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, he 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 attach © [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."