Bad Interview Moments Forum

[manofjustice]

Not quite a bad interview moment, but I was pretty sure at some point this past week at a callback that a senior associate at a V10 firm was hitting on me HARD. (I'm a relatively attractive and slightly effete gay boy...) I thought I was hallucinating at first, but there were too many suggestive sentences for it to be a coincidence: "So we're looking for a candidate who might be... *receptive* to our needs..." and "Are you a team player?" (asked with a mischievous grin)

Once I figured it out, I had to quickly acknowledge what he was saying with a straight face: "Yes, evidently I am receptive, and I am of course willing to do whatever might be required to fulfill expectations. If a partner -- or a senior associate -- has work needs, of course he should feel free to, you know, pull me aside into his office and give it to me. Anything I can do to be of service, I am of course willing to do -- I am a team player." And when leaving: "It would be my pleasure to work under you next summer." (My downward gaze flickers upwards to meet his only upon pronouncing the word "under")

Offer. What can I say? V10 is V10.

So you traded sexual favors for a job?

[RodneyBoonfield]

I'd like to work for them, but I'm reluctant to spend my own money on airfare for a screener...

So you already have an offer then since you are passing up an interview opportunity? An opportunity at a place you would want to work?

This is the only acceptable answer. Otherwise, TAspieM.

[3|ink]

Not quite a bad interview moment, but I was pretty sure at some point this past week at a callback that a senior associate at a V10 firm was hitting on me HARD. (I'm a relatively attractive and slightly effete gay boy...) I thought I was hallucinating at first, but there were too many suggestive sentences for it to be a coincidence: "So we're looking for a candidate who might be... *receptive* to our needs..." and "Are you a team player?" (asked with a mischievous grin)

Once I figured it out, I had to quickly acknowledge what he was saying with a straight face: "Yes, evidently I am receptive, and I am of course willing to do whatever might be required to fulfill expectations. If a partner -- or a senior associate -- has work needs, of course he should feel free to, you know, pull me aside into his office and give it to me. Anything I can do to be of service, I am of course willing to do -- I am a team player." And when leaving: "It would be my pleasure to work under you next summer." (My downward gaze flickers upwards to meet his only upon pronouncing the word "under")

Offer. What can I say? V10 is V10.

There's no way this happened.

[Icculus]

I'd like to work for them, but I'm reluctant to spend my own money on airfare for a screener...

So you already have an offer then since you are passing up an interview opportunity? An opportunity at a place you would want to work?

This is the only acceptable answer. Otherwise, TAspieM.

I don't get the logic of, "I don't want to spend a few hundred dollars for a chance at a job that will pay me hundreds of thousands of dollars."

The only interview I turned down last year was only after I got an offer from the firm I really wanted to work for. Otherwise you take any opportunity you have. If OP ends up striking out I would have no sympathy for him/her given this attitude.

[lolwat]

I'd like to work for them, but I'm reluctant to spend my own money on airfare for a screener...

So you already have an offer then since you are passing up an interview opportunity? An opportunity at a place you would want to work?

This is the only acceptable answer. Otherwise, TAspieM.

I don't get the logic of, "I don't want to spend a few hundred dollars for a chance at a job that will pay me hundreds of thousands of dollars."

The only interview I turned down last year was only after I got an offer from the firm I really wanted to work for. Otherwise you take any opportunity you have. If OP ends up striking out I would have no sympathy for him/her given this attitude.

Yeah this. A lot of firms (esp. if not in the market you're currently living in) do this in part because they just have a policy of it and in part because they want to make sure you're actually srs about working in their market. Plus, I've had these "screeners" actually turn into "hey, since you're coming over, let's have you meet with 10 partners." Pretty sure that's not a screener. Anyway, enough derailment of this thread, back to bad interview moments (of which I have none--not that my interviews went swimmingly well, but just nothing bad enough to post).

[Anonymous User]

At an NYC v100 callback, interviewing with a very accomplished partner. He was incredibly disheveled and sloppy looking, dress shirt half untucked and looking like he woke up in a gutter or on a park bench. He had half-full liquor bottles lining one wall of his office and a giant aquarium on the other side. He spent the entire interview VERY intently repairing a small piece of aquarium equipment while absent-mindedly telling me how things are done so much more intelligently where he used to work, at a V5.

[unc0mm0n1]

Not quite a bad interview moment, but I was pretty sure at some point this past week at a callback that a senior associate at a V10 firm was hitting on me HARD. (I'm a relatively attractive and slightly effete gay boy...) I thought I was hallucinating at first, but there were too many suggestive sentences for it to be a coincidence: "So we're looking for a candidate who might be... *receptive* to our needs..." and "Are you a team player?" (asked with a mischievous grin)

Once I figured it out, I had to quickly acknowledge what he was saying with a straight face: "Yes, evidently I am receptive, and I am of course willing to do whatever might be required to fulfill expectations. If a partner -- or a senior associate -- has work needs, of course he should feel free to, you know, pull me aside into his office and give it to me. Anything I can do to be of service, I am of course willing to do -- I am a team player." And when leaving: "It would be my pleasure to work under you next summer." (My downward gaze flickers upwards to meet his only upon pronouncing the word "under")

Offer. What can I say? V10 is V10.

There's no way this happened.

You've never flirted at a job interview? I haven't for a law firm interview but when I was younger an interviewing for a job I most definately flirted with a woman who would have been my supervisor. I got that job but I ended up joining the Army instead.

[Anonymous User]

At an NYC v100 callback, interviewing with a very accomplished partner. He was incredibly disheveled and sloppy looking, dress shirt half untucked and looking like he woke up in a gutter or on a park bench. He had half-full liquor bottles lining one wall of his office and a giant aquarium on the other side. He spent the entire interview VERY intently repairing a small piece of aquarium equipment while absent-mindedly telling me how things are done so much more intelligently where he used to work, at a V5.

This is hilarious. I almost choked on my muffin.

[Anonymous User]

Any of my friends will know me based on this comment, but that doesn't bother me.

My favorite thing to do is delete people from facebook on their birthdays. Basically, it's a nice little cleansing exercise that only takes five minutes a day. It helps keep my facebook limited to those people I consider my friends, or that I have actually spoken with in the past 4 years.

Well... I begin my callback with a V-25 firm and the interviewer asks me how I recognize the name of the person that I will be interviewing with later on in the day. I thought it was a trick question, and had this dazed and confused look on my face. He then explains that I used to be in Model United Nations at my undergrad with said associate that would be taking me to lunch to complete the interview process. I panic because I did not recognize the name and foresaw an inevitably awkward lunch playing itself out.

Luckily, I immediately recognized the guy when I finally saw his face as he came to the office to pick me up. Turns out he was a senior when I was a freshman, so I didn't find it terribly strange that I didn't recognize his name. So the lunch is going swimmingly - we are catching up on stories of old friends, J-date, etc. Then he looks at me and says - "So, I tried to check your facebook but I'm pretty sure you deleted me." I replied, "Wait, are you sure? Were we friends on Facebook?" Of course, he looks me right in the eyes and says "Yeah, we definitely were. You deleted me. I'm not sure why." I scramble again, and tell him I changed my name on facebook so that's why he couldn't find me. Later in the lunch he reminds me that the meal was indeed still part of the interview process.

All in all I don't think the facebook issue completely derailed the lunch, but it gave me a pretty solid laugh later in the night. I was told I would hear back in two weeks - will update with results.

Short Version: Don't ever preemptively delete anybody on facebook that may end up interviewing you someday for their job.

[Tanicius]

Any of my friends will know me based on this comment, but that doesn't bother me.

My favorite thing to do is delete people from facebook on their birthdays. Basically, it's a nice little cleansing exercise that only takes five minutes a day. It helps keep my facebook limited to those people I consider my friends, or that I have actually spoken with in the past 4 years.

Well... I begin my callback with a V-25 firm and the interviewer asks me how I recognize the name of the person that I will be interviewing with later on in the day. I thought it was a trick question, and had this dazed and confused look on my face. He then explains that I used to be in Model United Nations at my undergrad with said associate that would be taking me to lunch to complete the interview process. I panic because I did not recognize the name and foresaw an inevitably awkward lunch playing itself out.

Luckily, I immediately recognized the guy when I finally saw his face as he came to the office to pick me up. Turns out he was a senior when I was a freshman, so I didn't find it terribly strange that I didn't recognize his name. So the lunch is going swimmingly - we are catching up on stories of old friends, J-date, etc. Then he looks at me and says - "So, I tried to check your facebook but I'm pretty sure you deleted me." I replied, "Wait, are you sure? Were we friends on Facebook?" Of course, he looks me right in the eyes and says "Yeah, we definitely were. You deleted me. I'm not sure why." I scramble again, and tell him I changed my name on facebook so that's why he couldn't find me. Later in the lunch he reminds me that the meal was indeed still part of the interview process.

All in all I don't think the facebook issue completely derailed the lunch, but it gave me a pretty solid laugh later in the night. I was told I would hear back in two weeks - will update with results.

Short Version: Don't ever preemptively delete anybody on facebook that may end up interviewing you someday for their job.

Meh, bullshit reason to not hire someone IMO. If I was interviewing someone that deleted me as a friend on FB I'd laugh it off, not start a serious discussion about it. What a passive aggressive asshat.

[Jimbo_Jones]

Any of my friends will know me based on this comment, but that doesn't bother me.

My favorite thing to do is delete people from facebook on their birthdays. Basically, it's a nice little cleansing exercise that only takes five minutes a day. It helps keep my facebook limited to those people I consider my friends, or that I have actually spoken with in the past 4 years.

Well... I begin my callback with a V-25 firm and the interviewer asks me how I recognize the name of the person that I will be interviewing with later on in the day. I thought it was a trick question, and had this dazed and confused look on my face. He then explains that I used to be in Model United Nations at my undergrad with said associate that would be taking me to lunch to complete the interview process. I panic because I did not recognize the name and foresaw an inevitably awkward lunch playing itself out.

Luckily, I immediately recognized the guy when I finally saw his face as he came to the office to pick me up. Turns out he was a senior when I was a freshman, so I didn't find it terribly strange that I didn't recognize his name. So the lunch is going swimmingly - we are catching up on stories of old friends, J-date, etc. Then he looks at me and says - "So, I tried to check your facebook but I'm pretty sure you deleted me." I replied, "Wait, are you sure? Were we friends on Facebook?" Of course, he looks me right in the eyes and says "Yeah, we definitely were. You deleted me. I'm not sure why." I scramble again, and tell him I changed my name on facebook so that's why he couldn't find me. Later in the lunch he reminds me that the meal was indeed still part of the interview process.

All in all I don't think the facebook issue completely derailed the lunch, but it gave me a pretty solid laugh later in the night. I was told I would hear back in two weeks - will update with results.

Short Version: Don't ever preemptively delete anybody on facebook that may end up interviewing you someday for their job.

Meh, bullshit reason to not hire someone IMO. If I was interviewing someone that deleted me as a friend on FB I'd laugh it off, not start a serious discussion about it. What a passive aggressive asshat.

The real question is why did anon lie to the associate about removing him from his friend's list. Removing people that you rarely/never talk to seems like a perfectly acceptable reason. If I'm reading this correctly, he basically told the associate that he didn't delete the associate from his friend's list and instead changed his name on Facebook. So what's to stop the associate from searching for this guy on his Facebook friend's list only to find no one remotely close to his name. Additionally, what's to stop the associate from having a mutual friend look this guy up to see if his story checks out, only to be caught in the lie? Seems like a stupid way of throwing away a potential offer.

[Icculus]

Any of my friends will know me based on this comment, but that doesn't bother me.

My favorite thing to do is delete people from facebook on their birthdays. Basically, it's a nice little cleansing exercise that only takes five minutes a day. It helps keep my facebook limited to those people I consider my friends, or that I have actually spoken with in the past 4 years.

Well... I begin my callback with a V-25 firm and the interviewer asks me how I recognize the name of the person that I will be interviewing with later on in the day. I thought it was a trick question, and had this dazed and confused look on my face. He then explains that I used to be in Model United Nations at my undergrad with said associate that would be taking me to lunch to complete the interview process. I panic because I did not recognize the name and foresaw an inevitably awkward lunch playing itself out.

Luckily, I immediately recognized the guy when I finally saw his face as he came to the office to pick me up. Turns out he was a senior when I was a freshman, so I didn't find it terribly strange that I didn't recognize his name. So the lunch is going swimmingly - we are catching up on stories of old friends, J-date, etc. Then he looks at me and says - "So, I tried to check your facebook but I'm pretty sure you deleted me." I replied, "Wait, are you sure? Were we friends on Facebook?" Of course, he looks me right in the eyes and says "Yeah, we definitely were. You deleted me. I'm not sure why." I scramble again, and tell him I changed my name on facebook so that's why he couldn't find me. Later in the lunch he reminds me that the meal was indeed still part of the interview process.

All in all I don't think the facebook issue completely derailed the lunch, but it gave me a pretty solid laugh later in the night. I was told I would hear back in two weeks - will update with results.

Short Version: Don't ever preemptively delete anybody on facebook that may end up interviewing you someday for their job.

Meh, bullshit reason to not hire someone IMO. If I was interviewing someone that deleted me as a friend on FB I'd laugh it off, not start a serious discussion about it. What a passive aggressive asshat.

The real question is why did anon lie to the associate about removing him from his friend's list. Removing people that you rarely/never talk to seems like a perfectly acceptable reason. If I'm reading this correctly, he basically told the associate that he didn't delete the associate from his friend's list and instead changed his name on Facebook. So what's to stop the associate from searching for this guy on his Facebook friend's list only to find no one remotely close to his name. Additionally, what's to stop the associate from having a mutual friend look this guy up to see if his story checks out, only to be caught in the lie? Seems like a stupid way of throwing away a potential offer.

Agreed. The bigger issue is why lie?

[Anonymous User]

NY V10 Screener. Beginning of the interview.

Partner: Oh this is very interesting, it says on your resume that you worked on a memo about ______ last summer, I don't know what that is, can you tell me?

Me: ............. I...I'm sorry. I actually don't remember what that is either. Yea....it was so long ago.

Partner: Oh...awkward silence....I guess a year is a long time....soooo....what can I tell you about the firm?

Me:

(At the end) Partner: Thank you for your interest in the firm.

---
---

and...BOOM, callback same night. Could not believe it.

[BostonLove]

Any of my friends will know me based on this comment, but that doesn't bother me.

My favorite thing to do is delete people from facebook on their birthdays. Basically, it's a nice little cleansing exercise that only takes five minutes a day. It helps keep my facebook limited to those people I consider my friends, or that I have actually spoken with in the past 4 years.

Well... I begin my callback with a V-25 firm and the interviewer asks me how I recognize the name of the person that I will be interviewing with later on in the day. I thought it was a trick question, and had this dazed and confused look on my face. He then explains that I used to be in Model United Nations at my undergrad with said associate that would be taking me to lunch to complete the interview process. I panic because I did not recognize the name and foresaw an inevitably awkward lunch playing itself out.

Luckily, I immediately recognized the guy when I finally saw his face as he came to the office to pick me up. Turns out he was a senior when I was a freshman, so I didn't find it terribly strange that I didn't recognize his name. So the lunch is going swimmingly - we are catching up on stories of old friends, J-date, etc. Then he looks at me and says - "So, I tried to check your facebook but I'm pretty sure you deleted me." I replied, "Wait, are you sure? Were we friends on Facebook?" Of course, he looks me right in the eyes and says "Yeah, we definitely were. You deleted me. I'm not sure why." I scramble again, and tell him I changed my name on facebook so that's why he couldn't find me. Later in the lunch he reminds me that the meal was indeed still part of the interview process.

All in all I don't think the facebook issue completely derailed the lunch, but it gave me a pretty solid laugh later in the night. I was told I would hear back in two weeks - will update with results.

Short Version: Don't ever preemptively delete anybody on facebook that may end up interviewing you someday for their job.

Meh, bullshit reason to not hire someone IMO. If I was interviewing someone that deleted me as a friend on FB I'd laugh it off, not start a serious discussion about it. What a passive aggressive asshat.

The real question is why did anon lie to the associate about removing him from his friend's list. Removing people that you rarely/never talk to seems like a perfectly acceptable reason. If I'm reading this correctly, he basically told the associate that he didn't delete the associate from his friend's list and instead changed his name on Facebook. So what's to stop the associate from searching for this guy on his Facebook friend's list only to find no one remotely close to his name. Additionally, what's to stop the associate from having a mutual friend look this guy up to see if his story checks out, only to be caught in the lie? Seems like a stupid way of throwing away a potential offer.

Agreed. The bigger issue is why lie?

I would guess that it was in the awkwardness of the moment and not really thinking it through.

[Anonymous User]

Going out to lunch with some associates before the rest of my callback. The moment we step outside the building, *splat*, what looks like bird poop lands on my suit. I stop myself from blurting any expletives and look at the sky, like WHERE IS THIS BIRD. I don't see a bird that might threaten a second trip, so I grab a kleenex from my bag and manage to wipe it off. The associates are really nice about it. Associate 1 happened to get a drop on his suit as well.

Associates and I look around and see a big pattern of white splattering on the sidewalk. Associate 2 says, look at the sidewalk, there's no way that is a bird. We look up and see a big crane (construction type, not the bird.) Associates conclude it is not bird poop.

[brotherdarkness]

.

[Anonymous User]

Callback at large firm:

Me: How does the firm help you develop a book of business?
Associate: *in very depressed/bitter tone* They don't. I don't even bother to bring in business because the partners will just steal it away.
Me: ._.
Me: *looks at wall* ......so.....I see you have a family.


No offer.

[Anonymous User]

Associate: Oh who did you meet with before this?
Me:...ummm...I forgot.

Ten minutes later (after the guy telling me where he went to school about three times)

Me: Why were you attracted to this city? Did you go to law school here.
Associate: I went to X...as I said before...

Ten minutes later -

Me: A partner like you...
Associate: I'm an associate.

Got an offer three days later.

[Anonymous User]

I had "Civil War history" under interests

Partner- so what's your favorite war of the civil war?

[I knew she meant battle but I had to correct her anyway because I'm an idiot]

Me- do you mean battle?

Partner- [death stare] oh i guess battle would be the correct term yes what is your favorite battle?

haven't heard back.

[hephaestus]

I had "Civil War history" under interests

Partner- so what's your favorite war of the civil war?

[I knew she meant battle but I had to correct her anyway because I'm an idiot]

Me- do you mean battle?

Partner- [death stare] oh i guess battle would be the correct term yes what is your favorite battle?

haven't heard back.

This is legitimately hilarious.

[Anonymous User]

OCI screener:

Partner: [discussing collegiality of the firm] "yeah, it's like going to an all-boys school."
Me: [silent contemplation of my ovaries.]
Partner: [silence.]

no callback.

[Anonymous User]

Not technically an interview, but awkward as fuck: I was following up after a CB with thank-you notes. I was sleepy and had just gotten off the phone with my BF before writing the final note, to a male senior associate in my desired practice area. I wrote the usual blurb about how I really liked the firm, enjoyed our conversation about securities litigation, etc. and hit "send." I was just about to close out of my browser when I noticed the signature line on the email I'd just sent:

"Love,
[name]" (I'm a woman.)

I freaked out and ended up resending the same email with "sincerely" in the signature line instead, hoping that he would think they were just duplicates and delete the original one without looking at it. Never heard back from him. No offer.

[Anonymous User]

Me: [seeing science experiment looking contraption on table] What is this?
Partner who won a contraption-related products liability case before the Supreme Court: Well, I don't know if you've heard, but this is a case I took to the Supreme Court...
Me: ...

Later,

Partner: Why this firm?
Me: I really appreciate this firm's dedication to diversity. I'm LGBT, and I appreciate firm's blah blah blah.
Partner: Oh? I couldn't tell.
Me: [internal dialogue: ??? Does he mean I look obviously LGBT? Or that I really don't, and he's surprised? Either way, this is awkward, right? What should I say?] [Long, awkward silence] So, yeah, I appreciate the firm's dedication to diversity...

No offer.

[BFrankBYangC]

I had "Civil War history" under interests

Partner- so what's your favorite war of the civil war?

[I knew she meant battle but I had to correct her anyway because I'm an idiot]

Me- do you mean battle?

Partner- [death stare] oh i guess battle would be the correct term yes what is your favorite battle?

haven't heard back.

This is legitimately hilarious.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Not technically an interview, but awkward as fuck: I was following up after a CB with thank-you notes. I was sleepy and had just gotten off the phone with my BF before writing the final note, to a male senior associate in my desired practice area. I wrote the usual blurb about how I really liked the firm, enjoyed our conversation about securities litigation, etc. and hit "send." I was just about to close out of my browser when I noticed the signature line on the email I'd just sent:

"Love,
[name]" (I'm a woman.)

I freaked out and ended up resending the same email with "sincerely" in the signature line instead, hoping that he would think they were just duplicates and delete the original one without looking at it. Never heard back from him. No offer.