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The job interview process involves extensive research and preparation. An applicant should find the answers to specific questions and hold a wealth of information on the potential employer. The job interview isn’t just a meeting to gauge your possible fit within the organization, it’s also the time for the hiree to find out if taking the job is really the best career move.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get a real feel for a company from websites and Glassdoor reviews. An organization and its employees don’t show their true colors until an individual is in for an interview, or worse, already on the job.
Liz Ryan, a contributor to Forbes, tells the story of a CEO who cared more about her looks than the bullet points on her resume and peppered her with questions about her body, natural hair color, and her lips. She recounts this uncomfortable story to explain the many different reasons when it’s more than acceptable to walk out of a job interview.
“Sometimes an interview is so wrong that the only thing you can do is to get up and leave,” Ryan explains. “You don’t have to stick around to be dissed or insulted.”
If the interviewer actively insults you and or your background, makes personal comments about your appearance, lied about the role or responsibilities attached to the job or if your gut is just telling you the company is a bad match, you’re more than allowed to thank the person for their time and hit the exit.
Those all seem like obvious reasons to bail mid-interview, but Ryan touches on another interview situation that happens frequently in which most people would be hesitant to get up and walk out.
The waiting game.
“They left you sitting in the lobby for forty minutes without an apology,” Ryan says, “and now they’ve left you sitting in the conference room, too. You’ve been there since 11:30 a.m., it’s 2:00 p.m. now, they haven’t offered you lunch and you’re starving. Take off!”
Sometimes things happen in an office environment that will throw off a person’s day but remember your time is incredibly valuable. If you’re waiting for a CEO or hiring manager for more than 20 minutes, either ask to reschedule at a less hectic time or walk out. The person owes you, at the very least, an apology or explanation.
If any of these situations occur, feel free to leave.
As Ryan sums it up “It’s your time. It’s your brand. It’s your life!”
[via Forbes]