A Tale of 'Merica and Milk - I just walked out and abandoned a job interview. FML.

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it's basically perfect
 
I am just trying to show that I already had red flags and a bad feeling in my gut when I went up there to begin with. Then the actual experience soured me in a way and my previous feelings were "validated" which lead me to act how I did. No one is too busy to shake someones hand and tell them they are running behind. You can read the mans email back to me and get a good gauge of the type of person he is. I know people are looking at this like I am totally the problem... but if you look at the things he said and did you'll understand a lot better the situation I was put in.
I don't think I was totally right, but I don't think I was totally wrong either. It was the job of the receptionist to inform me of the interview process, yes.

Your pride and ego lost you that job. Feel good if you want, but you need them more than they need you.
 
Oh I know you did not say stuff like that, I was speaking in general. A few posters seem to delight in the fact he might have fucked himself over in a whole area because of this, and that's fucked up.

Don't take stock in the nihilistic views of a few posters.
Maybe he'll bounce back, but if I was gunning for an IT job where there are limited opportunities, I wouldn't be so quick to run out of a job interview like that.

I am just trying to show that I already had red flags and a bad feeling in my gut when I went up there to begin with. Then the actual experience soured me in a way and my previous feelings were "validated" which lead me to act how I did. No one is too busy to shake someones hand and tell them they are running behind. You can read the mans email back to me and get a good gauge of the type of person he is. I know people are looking at this like I am totally the problem... but if you look at the things he said and did you'll understand a lot better the situation I was put in.
I don't think I was totally right, but I don't think I was totally wrong either. It was the job of the receptionist to inform me of the interview process, yes.

You didn't give her a chance and asked her before you left.

I honestly feel the receptionist just didn't have time for this. She didn't offer coffee or water, but I could tell she was extremely behind what she was needing to do which is why I didn't really want to interrupt her to find out what the deal was.

Wait a minute... Didn't you say you were chit chatting with her?
 
I am just trying to show that I already had red flags and a bad feeling in my gut when I went up there to begin with. Then the actual experience soured me in a way and my previous feelings were "validated" which lead me to act how I did. No one is too busy to shake someones hand and tell them they are running behind. You can read the mans email back to me and get a good gauge of the type of person he is. I know people are looking at this like I am totally the problem... but if you look at the things he said and did you'll understand a lot better the situation I was put in.
I don't think I was totally right, but I don't think I was totally wrong either. It was the job of the receptionist to inform me of the interview process, yes.

Seek some medical help.
 
The interviewer peered through the one way mirror, a twisted smile forming on his gnarled face. "Yes..." he said, watching our valiant hero, "Wait just a bit more... more..." His sneer echoed through the dim halls. "I scheduled this for three," he continued to himself, "But I... I SHALL MAKE YOU WAIT UPWARDS OF AN HOUR YOU FOOL!" He threw his head backwards and laughed a laugh so dark and vile it curled the veneer on the window panes.

fucking lol
 
I am just trying to show that I already had red flags and a bad feeling in my gut when I went up there to begin with. Then the actual experience soured me in a way and my previous feelings were "validated" which lead me to act how I did. No one is too busy to shake someones hand and tell them they are running behind. You can read the mans email back to me and get a good gauge of the type of person he is. I know people are looking at this like I am totally the problem... but if you look at the things he said and did you'll understand a lot better the situation I was put in.
I don't think I was totally right, but I don't think I was totally wrong either. It was the job of the receptionist to inform me of the interview process, yes.

Your gut is not helping you, your gut I assume has steered you wrong in the past? Don't base shit like this off your gut. You invented a toxic scenario in your head and you found a few scraps of info to validate it. You could have invented a great, wonderful scenario in your head and assumed the best of everyone involved - and if you had you would probably just be leaving your interview right now, potentially hired to a potentially great job.

When you go out assuming that everyone is out to get you, or a piece of shit, you'll find plenty of things to validate that. But when you start actually fighting that terrible gut of yours, and really opening yourself to the possibility that hey, maybe a lukewarm first impression is the end all be all for major life decisions, I promise you that you'll have more success in your life. And probably get into fewer fights?

I don't know OP, do you get into fights a lot? From my impression of you it sounds like you do.
 
Thacker, go look in a mirror, square in your own eyes and apologize to yourself. Own this. You goofed.

Next time, ask more questions, be more patient, and reject the job offer if it comes and you're still not comfortable.

But seriously, own it. Stop making excuses. Stop justifying it. You goofed.
 
someone who has employment troubles couldn't hang on for 45 mins.
that 45 mins can make or break your career. why the fuck would you walk out of that? if that 45 mins can give you months and years of financial security, you won't take it? seriously.
 
I'm really not. I've never seen someone leave a company without warning unless something was going down, otherwise there's always a few weeks notice and hell, a good-bye party.
.

But can't you admit that there's even a slim possibility for other reasons? I've certainly seen people just up and quit ...
 
I didn't expect her to. I just found it odd she didn't. Literally every other place I've ever interviewed with this has happened. It just seems like a normal thing to do if there is going to be any sort of a wait involved.

This has got to be a troll. The post history, the avatar, the self entitlement. Goddamn...
 
I knew something was odd when I got contacted the morning after he posted the job. Honestly, any company in a hurry to hire like that is in a bind.... and is always short staffed. It's obvious that the two techs left without explanation otherwise this job would have been posted for two weeks, not waiting until the day the techs walked out to start the interview process.

Your stupid fucking ignorance is actually making me mad.
 
But can't you admit that there's even a slim possibility for other reasons? I've certainly seen people just up and quit ...

Of course I can, but if I were about to interview at a company and was told that two people (of 8) had quit unexpectedly just recently I would be very nervous about accepting a position there.
 
Well, any empathy I had for your "life sentence" story is out the window.
The interviewer peered through the one way mirror, a twisted smile forming on his gnarled face. "Yes..." he said, watching our valiant hero, "Wait just a bit more... more..." His sneer echoed through the dim halls. "I scheduled this for three," he continued to himself, "But I... I SHALL MAKE YOU WAIT UPWARDS OF AN HOUR YOU FOOL!" He threw his head backwards and laughed a laugh so dark and vile it curled the veneer on the window panes.
fantastic
 
Of course I can, but if I were about to interview at a company and was told that two people (of 8) had quit unexpectedly just recently I would be very nervous about accepting a position there.

Would you be nervous about interviewing?

There is a period in every interview when you get to ask a question. Seems like "hey, why'd those other two guys leave?" would be fitting.
 
He just replied guys

Hold on and I'll post a transcript.


edit:


"xxxx,

I was not running behind.

You simply do not understand our interview process and because of that you walked out on your interview before we got a chance to speak to you.

I did not expect, nor did I tell you that I would start talking to you at 3p. I expected you would arrive at 3p to start our interview process and you would stay until we finished.

We allow 30-45 minutes for the paperwork to be done before interviewing candidates.

It's great that you came in early and finished your paperwork quickly, but that did not change when we were expecting to bring you back for your in person interview.

It's disappointing and unprofessional that you chose to leave your interview early. When I came out to get you, xxxx said you just walked out.

Perhaps next time you should ask about the process before making so many assumptions and leaving in the middle of your interview in a huff.

Thanks for the feedback and for coming in.

Good luck in your job search,"

I can't believe after reading that email that you in any way think what you did was justified/right.

I am so glad he did not hire you, because you would've just proven yourself unworthy/messed up on the job anyways from the sound of things. Jeez man, come on...
 
your magnificence, my king, lord of the megalos
I didn't tell you that I love you today.

I didn't expect her to. I just found it odd she didn't. Literally every other place I've ever interviewed with this has happened. It just seems like a normal thing to do if there is going to be any sort of a wait involved.

I tend to agree, actually. Not about the water or coffee, but the fact that she should have known the wait would be awhile given how fast you finished the paperwork and how long it normally takes...she should have:

a.) Informed the boss as soon as you had finished your paperwork and exam that all of your stuff was done

b.) Made you aware of the impending wait.

To some degree, the receptionist is at fault for failing to communicate to you OR to the boss. But again, you could and should have communicated with her before doing something as rash as leaving.
 
Of course I can, but if I were about to interview at a company and was told that two people (of 8) had quit unexpectedly just recently I would be very nervous about accepting a position there.

Certainly, it is a red flag. It should make a person cautious for their face to face interview. But it shouldn't cause a person to walk out at their scheduled appointment time. One needs the face to face to judge whether the interviewer was likely the cause of the quits.
 
I knew something was odd when I got contacted the morning after he posted the job. Honestly, any company in a hurry to hire like that is in a bind.... and is always short staffed. It's obvious that the two techs left without explanation otherwise this job would have been posted for two weeks, not waiting until the day the techs walked out to start the interview process.

One hot summer's day a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. "Just the things to quench my thirst," quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: "I am sure they are sour."
 
yeah dude if you needed this job, you should have sat there and been patient. It may have been sketchy, dude may have been an asshole when you worked under him. But this is a seriously bad way to react. So much so that if I was a random employer looking to hire and read this about you, it'd probably negatively impact my feelings on potentially hiring you.

Fortunately it's just NeoGAF and you'll get other opportunities, but you really need to consider how bad you need the job. It's not like he was cursing you out, dude was just busy.
 
The interviewer peered through the one way mirror, a twisted smile forming on his gnarled face. "Yes..." he said, watching our valiant hero, "Wait just a bit more... more..." His sneer echoed through the dim halls. "I scheduled this for three," he continued to himself, "But I... I SHALL MAKE YOU WAIT UPWARDS OF AN HOUR YOU FOOL!" He threw his head backwards and laughed a laugh so dark and vile it curled the veneer on the window panes.

Lol, I honestly think this is what was going through Thacker's mind while he was waiting.

I mean, he could hear the guy making phonecalls for christ's sake! Is a phonecall more important than coming out to shake his hand?

It probably was
 
Thacker said:
He just replied guys

Hold on and I'll post a transcript.


edit:


"xxxx,

I was not running behind.

You simply do not understand our interview process and because of that you walked out on your interview before we got a chance to speak to you.

I did not expect, nor did I tell you that I would start talking to you at 3p. I expected you would arrive at 3p to start our interview process and you would stay until we finished.

We allow 30-45 minutes for the paperwork to be done before interviewing candidates.

It's great that you came in early and finished your paperwork quickly, but that did not change when we were expecting to bring you back for your in person interview.

It's disappointing and unprofessional that you chose to leave your interview early. When I came out to get you, xxxx said you just walked out.

Perhaps next time you should ask about the process before making so many assumptions and leaving in the middle of your interview in a huff.

Thanks for the feedback and for coming in.

Good luck in your job search,"

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I honestly feel the receptionist just didn't have time for this. She didn't offer coffee or water, but I could tell she was extremely behind what she was needing to do which is why I didn't really want to interrupt her to find out what the deal was.

Wow. How old are you?
 
I don't know OP. You would probably be the type of inflexible coworker or boss who is impatient and flips out at the slightest mistakes. We need less people like that in the industry. When you become more humble, professional and humane I wish you get your dream job.
 
Certainly, it is a red flag. It should make a person cautious for their face to face interview. But it shouldn't cause a person to walk out at their scheduled appointment time. One needs the face to face to judge whether the interviewer was likely the cause of the quits.

Further, I would ask directly in the interview what was going on with the staffing issues if it was a concern.
 
Don't sweat it, OP. Just learn from it and move on. Besides, that guy was probably not someone you'd want to work for if he's unable to manage his or your time.

No, sweat this OP. Not only did you tell off a guy with potentially dozens of managerial connections in the area, you put it in writing.


Seriously reassess your professional demeanor if you think this in any way acceptable, ever.
 
I like how so many people in this thread are calling being "put off by a surprising lack of etiquette" being entitled.

I like how you, the OP, and everyone who agrees with him all seem to be drawing conclusions from very little information.

It's a common thread.

The ones doing it second hand, from a conclusions jumper who is probably giving a biased portrayal are even more interesting.
 
I fully expected to fill out some sort of application. Hence why I arrived 15 minutes early to handle all of that AS TO NOT WASTE ANY EXTRA TIME THAT HE HAD SCHEDULED OUT OF RESPECT FOR HIM AND HIS BUSINESS.

Most employers that expect you to fill out paperwork, take tests, etc. will build that into the interview schedule. He expected your paperwork and tests to begin at the time he asked you to arrive.

You need to recognize the following as take-aways from this incident:

1) You should get rid of the pride to a reasonable extent. Don't be afraid to ask questions or cut the interviewer a bit of slack.
An acceptable period of time to wait for an interviewer where paperwork and tests are involved is 45-60 minutes. The interviewer isn't snubbing you by making you wait, he's simply scheduled other tasks to be completed while you're testing. If it seems like things are taking too long, you need to ask why.

B) Don't burn bridges that haven't even been finished.
This interviewer has likely labeled you as a flake, and with good reason. You flaked out in the middle of his process. Did he document and communicate the process properly? Maybe not -- but you admitted that you didn't ask. If you don't want people to flake out on you, don't flake out on them.

III) You are not special. You're not a beautiful and unique snowflake.
Your email reply to his "Where are you?" message betrayed more than a bit of self-importance. It betrayed that you believed your time to be more precious than his; that you believed your presumption of how the interview should go to be more important than the process that he set up and expected candidates to follow; that he was snubbing you by not greeting you or personally explaining the way he wanted to conduct the interview.

Let's look at Point III another way:

- He gave you a dedicated and substantial period of time to fill out paperwork and take his tests.
- He tasked his admin with assisting you in this process.
- He trusted his admin to represent his company by greeting you and taking care of you while he wrapped up other tasks.

You, an unemployed tech worker, are no more special than this business owner. He's recognized this on some level, as he's trusted his admin with some stuff that's pretty important to his business. He might have trusted you to take care of some stuff that's important to his business if you had stuck around a bit longer. He may not be that great a guy, or he could be the greatest man to walk this earth -- who knows? -- but he's doing something right, seeing as he's making enough money to pay a few people pretty well.

He also told you off in a diplomatic manner after you showed your ass. Maybe you should emulate his example.
 
The OP remimded me of a friend when he went to a job interview he asked:

"And what happens if i don't make the cut?"

And of course he didn't.
 
One hot summer's day a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. "Just the things to quench my thirst," quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: "I am sure they are sour."

This is the most elegant burn, pinkies up, motherfuckers.

Certainly, it is a red flag. It should make a person cautious for their face to face interview. But it shouldn't cause a person to walk out at their scheduled appointment time. One needs the face to face to judge whether the interviewer was likely the cause of the quits.

No I wouldn't leave, but I was responding to people giving me shit for saying I was assuming the worst and that people quit unexpectedly from companies all the time.
 
I like how so many people in this thread are calling being "put off by a surprising lack of etiquette" being entitled.

Well... yeah it is. It's feeling entitled to a particular form of etiquette. I mean I feel entitled to not get spit on when I meet a stranger, and if someone spit on me that would definitely be a surprising lack of etiquette. But that's not what this was, as much as Thatcher seems to feel like it was.

Sometimes people don't dot their i's and cross their t's - it could happen for all sorts of reasons, but it doesn't do you any good - especially in situations like Thatchers, to assume the worst. Sometimes you have to forgive people these little slip ups.

To me, the surprising part about all this is how absolutely prideful someone can feel, and how much some presume from tiny snippets of info.
 
Seriously, Thacker, how many years of experience are they looking for? Are they willing to train? Can you PM their webpage or something?
 
It's true that respect goes both ways and the employee shouldn't let the boss do as he pleases.

But in this case nobody was disrespectful, he was waiting for awhile sure but, according to the OP, he didn't ask why was the delay or anything. Waiting a little wouldn't hurt.

He is selling himself to the company and he needs them more that they need him so a little sacrifice would be appropriate.

If the boss insulted him or something I would understand but that wasn't the case. He was just busy or a little late.

This. You are going in to hope this company gives you money every two weeks in exchange for work. The OP knows how hard it is to find a job, and he knows that 2 people just left. So maybe the boss was short handed and crap was hitting the fan. To just walk out like that with zero explanation is completely bizarre, especially when he has been hoping to just get an interview.

I have been in a similar situation, I got to the interview and ended up waiting for about an hour after I was to be seen. I was sitting in a conference room alone, just waiting. Every now and then the admin would pop her head in to tell me it would be just a minute. It sucked, I was bored, I tried not to get upset because I needed the freaking job. The manager came in and apologized and we got along with it. After I got hired I found out there was an emergency that the group had to take care of and they didn't think it would take that long to fix it.

Look, you can call it disrespect or rude, but you have no idea what is going on with the other party. The OP didn't even ask a question, just walked out. It turns out if he had simply asked, maybe things would have been different. Either way, no job is perfect. Not many people go to work loving what they do. You work to live, so there is a necessary evil involved in the process. Working allows me to pay my mortgage, buy nice things, take trips, not worry about bills, etc. So if I had to sit with a receptionist for an hour before I got interviewed, so be it. Just to throw away an interview in THIS economy is pretty short-sided. But atleast the OP made a stand against disrespect!

I am speaking as a man who went through 6 months of unemployment and at times would have killed to just get an interview. To hear about someone who is unemployed just walking out because they had to wait is amazing. He may have hated the job, maybe it was an indication of things to come, whatever. He would have had an income while he was looking for something else. That is the bottom line.
 
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