First Interview Just as Bad as the Second!

by RJ Green
(Philadelphia, PA)

While in college, I decided to take the advice of the guy I was dating (now my husband) and apply for work at his sister M's place of employment. The opening was for a paid internship at a marketing firm, and I was studying advertising so I thought that was close enough. Why not?

I'll tell you why not! Two women interviewed me separately. The first was to be my immediate supervisor, while the second was the company VP. Not one question pertained to my qualifications, though few at the time. Instead, I was bombarded with queries of M's love life! This occurred in both interviews! I was asked things like: "Is she still dating Mike?" "Were they ever really engaged?"

This was unprofessional and inappropriate to say the least. I didn't have the answers to those questions, but I was hired anyway.

I never informed M of my unusual interview; what I should have done was expressed my discomfort and passed on the offer. There should have been some system in place to ensure job interviews would be conducted with professionalism and tact. The actions of those women should have served as an indication of what was to come because I was miserable working there! Eventually, both women took another career path before I followed suit with my resignation five years later.