Each potential intern must fill out an application. One applicant answered the question "What books, magazines, etc. do you enjoy reading in your free time?" with "I only read what is required for class."
That application also asked if the applicant reads or subscribes to the magazine. This same application replied with "I sometimes subscribe." How, I wonder does one sometimes subscribe?
Based on these responses on her application, we decided not to interview her. However, having begun our intern search late in the summer when most students had already secured internships for the fall, we became desperate. We caved and asked her to come in and interview.
In my e-mail correspondence to her I wrote the following e-mail:
Hi Potential Intern,
Thank you for your interest in interning at Working Girl Magazine. We'd like to come in for an interview. Are you available Wednesday at 11AM?
Best,
Working Girl One
Her response:
12:30.
Seriously. That was all she wrote. Needless to say, the interview was abysmal and we did not offer her the job. After we left her a message informing her that we offered the internship to another candidate who was more professional, she called back and demanded we call her back the next day by 11AM.
We didn't call.
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32 comments:
Wow someone has some serious attitude. There is no way I'd ever talk/treat a potential employer that way. Congrats on finding a good intern!
Ha! That is one of the weirdest stories I have heard. Didn't sound like she wanted the job much.
That is unbelievable. UNBELIEVABLE. I can only imagine how the convo would have gone if you did call her. Unreal. I'm having intern issues too. Ugh.
she sounds like a keeper.
just wow.
Is it wrong that I laughed at this poor girl's plight? :(
i can't believe that potential intern!
I hate horrible interns because they give me a bad name and make people not want to bother hiring any interns at all!
Check out my blog if you have a free minute, its all about my escapades on the other side of the Working Girl table..being the intern!!
http://internchick.blogspot.com
That wasn't very nice, she doesn't deserve to be your intern. We have interns here too, and they were also not very nice. They come in, work for a few minutes, then decide (all on their own), to have a snack break before resuming. There was not a day that they weren't recharging their cellphones using our electric outlets. They weren't proactive by asking whether there was something for them to do, instead, they devote the lull times by coloring each others' faces with make-up and watching videos on their cellphones.
I don't know if they could find or sustain jobs with that kind of attitude.
Sigh... I swear, it's like a different generation all together. Thanks for posting this, makes me feel like I'm not the only one that gets stuck in Interns Limbo.
Geez, she should write a book on how to blow an interview and all chances of trying again.
Wow.
I have great intern stories myself. I had one who, halfway through his 4 month internship, developed a phone phobia. Yep, he refused to ever use the phone again for any reason. That was fun.
She must be a tough cookie ;)
I wonder why lol
Isn't it unbelieveable how some people just take job interviews for granted while other people would do anything for an opportunity to even interview?!? People just blow my mind sometimes.
Oh dear...some people. We're trying to get two admin people, for some reason they find it reasonable to not show and not give notice.
Common courtesy people!
Hey working girl! I love your blog so much and the funny thing is I also have an intern at work. Sometimes I overhear her talking to the "difficult people" in our department and I am impressed with her response, especially given her age. She has very high emotional IQ. I also know how hard it is to find. Thanks for being my first friend on 20 somethings! I love your blog and added you to my roll!
It never ceases to amaze me how often people act without thinking. don't they teach these kids relationship building skills?
That is hysterical to me. It's stories like that that make happy hour so much more fun!
I once had a new employee come in for 3 hours. She said she had to go to her car to get something and she never came back! And then she had the nerve to write a scathing letter how we don't train well. Ummm, it takes more than 3 hours!
She's got some nerve.
I can't believe some people.
Its things like that that occasionally make me ashamed to be a member of this generation... no respect for authority. And also, that girl was just plain stupid!
That potential intern sounds really entitled acting. Thank goodness you have a good intern
And this is the reason that I no longer take summer/fall students. It sucks that a couple horrible ones managed to ruin a very good opportunity for everyone else, but I don't have time for stuff like this and I have to commit to having them for 6 weeks. Never again!
I would have written Not a chance as my reply.
Serisouly? Wow, someone definitely has an attitude problem and cannot communicate effectively.
I am always astounded by the lack of sense some people have when they apply for a job. We did a huge hiring spree last spring and one woman whined via email about "how no one will give her a chance" We did not respond. Unbelievable! I am glad that you finally found a great Intern!
i love reading potential candidates applications. its therapeutic and entertaining! people need to learn appropriate sass.
pfft. I would have liked to have heard what she had to say! Ridiculous!
Wow, I didn't think that people could not have manners or common sense whatsoever! Great Post!
Wow, that's crazy. I can't imagine ever corresponding like that with a possible employer. Usually I'm overly cautious about how I communicate, so seeing that.. I can't even imagine what was going through their mind!
I think a lot of people feel entitled to a job. We had a woman (who had a daughter old enough to be an intern) start with my company. Orientation started promptly at 9:00 a.m. When she casually strolled in at 5 minutes to 10:00, I tried to give her an out. I said "I'm sorry, did we get mixed up? Training started at 9:00 and I think you must have think we started at 10:00." She said, "No, you told me right, 9:00" Needless to say she didn't last very long.
Oh my goodness, LOL. We're hiring new staff at the moment, and it's just crazy how BAD some people are at interviewing, and generally relating to people who are potential employers...
I loved this entry. Your whole blog just made me laugh :)
ha! funny... I sometimes cringe at the thought of interviewing (others) and the horror that winds up on resumes of "professionals".
at least your excuse it that she is a potential "intern" and not a self-described "seasoned vet", because THOSE my friend, are the real humdingers.
great blogspot. I'll be back.
SG
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