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I once walked out during induction for a new job.
It was during the biggest wave of covid my country was seeing. I was in a tiny room, no windows with 25+ people.
I was the only one wearing a facemask. It was a very low paid admin job and l was being introduced to the members of staff whose job was canvassing selling funerary insurance to old people.
I got up told them this was clearly not the right fit for me and left the building
You should always have the right to leave if you want to for any reason, of course.
But at the same time, giving up at the slightest bit of adversity isn't a good way to go about life.
Additionally, it doesn't work to improve anybody's behavior. If somebody is deliberately acting like a jerk towards you for some kind of interview mind game, call him out rather than just hanging up!
I am just speaking to following your instincts. You should always trust your gut and not be worried about some made man rules of obligatory politeness.
Absolutely! There is nothing wrong with coming right out and saying "Mr. Or Ms. Smith, I apologize for interrupting but frankly speaking, I do not feel this position is a good fit for me. I apologize for taking up your time and hope you find someone soon. I appreciate the opportunity for this interview but to continue any further would not be fair to either one of us. I hope you can forgive me for me for using up the time that could have been better spent with another candidate..." or something along those lines. I dont see it as being rude at all and if I were an employer. I would prefer someone not make me go though the entire interview where the only interest they have is not offending me. Please.. not getting up and leaving would upset me. That's my nice opinion but honestly I am not aware of any rule etiquette that states or implies ending an interview early and excusing yourself is a no-no. The only thing expected of anyone during an interview is to be polite and respectful. Apologizing briefly shows respect for their time and being honest with a truthful explanation shows professional character in my opinion. Doing things just to be nice happens far more than what people are aware of. I am all about efficiency...my time is money. 8f an employer csnt respect tha5 or understand it, I would really question how they ever got to be in managerial position. I cannot think of one type of business where efficiency in some form is not relevant to a company's productivity and profit margin. Ten, twenty, or however long the interview is cut short by is 10, 20, or however many minutes that could be spent working on something else that needs to be done. Any employer that gets upset with an interviewee that does this does not have the company's best ibterests as a priority because being upset over this suggests a personallly perceived insult . Intervirlews take place on company time and the applicant's personal time, not the personal time of the person conducting the interview!!
It is absolutely ok to end an interview if you don't feel like you align with the company or the team. I have done this before. Be sure to know the difference though between just being nervous or anxious and other red flags. You can politely explain that you don't feel the role is a good fit for your career goals and you'd like to give the team back their time. It's courteous and straightforward.
A personality clash is something you just feel at a primal level. I had an interview once that lasted 15 minutes, me and the interviewer (who would’ve been my manager) were like oil and water. The least surprising rejection I’ve received.
I sensed this in the Teams meeting prior to the in-person meeting, the hiring manager took issue with some of my answers and was really concerned about how I'll fit in with their culture. Sometimes it just doesn't work out. Good thing we figured this out in the interview.
"I'm sorry but I don't think this role is going to be a good fit for me. How about we give both ourselves back the rest of the hour and end this interview early."
I had this exact same thing earlier this week. Had a video interview and the VP was arrogant and condescending towards everything I said right off the rip. Should have just ended the interview myself.
Sure!
I had four interviews with a company and then a final one with the Executive VP. We get 30 minutes into the interview and he notices that I don't have an engineering degree, position was for an Account Executive role, not and Engineer or Sales Engineer. Their product wasn't overly complex. I said I guess we're done here and picked up my stuff and walked out. A few years later I saw that they had filed for bankruptcy and are no longer in business. I dodged a bullet.
Years ago I was called in for an in-person interview at a company. I walked in and I immediately felt off. It felt like boredom and purgatory. The guy who was supposed to hire me wasn't there so his personal secretary had me read a bunch of things about the company and awkwardly asked me questions that didn't make any sense.
But I waited.
The man came in half an hour later and went into his cabin. He called his secretary in and she stepped out and told me I could go inside for the interview. I gave her my brightest smile and went: I am sorry but I just can't see myself working here. This is disrespectful and awful. All the best.
I waved at the guy (who could see me because of the glass walls) and walked out.
I cried once I left but it felt so empowering. I highly encourage leaving once your gut starts screaming.
Yes. I did, after the interviewer insulted me (specifically: -name-, you're pretty sharp. So why did you waste 6 years in the military ....)
At the time, I had left Active Duty less than 2 years prior, and was still a Reservist.
I just stood up, left, and walked out. The interviewer's manager was just outside (he was next up), and asked me what happened. I suggested he ask his employee, and handed him my Visitor badge.
Manager called me later that day, offering the job. I asked if the interviewer still worked there. He told me that yes, he was
I declined the offer.
I once quit a job for disrespect to the service. The manager had her own little fiefdom - a satellite office - in which she felt justified in behaving any way she liked. One day about 6 months in, she saluted me in a super sarcastic manner. I was very clear with her that if she ever did any such thing again, I would "collect my hat, coat and gloves and walk straight out the door". She did it again several weeks later and without a word, I collected my hat, coat and gloves and walked right out.
Boundaries, man. Respect. I don't tolerate BS.
Ok, you just hit a minor pet peeve of mine. The now semi-obligatory 'thank you for your service'
I'm old enough to remember the Draft, it ended when I was 14. For the most part, nearly every able-bodied male served.
I went in for several reasons.
1. Family tradition: the men in my family **always** stood their term of service, all the way back to the American Revolution.
2. They paid for college. Yes, I was an ROTC Scholarship Cadet. They paid for four years of school, I paid them back with 5 years service as a Junior Officer.
3. See the world, learn to fly, fly hot jets. I got 2 out of three: they assigned me to B-52s 😎.
Bottom line: I got as much back as I gave. And I would have done my time 'on the ramparts' anyway....😁
I feel the same about my service and initially felt awkward about being thanked, but I came to realize it's a courtesy that makes people feel good to say. It's a little gift. So I acknowledge it with a "thank you for your support" and move on now.
A gift accepted honors both the giver and the receiver.
Couldn't serve due to unexpected health concerns that popped up late in my teens. I will always thank the men and women who were able to go and serve in my place.
It bothers you to be told that? I truly mean it when I say it to: military, fire fighters, nurses, even police, etc.
However, I guess I can see it can come off as the overly used "thoughts and prayers" after a mass shooting.
First of all, just wanted to say that you didn’t deserve that.
Definitely dodged a major bullet. You’re allowed to cut the interview short especially if you don’t feel comfortable.
It is absolutely fine to cut an interview short if you feel the company is not a good fit for you.
Don't worry about their feelings. Just say , "I don't think this will be a good fit for me. I am thinking there is no point continuing with this interview, it is going to be a 'No' from me and I don't want to waste your time and mine."
EDIT: I did this in an interview a few months ago, when they described the role in more detail than on the JD I said, "With this information I am not sure this role is the right fit for me." The interviewer said that he was thinking the same, we then shared pleasantries and were done in a few minutes.
I had an interview about 10 years ago for a webdev job with a company who specialised in "High performance computing" or supercomputers as they used to be known. I was going to be their first ever front end dev.
The guy said something along the lines of, "We understand you might want to use a library called jQuery. How would you go about re-writing it to optimise it?". My reply was, "I don't think I could do a better job than the developers. In fact, I would almost certainly make it far, far worse." He got all snippy talking about they would require massive speed increases for performance for their applications.
I stood up and said, "You really don't understand how front end, back end or web applications in general work. Can you please show me out?"
Best interview I ever had.
It was rude, they also asked me to read about 'radical candor' and 'ruinous empathy' prior to the interview. Turns out the hiring manger used 'obnoxious aggression.'
This happened to me last time. I immediately got the feeling a few minutes into the interview that it just wasn’t the right fit/ the role wasn’t what I had really expected- it was advertised to be more clinical and it turned out to be in more of a rehab/ recovery setting ( I used to work ICU so I prefer inpatient). When she asked if I wanted to tour the office I just said yes out of instinct but that should’ve been my out. I went along for another 30 mins or so meeting staff/ doctors 😵💫. I emailed hr and the manager a few hours later letting them know I was dropping out/ it just wasn’t a right fit for me & apologized for any time wasted. It happens
It sure is OK. Hiring is a mutual decision; if the employer can cut an interview short, then so can you.
Stop treating employers as if you're beneath them. (Not just admonishing you but hoping that we all hold onto our dignity for the sake of a well-functioning job market. Groveling does none of us any good.)
I had an interview a few months ago where I knew I didn't want the job and wasn't a good fit five minutes in, but I stayed for the interview, did the shadowing part they required, and then at the end I told the last woman I talked to that it wasn't a good fit and left. I probably could have left sooner, but I wanted to give it a shot.
I did that once. An interview started off horribly when the hiring manager made a quip about having to “go through the motions” by interviewing me. He and another in the room made several references to having to interview multiple candidates due to protocol. They made it clear to me they weren’t going to hire me. About ten minutes in one asked where I wanted to see myself in a few years: I took the bait and said not working for your company but I appreciated their time and that I’d show myself out. They looked astonished and just sat there as I walked out. The better part is was that I wound up working with the hiring manager of that company a few years later somewhere else. He commended me for having the guts to do that and said I was much better not working there. He said they laughed about that at every interview they did until he left.
Don't stick around with people who make you uncomfortable while you're interviewing.
Excuse yourself however you need to, and leave immediately. You will sometimes have a situation where some of the people who make hiring decisions may like you, but others that you may be working under may not want you for their own reasons. Interviewing is actually a two way street. You're not just trying to convince them that you're a good fit for their company, you're also deciding if they're a good fit to work for. If your instincts tell you to that working for this company is a bad idea, end the interview and leave.
In general I would say yes - but it’s circumstance specific & it depends how you do it. We can all misread situations assuming something that might not be & having the maturity confidence & integrity to deal with that is a good thing but it may not be there at both sides of the table & that’s when it gets strained & you may be better going through the motions to the natural end.
I should have done this when I realized I we wouldn’t be a good fit for each other.
Instead I remained for the rest of the interview to be polite, but also for the interview experience itself.
In the end, they ghosted me anyway so why the hell was I being polite?
At least the hiring manager told you up front they're not moving forward. Better that than they lead you on with "we'll get back to you within a few days" then get ghosted and get an automated rejection letter a 3 months later when they finally close the req.
"Let me just stop you right there. Based on this interview, I am no longer interested in this position and dont feel i would be a good cultural fit. I appreciate your time. Have a good day"
No without saying something. You can always politely say you don’t feel that your are good fit for the role and thank them for their time. Probably better to just wait though.
I did that when they tried the bait and switch on the position I was interviewing for. The fact that he got so rude when I called him out made it so easy to walk out. I literally just stood and walked out without another word.
When it's your turn to talk, say, "I don't feel like this is a good fit. Thank you for your time." Time is valuable, and ending it early is fine as long as it's done professionally.
You have every right to evaluate the company and interviewer in the same way that they evaluate you. If you have a bad feeling in the first few moments due to their overall presentation, then respect yourself and end the interview early.
Yes it's definitely acceptable. If you feel the interviewer is either unprepared or asking intentionally unrelated questions just to pinpoint your "weaknesses" - I don't see any reason why you should not thank for the opportunity and end the interview sooner than it was scheduled.
There are people who would tell you "they may be testing your patience or how much you can handle if things don't turn out how it was supposed to" but in my opinion it's already a red flag if they are testing whether you can withstand bullcrap or not. Just my 2 cents :).
As a SW Dev - especially lately - I stumbled upon really bad interviews with interviewers who were massively unprepared or were asking deeper and more thorough questions when they saw I know the answer.
I wasn't up to having my time wasted for another hour so I thanked for the opportunity, pinpointed bad interviewing practices (don't forget an interview is a bidirectional conversation, it's not only the company checking you and giving you feedback!..) - so letting them learn something from the interview and left :).
About 20 years ago, I interviewed with a company over several rounds and went onsite. I went into the interview with the manager (who I had spoken to several times already) and his boss and they treated me like complete shit. I seriously considered getting up and walking out, but I sat there and took it.
When it finally ended and they asked if I had questions, I decided a little bit of payback was in order and ripped everything they told me to shreds, told them (somewhat diplomatically) they were incompetent and needed to hire consultants, and told the manager based on some metrics he mentioned in the interview that he would’ve been fired at any company I worked for now or in the past. Seeing them turn red and their jaws hitting the ground while sputtering for answers made it entirely worth it.
You only have to have this experience one or two times until you develop your own boundaries.
The right way to approach it is to first be absolutely certain about whether you would want to work with these people.
If the answer is a no, at your earliest opportunity ask to speak with whoever is administering the interview process (could be hiring manager or hr representative).
Tell them that based upon the current circumstances and information that they’ve provided that you won’t be pursuing a role with the company. Out of respect for everyone’s time, you would like to terminate the interview process immediately. If the company rep wants explanations etc, tell them that you’re happy to have a conversation with them on a follow up call but that it wouldn’t be productive to do so now.
Thank them for their time, ask to return to get your belongings and be escorted out.
Up to you if you want to give them feedback afterwards. Your goal is simply to stop wasting your time on a job that’s a definite no.
The company would do the same, except everyone interviewing is being paid to interview you. You’re not being paid to interview, so you have no obligation to continue (even if they flew you in all expenses paid).
Hope this helps.
IATAH.
My list of red flags is a mile long. When I spot the first red flag I look at my watch and give myself 3 minutes to have my mind changed. Mostly because I know I’m an over reactive AH and sometimes judge to quickly.
If those three minutes end, or if Red Flags keep Popping up like my 15 yr old face with acne, I politely but firmly end it*. Usually with the single hand up pushing motion then that little chop hand wave. I don’t always give a reason “I’m just going to stop this here. I’m good. Are you good? Ok have a nice day.” Stand up, gather my things**, and leave quickly and quietly.
*I’m only polite once.
**This is important. Once forgot my jacket and had to walk back into Owners office as he was screaming at his assistant in the office.
Yes, however you need to be polite and stern.
1. Plan an interview with end in mind
End 1: If it is a Panel or individuals, ensure you have everyone's names so you can send a thank you (thank you doesn't have to be long) cause everything went well.
End 2: If the interview is going poorly, ask yourself if you need a break or to leave.
If you need to take a break, how will you ask for it?
If you need to end it because of whatever reason, how will you nicely end it.
* Please excuse from this interview, I have a personal issue I need to immediate attend to. I will contact HR or recruiting company to reschedule or discuss.
* Excuse me, I need to stop this interview. Based on the information provided thus far, this is not a good fit for me or you. I would rather give back the time to you and I than continue. Thank you for your time, please point me to the exit.
* I'm sorry, I need to leave. Please point me to the exit. *Don't say anything else, just leave because it is that uncomfortable.*
I've done it. Just the once. It was a ridiculous interview. It was a freezing cold day, and they showed me into this room with no heating. Literally ice on the windows. Then asked me to find some bugs in a _print out_ of a computer program. That was loose pages, not even in order. Then left to go to the heated room next door to wait. Didn't even offer me a hot drink. I asked them if they wrote it with a computer? They said yes. I said, so why do you imagine I'd be able to debug it without one? I can't even tell you if it compiles in this format, and left. I got another job later the same day.
That was back in 2013. Fast forward to January this year. The main interviewer had moved to another company. (She had an ususual name.) Anyway, a job came up with this other company. I applied, and got an interview. It was another stupid approach. They wanted to build a piece of software. They didn't know the tech stack at all. They'd wasted about 18 months on an ill-advised approach, not using best practices like unit tests and dev ops pipelines. It was a mess, and they admitted as much. But they didn't want to know about doing things a better way. They just wanted to keep doing the same things but get different results. I didn't walk out that time, but maybe I should have. Anyway, I pulled out of consideration after the interview.
The point being, they didn't even remember me from the first time. So don't worry you'll burn a bridge. Maybe that bridge needs burning. Or maybe they're just so clueless they won't remember you anyway.
If you don’t feel it, walk. Might as well. I had an HR manager come off like a tool in an interview as a way to see how I handled it. Did not even feel bad about getting up and thanking the plant manager and division IT manager for their time. “Wait where are you going?”
Yes it's fine to walk out. All you need to say is something like, I can see already that we won't be a hood fit. Let's stop the interview here and give ourselves the gift of time. Thank you.
Then stand up, shake hands ( if that what hsppened at the start).
Id suggest you do your best to avoid answering any why questions by completely ignoring it and telling them what a pleasure it was to meet them.
If the interviewers are being abusive or massive jerks and you have no intention of ever working there, find a place to get a word in, tell them you don't think this is going to work out, thank them for their time and get up and leave.
I have done this once. The interviewer was either insane or insane and thought she was playing some sort of game to see what I would tolerate. Either way no, bye. She seemed a bit shocked I ended things and walked out.
I left an interview after the first few minutes, when at the beginning of the interview the hiring manager/interviewer wanted me to do a surprise test. I don't have a problem with a test, but I think candidates should get a heads so they can be prepared.
Yes. It is perfectly acceptable. I've had a few bad interviewers who were ass holes and I just had to leave. When they asked why I told them "look in the mirror."
"I'm sorry, I realize I'm not a good fit for this position. I don't want to waste your time. Good luck finding the right person."
Shake hands and leave quietly, go home, eat ice cream lol
Most all interviews can be stressful (to varying extents). I work as a recruiter and career coach and have heard ALL kinds of stories about interviews going fantastic or poorly.
There are even "stress based interview" formats. Example: Law enforcement roles may include an interview where the recruiter(s) will purposely act outrageous with the applicant, to see how they respond. (It's very similar to "Good Cop/Bad Cop" type acting seen on TV police sitcoms. I've heard a common reaction is people crying during this interview format -- where as it becomes comical to people who know and recognize the format, as they are prepared for it, & they can sit back calmly and proceed).
I'd recommend to make the best of ANY interview (no matter how bad it's going) by treating it as a positive learning experience. Even if all you learn is "I don't want to work for this particular company!". You leave there knowing something new.
**Better yet, I recommend to my clients the following tips, to overcome interview day stress:**
1) Show up prepared (research the company, understand the interview format, prepare personal examples)
2) Practice your craft (utilize mock interviews with friends, family, or career coaches to improve your skills)
3) Listen to feedback (from people you trust, from recruiters, career coaches, and even from yourself)
How? (To get feedback from yourself) After each interview, take time to "debrief" yourself. (Do this AFTER you leave the interview building, preferably in a quiet and private place) You can use your voice recorder (on phone) to take voice notes about: What questions were asked? How did you respond to each? What feedback did recruiters give you?, What was the body language/tone of the interviewers during your responses?, and finally What would you score yourself from 0-10 on each response? Then: Take some time to reflect (maybe a few days later) give yourself honest feedback on where you think you did good or bad. This goes a long way to helping you recognize and address flaws which leads to improving before the next interview. You goal is to learn, improve, and show up stronger and better!
***As always, if you or anyone else has any questions, you can send me a DM.***
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I say we normalize walking out
On everything that makes us uncomfortable. Interviews, dates, family dinners.
I once walked out during induction for a new job. It was during the biggest wave of covid my country was seeing. I was in a tiny room, no windows with 25+ people. I was the only one wearing a facemask. It was a very low paid admin job and l was being introduced to the members of staff whose job was canvassing selling funerary insurance to old people. I got up told them this was clearly not the right fit for me and left the building
You know masks dont work and covid was planned correct?
You should always have the right to leave if you want to for any reason, of course. But at the same time, giving up at the slightest bit of adversity isn't a good way to go about life. Additionally, it doesn't work to improve anybody's behavior. If somebody is deliberately acting like a jerk towards you for some kind of interview mind game, call him out rather than just hanging up!
I am just speaking to following your instincts. You should always trust your gut and not be worried about some made man rules of obligatory politeness.
Absolutely! There is nothing wrong with coming right out and saying "Mr. Or Ms. Smith, I apologize for interrupting but frankly speaking, I do not feel this position is a good fit for me. I apologize for taking up your time and hope you find someone soon. I appreciate the opportunity for this interview but to continue any further would not be fair to either one of us. I hope you can forgive me for me for using up the time that could have been better spent with another candidate..." or something along those lines. I dont see it as being rude at all and if I were an employer. I would prefer someone not make me go though the entire interview where the only interest they have is not offending me. Please.. not getting up and leaving would upset me. That's my nice opinion but honestly I am not aware of any rule etiquette that states or implies ending an interview early and excusing yourself is a no-no. The only thing expected of anyone during an interview is to be polite and respectful. Apologizing briefly shows respect for their time and being honest with a truthful explanation shows professional character in my opinion. Doing things just to be nice happens far more than what people are aware of. I am all about efficiency...my time is money. 8f an employer csnt respect tha5 or understand it, I would really question how they ever got to be in managerial position. I cannot think of one type of business where efficiency in some form is not relevant to a company's productivity and profit margin. Ten, twenty, or however long the interview is cut short by is 10, 20, or however many minutes that could be spent working on something else that needs to be done. Any employer that gets upset with an interviewee that does this does not have the company's best ibterests as a priority because being upset over this suggests a personallly perceived insult . Intervirlews take place on company time and the applicant's personal time, not the personal time of the person conducting the interview!!
It is absolutely ok to end an interview if you don't feel like you align with the company or the team. I have done this before. Be sure to know the difference though between just being nervous or anxious and other red flags. You can politely explain that you don't feel the role is a good fit for your career goals and you'd like to give the team back their time. It's courteous and straightforward.
I've done this a few times as well. Sometimes you know within 10 min...
A personality clash is something you just feel at a primal level. I had an interview once that lasted 15 minutes, me and the interviewer (who would’ve been my manager) were like oil and water. The least surprising rejection I’ve received.
Agreed. You really do know within the first 10 or 15 minutes if there's a potential fit or not personality-wise.
I sensed this in the Teams meeting prior to the in-person meeting, the hiring manager took issue with some of my answers and was really concerned about how I'll fit in with their culture. Sometimes it just doesn't work out. Good thing we figured this out in the interview.
"I'm sorry but I don't think this role is going to be a good fit for me. How about we give both ourselves back the rest of the hour and end this interview early."
I regret not doing it at least once/twice when the interviewers were disrespectful and i saw they didn't like me
I had this exact same thing earlier this week. Had a video interview and the VP was arrogant and condescending towards everything I said right off the rip. Should have just ended the interview myself.
I regret not doing this today when they gave me an impromptu test during the interview
Sure! I had four interviews with a company and then a final one with the Executive VP. We get 30 minutes into the interview and he notices that I don't have an engineering degree, position was for an Account Executive role, not and Engineer or Sales Engineer. Their product wasn't overly complex. I said I guess we're done here and picked up my stuff and walked out. A few years later I saw that they had filed for bankruptcy and are no longer in business. I dodged a bullet.
Years ago I was called in for an in-person interview at a company. I walked in and I immediately felt off. It felt like boredom and purgatory. The guy who was supposed to hire me wasn't there so his personal secretary had me read a bunch of things about the company and awkwardly asked me questions that didn't make any sense. But I waited. The man came in half an hour later and went into his cabin. He called his secretary in and she stepped out and told me I could go inside for the interview. I gave her my brightest smile and went: I am sorry but I just can't see myself working here. This is disrespectful and awful. All the best. I waved at the guy (who could see me because of the glass walls) and walked out. I cried once I left but it felt so empowering. I highly encourage leaving once your gut starts screaming.
Yes. I did, after the interviewer insulted me (specifically: -name-, you're pretty sharp. So why did you waste 6 years in the military ....) At the time, I had left Active Duty less than 2 years prior, and was still a Reservist. I just stood up, left, and walked out. The interviewer's manager was just outside (he was next up), and asked me what happened. I suggested he ask his employee, and handed him my Visitor badge. Manager called me later that day, offering the job. I asked if the interviewer still worked there. He told me that yes, he was I declined the offer.
I once quit a job for disrespect to the service. The manager had her own little fiefdom - a satellite office - in which she felt justified in behaving any way she liked. One day about 6 months in, she saluted me in a super sarcastic manner. I was very clear with her that if she ever did any such thing again, I would "collect my hat, coat and gloves and walk straight out the door". She did it again several weeks later and without a word, I collected my hat, coat and gloves and walked right out. Boundaries, man. Respect. I don't tolerate BS.
What an asshole. To insult anyone who has served their country is a dick move. Also, thank you for your service.
Ok, you just hit a minor pet peeve of mine. The now semi-obligatory 'thank you for your service' I'm old enough to remember the Draft, it ended when I was 14. For the most part, nearly every able-bodied male served. I went in for several reasons. 1. Family tradition: the men in my family **always** stood their term of service, all the way back to the American Revolution. 2. They paid for college. Yes, I was an ROTC Scholarship Cadet. They paid for four years of school, I paid them back with 5 years service as a Junior Officer. 3. See the world, learn to fly, fly hot jets. I got 2 out of three: they assigned me to B-52s 😎. Bottom line: I got as much back as I gave. And I would have done my time 'on the ramparts' anyway....😁
I feel the same about my service and initially felt awkward about being thanked, but I came to realize it's a courtesy that makes people feel good to say. It's a little gift. So I acknowledge it with a "thank you for your support" and move on now. A gift accepted honors both the giver and the receiver.
I guess my real beef is that the vast majority of people who tell me this not only never served, but never even had the **intention** of serving.
Yeah, um, that's the point.
Couldn't serve due to unexpected health concerns that popped up late in my teens. I will always thank the men and women who were able to go and serve in my place.
It bothers you to be told that? I truly mean it when I say it to: military, fire fighters, nurses, even police, etc. However, I guess I can see it can come off as the overly used "thoughts and prayers" after a mass shooting.
Sort of. But it comes off as an automatic response. And that is what bothers me ...
I agree with you. 100.
Oh wow. I would have walked out too.
First of all, just wanted to say that you didn’t deserve that. Definitely dodged a major bullet. You’re allowed to cut the interview short especially if you don’t feel comfortable.
It is absolutely fine to cut an interview short if you feel the company is not a good fit for you. Don't worry about their feelings. Just say , "I don't think this will be a good fit for me. I am thinking there is no point continuing with this interview, it is going to be a 'No' from me and I don't want to waste your time and mine." EDIT: I did this in an interview a few months ago, when they described the role in more detail than on the JD I said, "With this information I am not sure this role is the right fit for me." The interviewer said that he was thinking the same, we then shared pleasantries and were done in a few minutes.
I had an interview about 10 years ago for a webdev job with a company who specialised in "High performance computing" or supercomputers as they used to be known. I was going to be their first ever front end dev. The guy said something along the lines of, "We understand you might want to use a library called jQuery. How would you go about re-writing it to optimise it?". My reply was, "I don't think I could do a better job than the developers. In fact, I would almost certainly make it far, far worse." He got all snippy talking about they would require massive speed increases for performance for their applications. I stood up and said, "You really don't understand how front end, back end or web applications in general work. Can you please show me out?" Best interview I ever had.
That's a great way of putting it back on them. I had a strong feeling throughout that they didn't really understand what they were even hiring for.
Yes, particularly if someone is crossing the line and being rude
It was rude, they also asked me to read about 'radical candor' and 'ruinous empathy' prior to the interview. Turns out the hiring manger used 'obnoxious aggression.'
Sorry to hear, there’s a lot of self-important douchebags out there
This happened to me last time. I immediately got the feeling a few minutes into the interview that it just wasn’t the right fit/ the role wasn’t what I had really expected- it was advertised to be more clinical and it turned out to be in more of a rehab/ recovery setting ( I used to work ICU so I prefer inpatient). When she asked if I wanted to tour the office I just said yes out of instinct but that should’ve been my out. I went along for another 30 mins or so meeting staff/ doctors 😵💫. I emailed hr and the manager a few hours later letting them know I was dropping out/ it just wasn’t a right fit for me & apologized for any time wasted. It happens
It sure is OK. Hiring is a mutual decision; if the employer can cut an interview short, then so can you. Stop treating employers as if you're beneath them. (Not just admonishing you but hoping that we all hold onto our dignity for the sake of a well-functioning job market. Groveling does none of us any good.)
Hi, I have changed my mind and I’m not interested anymore. Pack up and leave. Perfectly normal.
I had an interview a few months ago where I knew I didn't want the job and wasn't a good fit five minutes in, but I stayed for the interview, did the shadowing part they required, and then at the end I told the last woman I talked to that it wasn't a good fit and left. I probably could have left sooner, but I wanted to give it a shot.
I did that once. An interview started off horribly when the hiring manager made a quip about having to “go through the motions” by interviewing me. He and another in the room made several references to having to interview multiple candidates due to protocol. They made it clear to me they weren’t going to hire me. About ten minutes in one asked where I wanted to see myself in a few years: I took the bait and said not working for your company but I appreciated their time and that I’d show myself out. They looked astonished and just sat there as I walked out. The better part is was that I wound up working with the hiring manager of that company a few years later somewhere else. He commended me for having the guts to do that and said I was much better not working there. He said they laughed about that at every interview they did until he left.
Was this an industry with a small community?
Don't stick around with people who make you uncomfortable while you're interviewing. Excuse yourself however you need to, and leave immediately. You will sometimes have a situation where some of the people who make hiring decisions may like you, but others that you may be working under may not want you for their own reasons. Interviewing is actually a two way street. You're not just trying to convince them that you're a good fit for their company, you're also deciding if they're a good fit to work for. If your instincts tell you to that working for this company is a bad idea, end the interview and leave.
In general I would say yes - but it’s circumstance specific & it depends how you do it. We can all misread situations assuming something that might not be & having the maturity confidence & integrity to deal with that is a good thing but it may not be there at both sides of the table & that’s when it gets strained & you may be better going through the motions to the natural end.
Just be professional about it and leave when the interviewers end it. You don't want to be their conversation piece during their dinner.
I should have done this when I realized I we wouldn’t be a good fit for each other. Instead I remained for the rest of the interview to be polite, but also for the interview experience itself. In the end, they ghosted me anyway so why the hell was I being polite?
At least the hiring manager told you up front they're not moving forward. Better that than they lead you on with "we'll get back to you within a few days" then get ghosted and get an automated rejection letter a 3 months later when they finally close the req.
"Let me just stop you right there. Based on this interview, I am no longer interested in this position and dont feel i would be a good cultural fit. I appreciate your time. Have a good day"
What job and what kind of company?
A major supply chain, logistics and trucking company. It was for an industrial engineer role in the yield management department.
No without saying something. You can always politely say you don’t feel that your are good fit for the role and thank them for their time. Probably better to just wait though.
yes, cut off the interview if u think it is the wrong fit or a major misalignment. I did that to an on-site interview, and both sides appreciated it.
Yes.
I did that when they tried the bait and switch on the position I was interviewing for. The fact that he got so rude when I called him out made it so easy to walk out. I literally just stood and walked out without another word.
When it's your turn to talk, say, "I don't feel like this is a good fit. Thank you for your time." Time is valuable, and ending it early is fine as long as it's done professionally. You have every right to evaluate the company and interviewer in the same way that they evaluate you. If you have a bad feeling in the first few moments due to their overall presentation, then respect yourself and end the interview early.
Yes it's definitely acceptable. If you feel the interviewer is either unprepared or asking intentionally unrelated questions just to pinpoint your "weaknesses" - I don't see any reason why you should not thank for the opportunity and end the interview sooner than it was scheduled. There are people who would tell you "they may be testing your patience or how much you can handle if things don't turn out how it was supposed to" but in my opinion it's already a red flag if they are testing whether you can withstand bullcrap or not. Just my 2 cents :). As a SW Dev - especially lately - I stumbled upon really bad interviews with interviewers who were massively unprepared or were asking deeper and more thorough questions when they saw I know the answer. I wasn't up to having my time wasted for another hour so I thanked for the opportunity, pinpointed bad interviewing practices (don't forget an interview is a bidirectional conversation, it's not only the company checking you and giving you feedback!..) - so letting them learn something from the interview and left :).
*“I don’t think your organization is a good fit for me. Thank you for the opportunity.”*
Yes, very ok. “I don’t think this arrangement will be suitable. I’m giving you your time back. I’ll show myself out.”
About 20 years ago, I interviewed with a company over several rounds and went onsite. I went into the interview with the manager (who I had spoken to several times already) and his boss and they treated me like complete shit. I seriously considered getting up and walking out, but I sat there and took it. When it finally ended and they asked if I had questions, I decided a little bit of payback was in order and ripped everything they told me to shreds, told them (somewhat diplomatically) they were incompetent and needed to hire consultants, and told the manager based on some metrics he mentioned in the interview that he would’ve been fired at any company I worked for now or in the past. Seeing them turn red and their jaws hitting the ground while sputtering for answers made it entirely worth it.
Excuse me but I realize that I will not be a good fit here , Thank You WALK
You only have to have this experience one or two times until you develop your own boundaries. The right way to approach it is to first be absolutely certain about whether you would want to work with these people. If the answer is a no, at your earliest opportunity ask to speak with whoever is administering the interview process (could be hiring manager or hr representative). Tell them that based upon the current circumstances and information that they’ve provided that you won’t be pursuing a role with the company. Out of respect for everyone’s time, you would like to terminate the interview process immediately. If the company rep wants explanations etc, tell them that you’re happy to have a conversation with them on a follow up call but that it wouldn’t be productive to do so now. Thank them for their time, ask to return to get your belongings and be escorted out. Up to you if you want to give them feedback afterwards. Your goal is simply to stop wasting your time on a job that’s a definite no. The company would do the same, except everyone interviewing is being paid to interview you. You’re not being paid to interview, so you have no obligation to continue (even if they flew you in all expenses paid). Hope this helps.
IATAH. My list of red flags is a mile long. When I spot the first red flag I look at my watch and give myself 3 minutes to have my mind changed. Mostly because I know I’m an over reactive AH and sometimes judge to quickly. If those three minutes end, or if Red Flags keep Popping up like my 15 yr old face with acne, I politely but firmly end it*. Usually with the single hand up pushing motion then that little chop hand wave. I don’t always give a reason “I’m just going to stop this here. I’m good. Are you good? Ok have a nice day.” Stand up, gather my things**, and leave quickly and quietly. *I’m only polite once. **This is important. Once forgot my jacket and had to walk back into Owners office as he was screaming at his assistant in the office.
Yes, however you need to be polite and stern. 1. Plan an interview with end in mind End 1: If it is a Panel or individuals, ensure you have everyone's names so you can send a thank you (thank you doesn't have to be long) cause everything went well. End 2: If the interview is going poorly, ask yourself if you need a break or to leave. If you need to take a break, how will you ask for it? If you need to end it because of whatever reason, how will you nicely end it. * Please excuse from this interview, I have a personal issue I need to immediate attend to. I will contact HR or recruiting company to reschedule or discuss. * Excuse me, I need to stop this interview. Based on the information provided thus far, this is not a good fit for me or you. I would rather give back the time to you and I than continue. Thank you for your time, please point me to the exit. * I'm sorry, I need to leave. Please point me to the exit. *Don't say anything else, just leave because it is that uncomfortable.*
I've done it. Just the once. It was a ridiculous interview. It was a freezing cold day, and they showed me into this room with no heating. Literally ice on the windows. Then asked me to find some bugs in a _print out_ of a computer program. That was loose pages, not even in order. Then left to go to the heated room next door to wait. Didn't even offer me a hot drink. I asked them if they wrote it with a computer? They said yes. I said, so why do you imagine I'd be able to debug it without one? I can't even tell you if it compiles in this format, and left. I got another job later the same day. That was back in 2013. Fast forward to January this year. The main interviewer had moved to another company. (She had an ususual name.) Anyway, a job came up with this other company. I applied, and got an interview. It was another stupid approach. They wanted to build a piece of software. They didn't know the tech stack at all. They'd wasted about 18 months on an ill-advised approach, not using best practices like unit tests and dev ops pipelines. It was a mess, and they admitted as much. But they didn't want to know about doing things a better way. They just wanted to keep doing the same things but get different results. I didn't walk out that time, but maybe I should have. Anyway, I pulled out of consideration after the interview. The point being, they didn't even remember me from the first time. So don't worry you'll burn a bridge. Maybe that bridge needs burning. Or maybe they're just so clueless they won't remember you anyway.
Sure who cares, might hurt their ego a bit
If you don’t feel it, walk. Might as well. I had an HR manager come off like a tool in an interview as a way to see how I handled it. Did not even feel bad about getting up and thanking the plant manager and division IT manager for their time. “Wait where are you going?”
Walk out....Walk out.
After a couple hours of interviewing I said I needed a bathroom break and just left the building.
Yes it's fine to walk out. All you need to say is something like, I can see already that we won't be a hood fit. Let's stop the interview here and give ourselves the gift of time. Thank you. Then stand up, shake hands ( if that what hsppened at the start). Id suggest you do your best to avoid answering any why questions by completely ignoring it and telling them what a pleasure it was to meet them.
If the interviewers are being abusive or massive jerks and you have no intention of ever working there, find a place to get a word in, tell them you don't think this is going to work out, thank them for their time and get up and leave. I have done this once. The interviewer was either insane or insane and thought she was playing some sort of game to see what I would tolerate. Either way no, bye. She seemed a bit shocked I ended things and walked out.
I left an interview after the first few minutes, when at the beginning of the interview the hiring manager/interviewer wanted me to do a surprise test. I don't have a problem with a test, but I think candidates should get a heads so they can be prepared.
Yes. It is perfectly acceptable. I've had a few bad interviewers who were ass holes and I just had to leave. When they asked why I told them "look in the mirror."
"I'm sorry, I realize I'm not a good fit for this position. I don't want to waste your time. Good luck finding the right person." Shake hands and leave quietly, go home, eat ice cream lol
Most all interviews can be stressful (to varying extents). I work as a recruiter and career coach and have heard ALL kinds of stories about interviews going fantastic or poorly. There are even "stress based interview" formats. Example: Law enforcement roles may include an interview where the recruiter(s) will purposely act outrageous with the applicant, to see how they respond. (It's very similar to "Good Cop/Bad Cop" type acting seen on TV police sitcoms. I've heard a common reaction is people crying during this interview format -- where as it becomes comical to people who know and recognize the format, as they are prepared for it, & they can sit back calmly and proceed). I'd recommend to make the best of ANY interview (no matter how bad it's going) by treating it as a positive learning experience. Even if all you learn is "I don't want to work for this particular company!". You leave there knowing something new. **Better yet, I recommend to my clients the following tips, to overcome interview day stress:** 1) Show up prepared (research the company, understand the interview format, prepare personal examples) 2) Practice your craft (utilize mock interviews with friends, family, or career coaches to improve your skills) 3) Listen to feedback (from people you trust, from recruiters, career coaches, and even from yourself) How? (To get feedback from yourself) After each interview, take time to "debrief" yourself. (Do this AFTER you leave the interview building, preferably in a quiet and private place) You can use your voice recorder (on phone) to take voice notes about: What questions were asked? How did you respond to each? What feedback did recruiters give you?, What was the body language/tone of the interviewers during your responses?, and finally What would you score yourself from 0-10 on each response? Then: Take some time to reflect (maybe a few days later) give yourself honest feedback on where you think you did good or bad. This goes a long way to helping you recognize and address flaws which leads to improving before the next interview. You goal is to learn, improve, and show up stronger and better! ***As always, if you or anyone else has any questions, you can send me a DM.***
This is why I carry a smoke bomb