# Interviewer Never Shows Up For Interview!



## etherial (Sep 22, 2013)

I was called last Thursday evening and partially interviewed over the phone for a possible position in prepared foods at this gourmet grocery food store chain. I was sooo excited, even if the pay was only $11.00 an hour, 7.5 hours a day, with a flexible work schedule. I was really excited that after a few weeks out from graduation, I would possibly have a start in the industry. This would be it!

We scheduled my interview for the following afternoon at 3:30 p.m. I left early so I wouldn't be late. As a matter of fact, I arrived 10 minutes early just to look around and I was very impressed with this store because this market had two floors. I had never seen a grocery store with two levels before. They had cooked food from around the world like India, Italy (although I think this one may be considered American), Spain, Hawaii (this one, two), Germany, etc. Their prepared food stations are always so beautiful and the employees are extremely courteous and helpful. I had to work here. I thought it would be a perfect fit.

After I perused the place, I checked in at the counter for the supervisor who I was to interview with and was told he was in the back and would page him. After ten minutes, the fish monger went in the back to get him, but came back and said he wasn't there, so he paged him again. After ten more minutes, I decided to walk around some more. After several employees asked me if they could help me with something, I felt like I was an intruder on their turf, even though I was invited to it. I came back to the original prepared foods' counter and the fish monger suggested I go to customer service and I did. It had been 30 minutes since my arrival by then.

Customer Service advised me that the supervisor was out on an emergency; he was never in the store that day, but "Sherry" will be interviewing me and would I mind waiting. Ten minutes passed and no Sherry. At this point, I have surprisingly become extremely annoyed (to say the least, especially with the everyone telling me "he's in the back," but was never in the store in the first place) and tell them to tell the supervisor "thank you, but no thank you for the job". Sherry never showed up.

Sherry then calls me during my trip halfway home. I tell her in no uncertain terms that I thought their practices were very unprofessional and that I didn't appreciate her not showing up either. I don't even know what her capacity was in the hierarchy. She could have been a customer service clerk and not holding any hiring power.

I have since continued on with the quest for employment and some seeking will be done online and others will be done the old fashioned way, carrying cover letters and my resume in the car and drop them off at different restaurants I'd be interested in working in. The chef instructor I worked for while in culinary school, said that I was being unreasonable and they did nothing unprofessionally. Well, I lent her a book on food jobs because she's unhappy with her job, but she hasn't budged an inch. She is still complaining about the job, her students, and the pay, even though she's confided in me and I've found her job openings such as an assistant dean at a prestigious culinary college, but she never filled out the job application. She said that I was "self-important". I don't give a rat's azz about her opinion. I refused to allow myself to settle for a job where the interviewer doesn't even bother to show up. Emergency or not, you call and reschedule or you designate someone on your staff to do it.

I can only imagine what it would be treated like if I was hired? I'll keep looking. The right job for me is out there waiting!


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## chefwriter (Oct 31, 2012)

Sad to say that it does happen. you are correct in thinking the interviewer should have rescheduled. Courtesy goes both ways.

     I once interviewed with a grocery chain three times, only to be told all three times the interview was the day before. It wasn't and then once the interview began, to be told the job I was interviewing for had already been filled. Interviewers the third time were 45 minutes late.


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## etherial (Sep 22, 2013)

That was with the same company?  You really wanted that job, but you fared well, yes?  You're a food writer now?

Thanks for sharing.  I have other irons in the fire.  That was just one place.


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## mikael (Nov 2, 2013)

Don't worry I think you did the right thing.

I once had a similar experience. Had an interview with a restaurant. Shoved up and talked to the head chef. But then 20 minutes after that he remembered he had an appointment with a journalist. So he just left he there. Left me for a hour with nothing to do.

I felt so bad and got really annoyed. And I really wanted the job so I didn't know what to do. 

Long story short. I didn't get it. But it's all right. There's always another job. So just hang in there you'll find another job that's right for you.

Mikael


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