jane Austen and how I hate that all the action is in the dialogue and how she essentially wrote the same novel five different times, barely bothering to change the names of the characters, and that although it sends an important message about the role of women during this time period, I did not believe it was a story that needed repeating five different times and profited upon five different times.
Interviewer: I don't suppose it would change your opinion if I told you that I'm the president of X's chapter of the Jane Austen Society.
Me: Walks out of interview.

Your second interview person sounds like someone with a sense of humor. I would have taken a stab at a joke like "Well look, this is private practice, and clients come first. If my client or boss likes Jane Austen, then so do I now."

[smallfirmassociate]

I've only got two interview moments that really stand out.

1. CB at smaller market of V20 firm
Interviewer: So you clearly know why we picked you to call back, right?
Me: My strong passion for healthcare law, my competitive academic credentials, and the fact that I'm a local of this area?
Interviewer: No! It's because you went to X for undergrad! I also went to X for undergrad! Do you know how rare it is to meet somebody else in this area who went to X for undergrad?
Me: It must be pretty rare, because I didn't go to X for undergrad. I believe you're looking at another candidate's resume.

2. CB at regional firm in a different smaller market
Interviewer: So, I see you minored in English. What do you think of Chaucer?
Me: Typical response regarding Chaucer's work.
Interviewer: Milton?
Me: Typical response regarding Milton's work.
Interviewer: Faulkner?
Me: Typical response regarding Faulkner's work.
Interviewer: Jane Austen?
Me: I go on an absolute tear about how much I loathe Jane Austen and how I hate that all the action is in the dialogue and how she essentially wrote the same novel five different times, barely bothering to change the names of the characters, and that although it sends an important message about the role of women during this time period, I did not believe it was a story that needed repeating five different times and profited upon five different times.
Interviewer: I don't suppose it would change your opinion if I told you that I'm the president of X's chapter of the Jane Austen Society.
Me: Walks out of interview.

Your second interview person sounds like someone with a sense of humor. I would have taken a stab at a joke like "Well look, this is private practice, and clients come first. If my client or boss likes Jane Austen, then so do I now."

"It wouldn't change my opinion, but it'd probably change my chances of getting this job."

See, now if only we could do interviews on internet forums, we'd all have witty on-the-spot responses.

[Anonymous User]

Are these stories about how horrible some of these associates/partners are in interviews typical? Great for the lulz but a lot of these seem really extreme. Or did the interview likely start very badly before progressing to the part that is story-worthy? Already worried enough about OCI lol.

[Tanicius]

Are these stories about how horrible some of these associates/partners are in interviews typical? Great for the lulz but a lot of these seem really extreme. Or did the interview likely start very badly before progressing to the part that is story-worthy? Already worried enough about OCI lol.

Some really are just inexplicably bad interviews because the partner or someone is an ass and just doesn't give a rip. Nothing you can really do about it. Just take comfort in knowing it's not most of them.

[yogotti]

So, if you are biglaw associate tasked with sitting in a room at Career Services interviewing law school douchetards for eight hours, where does that rank on the hierarchy of crappy things you have to do in biglaw?

[Tanicius]

So, if you are biglaw associate tasked with sitting in a room at Career Services interviewing law school douchetards for eight hours, where does that rank on the hierarchy of crappy things you have to do in biglaw?

It sounds pretty awesome, IMO. The sucky part is probably responding to emails in-between interviews.

[Anonymous User]

I have two, one is my friend's and one is mine.

Friends: Interview with USAO for 1L summer internship. Interview is going well...gets to ask questions. Asks "what does a typical day look like for interns?" Interviewer responds with "please tell your career services office to stop telling all their students to ask that question." She got the job.

This one is mine, and its pretty bad. Luckily I knew I didn't want to work there way before this happened. I was interviewing for a 1L SA diversity position. I am LGBT, wrote about being LGBT in my essay, and talked about how LGBT legal issues are what piqued my interest in the law.

Interviewer (who is LGBT himself): Oh, so have you been following Obergefell? (It had just been decided a few days prior.)
Me: No, I'm not familiar with that one. But I have been following etc etc etc

OF COURSE I KNEW THE CASE. I had read the opinion as soon as it came out. But I had never heard the case name pronounced out loud, and between that and my nerves it just did not click.

No CB, of course.

[AT9]

This was for a law school interview, but I called John Roberts "Justice Rogers" multiple times. I knew it sounded wrong, but just couldn't overcome the brain fart in the interview. Luckily still got in, and the interviewer was nice enough to not correct me.

[Anonymous User]

why did you go to law school?
Are you enjoying law school? What do you like/dislike about it?
What classes do you enjoy/dislike?
Do you feel you're getting a good legal education?
If you could go back and decide whether to go to law school again, would you do it?
Do you feel your GPA and/or class rank is representative of your legal abilities?
Why do you think you'd make a good lawyer?
What is your biggest weakness?
Do you like working on your own or on a team?

I googled 'oci questions' and got this lol. Would you guys say this is what I can expect? or is it more behavioral?