What's the craziest thing you ever said (or did) at an interview yet still got the job?
Answers
If this isn't the antithesis of everything I teach today, maybe it wouldn't be so hilariously funny. But, it is a true story.
I was contemplating moving to Tampa back in 1987 and set up 5 job interviews while I was visiting the area. The first interview was on a Saturday morning and I borrowed my friend's VW to get there. He had black mats on his floor which left ugly marks on my shoes, so I wore dark blue shoes to drive and threw my white shoes on the seat next to me to change into when I arrived.
I pulled into the parking lot, put my shoes on the floor and switched them out WHILE looking in the mirror and applying my lipstick. Got out of the car and headed inside.
The interviewer took me on a tour of his office and then we stopped in the conference room for the interview. I sat down, crossed my legs, and gasped -audibly- as a blue streak passed in front of my eyes. I looked down at my feet, as did he, and I saw one white shoe and one blue shoe.
I was HORRIFIED and he thought it was hilariously funny and told me I'd fit right in to his office. The funny thing is, if I hadn't gasped, he probably wouldn't have even noticed.
Anyway, he did offer me the job ... so the story ended well. I also learned my lesson about limiting my "multi-tasking" to more appropriate times and during less important things.
Sorry, need to be anonymous on this one. During one of the interviews I had to obtain my most recent position, I told the interviewer that I was perfect for the job because I knew what it took to work for a $1.5B in revenue company, which was one of the organization's stated growth strategies as they were $1.2B at the time. I then followed up with the fact that my prior employer that was also a $1.5B company, but that they approached that revenue level from the other direction having been a $2.8B company only a few years earlier, and that growing to $1.5B seemed to be more fun. I guess my interviewer appeciated my back handed sense of humor and ultimately offered me the position.