Bad Interview Moments Forum

[Anonymous User]

Received two offer letters from a firm. The first spelled my name wrong. The second is for another candidate who is living in a different city.

[Anonymous User]

Finding a grain of rice in my hair on the way home from a lunch interview

[Anonymous User]

Kind of absurd moment from the perspective of an interviewer happened recently. I was about to enter an office to interview a candidate when I saw he was on the phone. He did that thing where he raised one finger and proceeded to keep talking. I wandered off for a bit, and when I got back, he was gone. Turns out he'd received an offer from another firm and had accepted it on the spot and left.

[eyeofvigilence]

2L OCI. 3 person panel interviewer vs me. They do insurance defense exclusively and I gave no fucks. They ask if insurance litigation is something I would be interested in doing.

Of course not but I say, "Yea."

Didnt elaborate. Silence.

I dont remember the rest but that guy's "what the shit" face I still remember and lol.

I keep reading this and lol. Lol. Got me again.

[miro]

Kind of absurd moment from the perspective of an interviewer happened recently. I was about to enter an office to interview a candidate when I saw he was on the phone. He did that thing where he raised one finger and proceeded to keep talking. I wandered off for a bit, and when I got back, he was gone. Turns out he'd received an offer from another firm and had accepted it on the spot and left.

That's pretty rude IMO.

[Anonymous User]

Not sure how this ranks with the rest of the stories in here but here goes

First CB interview of the day, things are going great as we had spent nearly half the interview bonding on non-law stuff. We get to minute 30 and he had just finished answering my last question, so I give my usual "well that's all the questions I have right now, but if you have anymore for me I'm happy to answer." He goes, yes actually, tell me an interesting fact that isn't on your resume.

Now, I know that is a fairly typical question to ask and not out of left field, but I had yet to come across it a full month into the OCI process. So I start fumbling and inexplicably decide to share how at my all-boys high school we would try to one up each other at lunch every day eating disgusting concoctions of food or race to see who could eat the most food. Guess who was the undisputed champion of speed eating absurd amounts of spaghetti? This guy. Specifically because, as I decided to inform the partner, I can simply swallow huge amounts of spaghetti without chewing at all.

After realizing I was not getting a laugh, and that several minutes had passed, I just said "I have no idea why I shared that" with a thousand yard stare and he walked me to my next interview as I desperately tried to recover.

Offer remains to be seen.

[KMart]

Kind of absurd moment from the perspective of an interviewer happened recently. I was about to enter an office to interview a candidate when I saw he was on the phone. He did that thing where he raised one finger and proceeded to keep talking. I wandered off for a bit, and when I got back, he was gone. Turns out he'd received an offer from another firm and had accepted it on the spot and left.

That's pretty rude IMO.

He must have really hated his job to just go ahead and burn the bridge like that

[Anonymous User]

callback:

told an interviewer i wanted to do lit

then told him i thought civ pro was dry. he did not appreciate that and questioned why I wanted to do lit if i didn't like procedure. laughed at me.

ding next morning

[Hikikomorist]

Kind of absurd moment from the perspective of an interviewer happened recently. I was about to enter an office to interview a candidate when I saw he was on the phone. He did that thing where he raised one finger and proceeded to keep talking. I wandered off for a bit, and when I got back, he was gone. Turns out he'd received an offer from another firm and had accepted it on the spot and left.

That's pretty rude IMO.

He must have really hated his job to just go ahead and burn the bridge like that

Think it was the law student who got the offer from another firm.

[dcoppo01]

I had an interview with a medium-sized law firm in NJ that turned out not to be an interview at all...

The interview was set-up a month earlier so that it would occur over winter break. I was told to go to a specific office for an interview for a summer associate position at the firm's office in my hometown.

During the actual interview, the associate I spoke with made it clear that it was not an interview, merely an opportunity for me to "meet and ask questions" about the type of law the firm practices and for the firm to potentially consider me for employment two years down the road. Moreover, and stunningly, the associate told me that they had me interview at that office because the interviewing attorney at the office in my hometown called out sick that day. Mind you, this meeting was set-up a MONTH earlier.

Clearly, there was some sort of miscommunication. Needless to say, I did not work for that firm.

[fauxpsych]

Not sure how this ranks with the rest of the stories in here but here goes

First CB interview of the day, things are going great as we had spent nearly half the interview bonding on non-law stuff. We get to minute 30 and he had just finished answering my last question, so I give my usual "well that's all the questions I have right now, but if you have anymore for me I'm happy to answer." He goes, yes actually, tell me an interesting fact that isn't on your resume.

Now, I know that is a fairly typical question to ask and not out of left field, but I had yet to come across it a full month into the OCI process. So I start fumbling and inexplicably decide to share how at my all-boys high school we would try to one up each other at lunch every day eating disgusting concoctions of food or race to see who could eat the most food. Guess who was the undisputed champion of speed eating absurd amounts of spaghetti? This guy. Specifically because, as I decided to inform the partner, I can simply swallow huge amounts of spaghetti without chewing at all.

After realizing I was not getting a laugh, and that several minutes had passed, I just said "I have no idea why I shared that" with a thousand yard stare and he walked me to my next interview as I desperately tried to recover.

Offer remains to be seen.

Can this be the new Walleye BreadBasket Story?

[Auxilio]

Not sure how this ranks with the rest of the stories in here but here goes

First CB interview of the day, things are going great as we had spent nearly half the interview bonding on non-law stuff. We get to minute 30 and he had just finished answering my last question, so I give my usual "well that's all the questions I have right now, but if you have anymore for me I'm happy to answer." He goes, yes actually, tell me an interesting fact that isn't on your resume.

Now, I know that is a fairly typical question to ask and not out of left field, but I had yet to come across it a full month into the OCI process. So I start fumbling and inexplicably decide to share how at my all-boys high school we would try to one up each other at lunch every day eating disgusting concoctions of food or race to see who could eat the most food. Guess who was the undisputed champion of speed eating absurd amounts of spaghetti? This guy. Specifically because, as I decided to inform the partner, I can simply swallow huge amounts of spaghetti without chewing at all.

After realizing I was not getting a laugh, and that several minutes had passed, I just said "I have no idea why I shared that" with a thousand yard stare and he walked me to my next interview as I desperately tried to recover.

Offer remains to be seen.

Can this be the new Walleye BreadBasket Story?

I think it can supplement it in a thematic way but its not a replacement.

[hdunlop]

Not close. While not really a reasonable story to tell, it just kinda happened and plus it's kinda interesting and I feel more the interviewer who sucks. The walleye thing remains peak TLS.

[eyeofvigilence]

Not close. While not really a reasonable story to tell, it just kinda happened and plus it's kinda interesting and I feel more the interviewer who sucks. The walleye thing remains peak TLS.

Where can I read about the walleye thing?

[fauxpsych]

Not close. While not really a reasonable story to tell, it just kinda happened and plus it's kinda interesting and I feel more the interviewer who sucks. The walleye thing remains peak TLS.

I guess, is this 2016's Walleye story?

[Anonymous User]

How bad is it to not let a female interviewing atty off the elevator first? (I'm male). Was at a CB and realized after that when she was walking me to my next interview, I forgot to do this.

Are things like this actually focused on/realized? She was young, and people in their mid 20s are so far past that generation of doing things like that. Nowadays when a man does something like that it gets extra attention and praise because of the fact it's dead.

Thots?

[Hikikomorist]

Not close. While not really a reasonable story to tell, it just kinda happened and plus it's kinda interesting and I feel more the interviewer who sucks. The walleye thing remains peak TLS.

Also my takeaway.

[Anonymous User]

callback at NYC V20 firm, interviewer walks in 10 minutes late, says let me teach you about the deal I was working on this morning
proceeds to teach about corporate bonds and is testing me, get about the questions right, other half I have no idea what he's talking about, lasts for the full interview
interested in litigation; No offer

[fauxpsych]

callback at NYC V20 firm, interviewer walks in 10 minutes late, says let me teach you about the deal I was working on this morning
proceeds to teach about corporate bonds and is testing me, get about the questions right, other half I have no idea what he's talking about, lasts for the full interview
interested in litigation; No offer

Wasn't this in the pilot for "Suits"?

[barkschool]

callback at NYC V20 firm, interviewer walks in 10 minutes late, says let me teach you about the deal I was working on this morning
proceeds to teach about corporate bonds and is testing me, get about the questions right, other half I have no idea what he's talking about, lasts for the full interview
interested in litigation; No offer

Wasn't this in the pilot for "Suits"?

Drops suitcase full of weed, worst interview ever.

[Anonymous User]

Thought I would take a cab to my CB (NYC biglaw, mid-summer) to avoid sweating through my suit on the subway. Leave over 30 minutes ahead of time. (About 40 blocks and four avenues over from my apartment). 25 minutes later we've gone 20 blocks and are in wall to wall traffic. Get out and sprint the rest of the way in 90 degree heat. I am not in any shape to do this even without wearing a 100% wool suit.

Show up 5 minutes late drenched in sweat and breathless. First thing the HR person says to me is "you are a mess." Takes me to first interview with a practice group head who tells me the same thing and actually goes to get me some water and gives me a couple minutes to rest up before starting the interview.

Got an offer and still work there today.

[NoBladesNoBows]

Thought I would take a cab to my CB (NYC biglaw, mid-summer) to avoid sweating through my suit on the subway. Leave over 30 minutes ahead of time. (About 40 blocks and four avenues over from my apartment). 25 minutes later we've gone 20 blocks and are in wall to wall traffic. Get out and sprint the rest of the way in 90 degree heat. I am not in any shape to do this even without wearing a 100% wool suit.

Show up 5 minutes late drenched in sweat and breathless. First thing the HR person says to me is "you are a mess." Takes me to first interview with a practice group head who tells me the same thing and actually goes to get me some water and gives me a couple minutes to rest up before starting the interview.

Got an offer and still work there today.

Lol this is awesome, and also surprisingly hopeful.

[cannibal ox]

Tag.

[Tanicius]

Thought I would take a cab to my CB (NYC biglaw, mid-summer) to avoid sweating through my suit on the subway. Leave over 30 minutes ahead of time. (About 40 blocks and four avenues over from my apartment). 25 minutes later we've gone 20 blocks and are in wall to wall traffic. Get out and sprint the rest of the way in 90 degree heat. I am not in any shape to do this even without wearing a 100% wool suit.

Show up 5 minutes late drenched in sweat and breathless. First thing the HR person says to me is "you are a mess." Takes me to first interview with a practice group head who tells me the same thing and actually goes to get me some water and gives me a couple minutes to rest up before starting the interview.

Got an offer and still work there today.

Lol this is awesome, and also surprisingly hopeful.

He basically signaled that he will run up and down volcanoes to file that brief they want at 4:30 on a Friday.

[Anonymous User]

CB at a V100 law firm. I'm getting in the elevator with the three associates who are taking me to lunch when one of them asks, "So, who did you interview with today?" For some reason, I could only recall the name of my first interviewer, even though I had interviewed with four other partners, including the managing partner. Proceeded to describe them physically. My explanation was, "All these names and faces get so confusing during this process."


Got an offer.