By Jim Hagarty
I have been on a few job interviews in my life. Some went very well, some badly. My most memorable bad one occurred when I was offered the job but then told the interviewer I would need some time to think about it.
“What kind of guy interviews for a job he’s not sure he wants?” asked the ticked off interviewer, who subsequently hired me. Then fired me later.
But at least one job seeker in Kentucky seems to have gone about things in perhaps exactly the wrong way, though this is just an opinion.
A young man came into a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in a Lexington mall this week and asked for a job application. An interview was scheduled for 4:30 p.m. He showed up 10 minutes early which I would say shows initiative and interest. If I had been interviewing him, I would have been impressed.
But in the interview, the job seeker, in my view, made a critical error. If you are looking for work, you might want to avoid making this mistake.
Our young hero told the manager he had a gun and he was there to rob the place. When the manager informed him that he did not have access to the safe, the young man apologized and then got very upset and left.
Two mistakes: Don’t try to rob your prospective employer. That approach does not usually result in a good first impression. And don’t show too much emotion during the interview. You want to project stability.
The man left and apparently had better luck when he robbed a dollar store down the street and got some cash. He hid in the store and waited till it closed before demanding money from the clerk.
But still no job.
I have always found it is a mistake to hide in a place of business until after it is closed.
Above all, job interviewers do not seem to deal well with surprises.
