Funny Interviewing Experiences...

Hello there... Its thirteen minutes past seven and am at my work place, drained from work and taking interviews with nothing much to grin about (many people close to me tell me that otherwise too, I am always grumpy)... so its yet another boring day at work with new challenges and new thoughts but the same old grungy office and the same old faces...

But, ask me One good thing I love about my job, and that would be talking to new people - either in the form of a Potential Client or interviewing someone as my team-mate for Marketing.

I must have interviewed some 50 odd candidates for the position of Marketing and Strategy in these few weeks and I must tell you, it is a very tedious job and it often leaves me exasperated...

While some candidates are smart, witty and confident to speak to, there are the other bunch of people who don't really fare well in their interviews but are still remembered for their histrionics...

And I, for some damn reason, have borne witness to quite a bunch of characters like these...

I call recall the most funniest ones and would like to share it with you all too...

My team-mate and I once happened to visit this Management Institute in the Central part of Mumbai to recruit students for Marketing and though we never had a single select from there, we managed to gather quite a few laughs... Almost all the incumbents, had rehearsed answers, as if, they had been trained a night ago in answering the questions, it was funny to see each of them answer in not only the same words, but also the same intonation, gestures and expressions...Man, did we laugh our B***S out or What ?@?@??@#@?@?@?@?@
Also, when we asked them about their salary expectations, them being complete freshers, demanded a slightly overpriced amount (considering MBA to be the recent Fad), and when questioned on their credibility to earn the amount, they simply stated that since they spent a fortune to earn the degree, they would want a certain amount to fulfill the circle of ROI (Pretty honest these lads, I must say...but who would want to hire someone who doesn't think he/she is worthy to earn because THEY are skilled but because their supposed Degree cost them a Fortune...I mean seriously, what are we...an NGO????)

Well, there are quite a few funny ones but I somehow can't recollect them...maybe, I could put them up in my ensuing posts...but the one I am about to narrate to you is the funniest, I have ever come across...

We once had a 30 year old FRESHER, who never worked in his whole damn life, come to have himself interviewed for the post of Executive, Marketing.

He was well co-ordinated with his attire and appearance in place. The interview went on smoothly till I asked him why should the Company pay him the amount he quoted?? To which, this sweet, innocent 30 year old answered that the rental rates in his vicinity were of a certain amount and he would require the rest for his monthly grocery expense, with 4 movies in a theatre and 2 weekends of Clubbing or Beach-partying. (?@?#?@#?@?#?#?@?#@?#?@.... I mean clearly, I asked you WHY we should pay you in terms of your WORK and NOT your bloody grocery and party expenses)... All my colleagues left their desks and came to the interview cabin because they wanted to have a glimpse of this funny character...Jeez, I didn't know what to ask him next, I thought maybe he was a little nervous so I asked him questions that would ease him, so I asked him of his leisure activities, to which the Man replies that he loves watching movies, I say Great...which was the latest one you managed to catch and he goes...Ohh, I saw "The Sixth Sense"...I say, Great that is an interesting choice, what is the name of the Director??? He says, " Shyam Benegal.".... I go @)(#U*(@U(*@#*(@Y#U(@U#(*@U#(*@U#(@ (Hey Relax...in my mind, obviously)... Now, for the all the ones who don't know.. the director of Sixth Sense, The Village, Unbreakable and some other notable movies is M Night Shyamalan...whereas Shyam Benegal is a renowned Hindi Movie Director (Its not that I love both of them, but when you watch a movie as famous as The Sixth Sense, you need to know WHO made it)... Anyway, I had turned RED (with ANGER) by the end of this howlarious session and I decided to put this torment to an end, so I say... "Thanks a ton, I will ask my HR Manager to revert to you with my feedback...to which the 30 year old Man says, "I would prefer to have a call than an e-mail, I love the personal effect you know, and besides, you are the one who interviewed me and I liked you a lot, so is it OK if ONLY YOU call me, say maybe, 9 at night and then we can have a chat?" God alone knows, how I managed to control my anger, but I just said, I would try my level-best to personally call him and let him know of his status... My Manager, colleagues and everyone else were so stunned by that, we were just sitting silently for 2 minutes and then everyone burst out laughing...Man, was that funny or what???

Hmm...hey...I have another candidate come in for an interview, so I will have to cut this post short...(well it isnt that short actually)...

More from me after some more hillarious experiences...

Till then...

Lotsa Potsa Love,
Mitchelle.