Most people walk into a job interview nervous but prepared — yet sometimes, it’s the interview itself that leaves the strangest impression. One candidate was rejected for wearing socks with tiny cats in business suits, even though the company boasted about “creative expression.” Another teenager interviewing at a florist accidentally flung a water-filled bucket over herself and the owner after being told she might not be strong enough for the job.

Other applicants faced odd behavior from interviewers themselves. One was kept waiting an hour only to be scolded for saying the company sounded like “a fun place to work.” Another candidate endured an interview that ended exactly at 11:21 because the boss was superstitious about numbers. Some were even tricked into unpaid problem-solving sessions or pressured to pay exam fees before being hired.

Personal judgments also made things bizarre. An older applicant was told, “We thought you were younger,” before being dismissed rudely, while another was grilled about her naturally curly eyelashes and accused of lying about not wearing mascara. At one school interview, a teacher was sabotaged by being given a class of non-English-speaking students without being warned, only to be offered the job later as if the failure had been planned.

In the most extreme cases, some interviews were downright humiliating. One person had to relive the trauma of losing a graduate advisor while being pressed for inappropriate details. Another was flown out for an all-day session only to be told upfront, “We’re not hiring you, this is just a courtesy.” Yet despite these disasters, many candidates walked away with one big lesson: even the worst interview can make for a story worth laughing about later.