… And still managed to get the job?
The true story is related by Anita Bruzzese, who writes about workplace issues for USA Today and is the author of 45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy … and How to Avoid Them.
In the middle of a job interview with an HR director, the woman in the story jumped up, said, “Excuse me,” grabbed a waste basket and puked in it.
Now here’s where it gets even more interesting.
After throwing up, the woman composed herself and apologized — but not for puking. Instead, she said she was sorry she was unaware of her illness before coming in. And had she been aware, she would have canceled rather than risk spreading illness to the interviewer’s workplace.
She then asked if she could reschedule the interview.
The interviewer said OK, and the woman eventually met with the hiring manager, who gave her the job.
Why’d she get the job?
Managers always say they’re looking for people who know how to react in, and recover from, a difficult situation. This was an actual case where someone did it — including expressing her concern for others who might be exposed to the illness.
There’s a lesson in there for applicants and interviewers.
