# Shortest job interview ever?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortest-job-interview-ever/648248>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 24, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortest-job-interview-ever/648248 "2013-01-24T19:53:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortest-job-interview-ever/648248/41 "2013-01-28T04:36:01Z")

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> [@Hockey\_Monkey](#):
>
> I had one about a year ago for a receptionist position. I got up, showered, fretted over what to wear, dressed, did makeup and hair, drove to the interview walked in at 9:00 am on the dot and was in my car leaving at 9:03. The interviewer asked me a couple of questions and said “I think that’s all I need to know” and showed me out.
> 
> I was flabbergasted. The friend who got me the interview was astounded. Turns out they hired the boss’ cousin or something and no one who came in ever had a chance of getting the job. I would have rather not been called at all than to have wasted all that time getting ready and being excited about the interview.

Sometimes a company has an internal promotion that they want to make, but they’re required by law to make a national search, post the job for external applicants, or something like that. They post the job, interview some other people, then make the hire they wanted to make anyway. I recently got promoted at work (OK, technically a departmental switch, but I got +25% salary, better working conditions, better co-workers, and transferred the department I’m actually interested in) and they interview a half-a-dozen people, including me, even though they knew from the moment the job opened up that they wanted me. Sometimes bureaucrats have to demonstrate that they’ve looked around and the choice they wanted to make is indeed the best one.

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**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shortest-job-interview-ever/648248/42 "2013-01-28T19:13:55Z")

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When I was in college I sent a resume out for a temparary co-op job. A week or so later I called the HR manager just to make sure they got it and she made me an offer right there on the phone. No interview or anything. I accepted.

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