[kelvin0]

I've had one such interview go really bad. I am normally a very trusting and confident person, but that interview destroyed me for days. This was for an internship on my first year of uni when I just started learning to code C and C++. The position was for a Junior programmer (which I was).

At some point the interviewer asks which I would choose in a project, C or C++ and reasons why. Basically answered that it depends on the project, but that both languages had their pros and cons, and it all depends. I told him I did not that many projects under my belt at the time.

Interviewer got somewhat pissed off and kept asking me about specific languages constructs which I was not yet familiar with. In a way felt like he was trying to ambush me and make me feel incompetent. I mentioned to him that I was not yet experienced enough to answer these questions, but was eager to learn. Well he did NOT like that either and ended the interview promptly.

It seems like the guy really did not like me (which is fine), but also wanted to turn this interview into some type of power trip ....

Had this been today, I would have politely declined and left. But I was a young and eager cub. Live and learn!

[nathanaldensr]

I rarely see it talked about just how much ego plays a part in interviewing. In fact, I'd wager it plays one of the biggest parts of the interview process. If you get even one interviewer that is bitter, unhappy, on a power trip, or otherwise a sociopath, you're not getting hired. Many folks hate interviewing candidates; it can put them in a bad mood. They're going to take it out on you because it's safe.

[emmanueloga_]

Ego issues sometimes apply to the interviewee as well. I once had to interview someone that clearly thought the interview process was beneath them. This person answered every question as if it was a stupid endeavor and we should just hire them since it was just obvious how great they were.

[cutemonster]

What would have been a way to find out s/he had that mindset, before having the interview?

[kelvin0]

A crystal ball?

All jokes aside he was not foaming at the mouth or unpleasant when we first started the meeting, and I'm not the quickest one to pick up on subtle body language cues. So your guess is as good as mine.

[cutemonster]

interesting that weren't any "signs" before

[kelvin0]

What type of signs do you have in mind? Maybe some examples of your own experience will help me understand missed clues.

[cutemonster]

> Basically answered that it depends on the project ... it all depends

Sounds like a good judgement thing to reply :)