//Good cop - bad cop interview//

[jerry_viscontelli]

Hi everybody,

I’m new to this forum and I have some answered doubts if I gave a good interview or not, subsequently, recently I had an interview with an aviation company and the person that invited me was a really nice man, all went OK till he called a woman to assist him, now once she entered and shook my hand she took a chair and started firing questions to try her best to screw me, honestly stupid questions, as example (related to this) if you sold clothes in a store do you know how many pallets enters in a big truck or a minibus and she said that this is how she knows if you have technical knowledge!!! I mean what???!!!
She began to take each word of the CV and analyze it and shoot heavy questions targeting internal stuff from other companies where I’ve worked, and extremely rude, I was bouncing with answers and as I know many languages she was changing continuously to try to catch me lying or something.
The other man he was looking helpless and try to calm the situation, nonetheless, she was extremely abusive, rude and I was wondering, was it all just a theatre, I mean good cop, bad cop so they can find out from me the internal stuff from the other companies in which I worked or was it just jealousy (as my CV is a with a lot of certificates and experience abroad) or racism or a plan to seek info….?
After she left the man that invited me said that I should not mind her and was asking me about my salary expectation and other details!!!, I’m confused, I mean does anybody understand what happened?
I was thinking, did I proceed good in staying and defending myself or should I have had to leave once she started her act?
I mean if they will call me I will not go even for 1.000.000 dollars if they offer! Would you go? So again the questions is if you see such interview that somebody jumps on your back from one side and the other side is on your side should you leave?


Thanks in advance for your answer

[Administrator]

Honestly it is their loss. I wouldn't want to work for them either. If they call you tell them why you don't want to work for their company and maybe next time this woman will not intimidate new candidates. I think you did the best you could.

[jerry_viscontelli]

many thanks for the response, yet, even now i have doubts, in these kind of situation should you just tell them that this is not the way to do the interview and leave or should you stay and bounce back, i mean i took me 1 hour and half to fight this crazy woman, and after she left the manager from the other department he apologised for her behaviour, i mean i feel relly bad that maybe i just should have left ! sould you leave an interview? or never leave?

[Tsveta]

If you feel uncomfortable you should excuse yourself and leave. I would leave... What's the point of staying there - they will obviously not going to hire you and you obviously wouldn't want to work for them. Better go out for a walk and enjoy the day and let the bitter people make someone else's life miserable :)

[RSTech]

I once left an interview but it was over the wage I expected. They asked what my expectation was and I told them. The 2 interviewers almost fell out of their chairs and said they can't pay that much. I explained to them it is the going rate for my profession and even pulled out the salary survey from my professional organization to prove it. They still insisted and so I politely excused myself. One interviewer was shocked and asked why I was leaving. I told them there is no point wasting my time and theirs. They asked if I would finish the interview. In turn I asked if they will reconsider the salary and they said no. Then I left, there was no point being there.

So I don't see any issue with leaving an interview. As far as this crazy lady goes, I wouldn't have put up with it. I have challenged interviewers questions in the past when the questions didn't make sense. I think some people let the power go to their head when interviewing and they lose their sense of decency and forget why they are there. Always remember, an interview is a 2-way thing. You are checking them out as much as they are checking you out. If you are not happy with the way they talk to you and conduct themselves in an interview then that speaks oodles about the company they are working for. After all, what kind of company has a crazy lady interviewing people? Its like they're saying keep away, go some where else. :)

[Mel]

I think in an ideal world, many people would say "What should I have done in that situation?".
Why not use it as a learning curve instead. Obviously she was there to see if she could intimidate you and gage your replies to her questions and attitude, but if your interviewer was looking helpless in the situation he obviously wasn't expecting her actions either.
Don't let one persons actions put you off your goals.
After going through probably your worst interview it can only get better. If you kept yourself calm throughout the process, perhaps you passed her test, and also kept your own integrity.
In future consider looking past an antagonistic person to someone more reasonable and ask calmly, "Is this how I should expect to be treated if I were to get employed by this company?" If their reply is non existant or suggests that, "Yes this is what to expect", do what has been suggested and stand, excuse yourself, thank them for their time and exit.
That way you can be proud of your actions and maybe they will question their own.

[move5]

I think she had already picked someone else to hire and she was just looking for a reason not to hire you.
Lots of places hold interviews because they have to even though they have already picked someone to hire.
You were in a lose-lose situation, leave and not get hired, stay and not get hired.