Worst job interview answers 25

[Bernoulli31]

Just wanted to share this..
We recently had a young grad in our office to interview for an entry level mechanical engineer position.

Q: What type of systems would you like to work on / are you interested in?
A: HVAC! I want to design HVAC systems. I have a passion for it and want to do pursue my career in HVAC.
Q: What does HVAC stand for?
A: Heating, Ventilation,.. and.. err.. hmmm... I forgot!

I design aqueducts in a parallel universe.

 

[WARose]

By the way.....forgot to mention this before.....just did bills for December. (Which means the money is finished going out for the year.) Looking back, I spent a little less than 28k this year. And that includes 2 vacations (that involved flying, hotels, etc) and the fact I eat out 5-6 times per week (and I'm not talking Burger King either). And no, my house isn't paid for.

So anyone who needs 70k+ a year to make it......needs to (like I said) re-think their spending or move to a different location. (Or both.)

 

[CWB1]

Sounds like your household expenses are somewhere in the bottom few percent of the US. Assuming mostly modest Applebees’ish eating out and cheap vacations you’re looking at ~$15k of restaurants and vacations alone. For those with one, average mortgage payment would eat up the rest of that $28k by itself, those without one still pay most of that in taxes and insurance alone, nvm other bills.

 

[swimfar]

I hate derailing this thread even further, but I feel I need to back up WARose.

I live in one of the most expensive areas of the country. My salary would be above average for my (low-mid)experience level in many non-coastal parts of the US, but still not completely unheard of. Despite that, I'm able to save over 40% of my gross income. I rarely eat out, but I do take vacations including at least one overseas trip each year. I'm never bored or lack money to do the things I want. I could save even more money in rent ($100's/month) if I moved <10 miles in any direction, but I like having a really short commute to work. I hear (single) people all the time talking about how you need to make at least 6 figures to barely scrape by where I live. They don't realize that they likely have neighbor families living literally a stone's throw away that live on a combined income of much less than that. I could almost retire without even moving just on the interest generated by one million dollars(@4%). Granted, if you're supporting two people, you'll need more money.

And if someone expects to have $2300/month mortgage payments throughout retirement, they bought way too big of a house (that comes out to a $420,000 house bought just before retirement with no equity. The actual average payment in the US is around $1100/month). I'm not saying that it's impossible to spend $70k/year, or even that you're financially irresponsible if that's what you're planning for (I'm sincerely not judging anyone's lifestyle), just that it is much higher than what is actually required to have a comfortable retirement.

 

[WARose]

Assuming mostly modest Applebees’ish eating out and cheap vacations you’re looking at ~$15k of restaurants and vacations alone.

Try 9k.

For those with one, average mortgage payment would eat up the rest of that $28k by itself, those without one still pay most of that in taxes and insurance alone, nvm other bills.

Imagine the situation without it....that what I was getting at.

 

[racookpe1978]

But be careful: Paid off the $1140.00/month mortgage in May this year. Then needed a 9800.00 roof replacement in August. 8<)

Have both cars paid off. Then needed a 1240.00 seat belt sensor replacement last week.

Your prudence is admirable - Keep it up.

 

[Terratek]

House payment is easily $1,000/month for most people. Taxes and insurance is a third to half of that. So, figure on $4,000/year on taxes and insurance each year, even if your house is paid off. Then, most people will have around $3-400/month in combined utilities (incl. cell phone), another $4,000/year. Food and house supplies probably around $300/month for retired couple, another $3,600/year. Eating out - at least $2,000/ year. Cars...well, this depends, but even if your car is paid off and you drive it to the dirt, you'll still need to replace it. Only the luckiest of people will pay anything less than about $5,000/year for all auto related costs (including the auto even if its paid off - you'll need to buy another one before you die unless you're already very old). So that is a total of $18,600 just to survive assuming a paid off mortgage, perfect health and no unexpected expenses. I'd say another good $30-50,000 per year on top of that would make for a life with some moderate travel, some modest toys and health. So, it doesn't seem unreasonable to expect to need about $50-70,000/year in today's dollars to have a decent retirement. But damn, how boring would it be to just sit around the house doing nothing just to save money? I had a boss that once said, "You're either making money or your spending it." This was what he would tell us when we wanted a day off, but he also knew we were money motivated. To a large degree, I've found him to be correct. Though the older I get, the easier it is to occupy myself around the house. Still, more than about a day without going out to do something leaves me a little stir crazy.

 

[MFJewell]

Looking back, I spent a little less than 28k this year.

Are you single? I spent about 2/3 that amount on my wife's graduate school tuition and my daughters' dance and gymnastics alone.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Pfft... my monthly property tax is in the $1k/month range. There goes nearly half of my $24k budget

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[lacajun]

I've heard similar to the extent that WM will come in and demand a 10% price reduction and you either figure it out, suck it up, or die.

WM isn't the only one that demands 10% reductions. One plant I worked in lived through that and it was rough. So, we put pressure on our suppliers to reduce their prices. Some did. Some didn't.

I appreciate all of the banter and ideas about income and wealth inequality. I read the Millionaire Next Door many years ago. When it comes to trusting the research of Nobel laureates in economics, Ivy League economists, Ivy League historians, the CBO, etc. or an engineer, or even a group of engineers, on income inequality and wealth inequality, you can guess whose research will take precedence in my mind. With all due respect to engineers of all types, there are very smart people in other walks of life.

I have lived my life debt free and very conservatively. I saved and could see a nice retirement on the horizon. Then I got laid off and it's been up and down ever since. Many things in life occur that are beyond our control and have substantial impacts, positive and negative. Ten years ago I would never have believed I would be where I am today. This is not the place to elaborate but it's not a good place to be, at my age. A lot of luck goes into everything in life, from my experience. I didn't hold that view three years ago. I certainly am a strong believer in it now. I don't think anyone has bragging rights about success without recognizing how much luck goes into life.

Experiences over the last few years have changed my mind on a range of topics and softened some of my previously harsh opinions. Many will not understand my journey until they have to walk it themselves. Even then, it's hard to comprehend. Ultimately, I wouldn't wish my experiences on anyone including those who hate me. It isn't easy but I keep putting one foot in front of the other and hope it all works out.

Analyze your position and all the steps you've taken that are right and realize there are others that pursued the same path but unforeseen events changed everything. No one has a crystal ball worth a plug nickel.

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC
NSPE-CO, Central Chapter
Dinner program:

http://nspe-co.org/events.php

 

[Sparweb]

Many people close to me are walking that same path. Good luck.

STF

 

[ash060]

Not disparaging anyone's remarks, but this is starting to seem alot like the telephone game in elementary school. When the teacher tells a student a secret and they pass it down the line and see what the last person in line thinks the original secret was.

First student: Funny and unusual interview answers?
Last student: How much is a typical monthly mortgage payment.

Interviewer: How would you calculate the moment on the wood joist?

Interviewee: Just take the shear and multiple it by the member depth.

The interviewee did not get hired.

 

[swimfar]

ash060, I like your gentile segue back to the original topic.

I went to a job interview for a smallish international company and everything went well. The offer was reasonable and the position seemed interesting, but I wasn't ready to decide that day so I told them I would think about it. As I was driving back to the airport I received a call from the head of the company and he just said that he would really like for me to join the team etc. I thanked him and (thought I) said that it sounds like a good position and I'll think about it. I received a call a few minutes later from the recruiter congratulating me on accepting the job. The guy from the company who called me was not a native-English speaker, and I think I was trying to be too kind in my response and he misinterpreted it as me accepting the job. So I had to make the awkward call back and explain that I didn't mean to accept the offer. And the story doesn't even have a "we can all laugh about it now" ending because I decided to turn it down to go back to school. This may sound like a humble-brag, but it really is by far the most embarrassing interview experience I've had and when I think about it I still feel a bit dumb for not choosing my words better.

 

[hawkaz]

Scholarship interview for a structural engineering society:

Question: What do you want to do when you graduate?
Answer: Become an Aerospace engineer in a different state

She told the truth- but didn't get the scholarship

 

[ornerynorsk]

"ash060, I like your gentile segue back to the original topic. "

swimfar, apologies in advance, I just had a good chuckle. Versus the Hebrew approach, presumably?

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

 

[lacajun]

"Because you haven't done Y in a few years, I don't think you're really interested in Y." After multiple layoffs in Y, it's perfectly acceptable to try something else for awhile. This was said to someone close to me recently and it upset me.

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC
NSPE-CO, Central Chapter
Dinner program:

http://nspe-co.org/events.php

 

[Gary_321]

Two interviews stick in my memory...

We were going through a redundancy phase and I was asked to be an interviewer for some practice interviews. The idea was to ask an opening question and "drill-down" from the answer. One candidate's interview went like something like this...

Me: Can you give an example of a decision you have made that affected others?
Interviewee: I don't make decisions, I'm only a clerk.

She answered every question with an "I'm only a clerk" answer.

Oh dear!!

The lady, who was in her fifties, had never taken an interview in her life and had been happy as a typist for 20 years, then her job was changed to being a filing clerk. She had no ambition, but was happy to turn up, be told what to do, and to go home to her successful knitting business where she made custom knitwear for cats. We didn't know about the knitting until the debrief.

After some coaching...

Me: Can you give an example of a decision you have made that affected others?
Interviewee: Yes, I run a knitwear business from home and ...

- Nailed it




The second was when I was interviewed for a promotion. On the training course, we were told that we had to ask the same opening questions to each candidate. I just imagined the look on the other candidate's faces if they were asked the same as my first technical question...

Interviewer: Can you give an example of an equipment database that you have designed and manage that is used throughout the company?

I was tempted to say "No", just to see the look on my boss's face, but I played the game and got the job .

 

[lacajun]

An old German interviewed me once and asked if I could work with anyone. I said yes. He then asked if I could work even with the French. Given WWII and his dim view of France that was a creepy question.

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC
NSPE-CO, Central Chapter
Dinner program:

http://nspe-co.org/events.php

 

[MadMango]

I once interviewed a candidate, we were looking for an engineer that was good with linear motion and controls. His resume indicated he designed a laser marking system with +/-.002" positional repeatability. When I asked him to describe his device he started using sounds effects.

"The laser unit would driven into position 'whirrrr' and stop based on a position sensor 'eeert'. The laser would then mark 'zzzzzat' the bags with a serial number."

He didn't get the job, but he was persistent. Continuing into the second month after the interview and our denial of a position with the company, he resorted to mass emails of his "updated" resume.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?

 

[swertel]

He didn't once mention a linear guide?

So in other words, he didn't design the laser marking system. He was on a team that designed it and he got their coffee for them.

--Scott
www.aerornd.com

 

[MacGyverS2000]

I'm cracking up right now, Mango, imagining this "kid" making his sound effects during the interview.

Did he even get into the details of HOW his system made positional repeatability, or even how he measured said accuracy/repeatability?

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com