First impressions matter on both sides of the hiring table.

What started as a hopeful opportunity for a young engineer quickly spiraled into a demeaning experience that left her questioning both her own qualifications and the company’s integrity.

Read on for the harrowing tale of a job interview gone very, very wrong.

WIBTA if I email HR after experience with rude interviewer?

So I had an interview with a pretty big company for an entry-level engineering position. I arrived 10 minutes early and had to fill out some paperwork.

The experience didn’t get off to a good start.

As I was working on that, the manager came over to me and threw a 5-page packet at me and said, “Do this test.” It was based on drawings of very specific airplane components that were not required to know for the position.

I started getting a little nervous but attempted it anyway.

Then she overheard more troubling remarks.

I then heard the manager whisper to the receptionist, “She’s wearing heels. Who told her to wear heels? They’re too high.”

I was wearing no more than two-inch wedges, and nowhere in the description did not say what not to wear.

Things pretty much only got worse from there.

They took me into the office, and it was the manager and a younger guy on his team. The manager then started arguing with his employee about where the director was and decided to go look for him.

They told me to keep working on the test, which I honestly was struggling with but trying my best.

She couldn’t believe their lack of professionalism.

Then the other guy got a phone call and started arguing with someone, saying, “Do this interview with me. I don’t know what to ask. Can you just come up with some questions?”

He was saying this about three feet away from me while I was trying to work out this freaking test. I couldn’t concentrate.

Finally, the manager came in with the director and said, “OK, what’s number 1?” I got it right. Then I got number 2 right.

This felt more like a high school clique than it did a professional work environment.

From there, I had some trouble, and they looked at each other and started quietly laughing. It reminded me of high school boys.

I tried thinking out loud and asking if the direction I was going was correct. He did this stupid shrug and, with a smirk, said, “Uhh I don’t know!” and started laughing.

He said, “Let me guess, you don’t know the next one either?” It was based on very specific things you would learn on the job.

Soon they started to become even more openly hostile towrds her.

They asked me more questions about why I was there in the first place and, “Am I REALLY interested in this kind of job?” (I’m there because you invited me -_-)

The manager then said, “Umm why are you even doing engineering?” in the snarkiest way possible.

He then asked me how many interviews I’d had since graduating, implying this was probably my first. I’ve had a few, and they’ve all been smooth.

The men sitting in front of her weren’t even competent interviewers.

The entire interview, they never—not even once—asked me about who I am, my strengths or weaknesses, or anything that had to do with what type of person I am.

I kept my cool the whole time and told them how important it was for me to learn and my willingness to pick up on what they wanted me to know. It was, after all, an entry-level position.

She walked away from the experience feeling totally defeated.

It was the most degrading experience. Seems like they don’t value who their employees are, considering they kept arguing with each other.

I would never accept an offer at that company. I can’t imagine working with those guys every day.

She wonders if she has any recourse here.

WIBTA if I emailed the guy from HR who helped me schedule the interview and told him how rude and unprofessional the manager was? Or should I just move on to the next?

She somehow managed to maintain her composure, but the company’s lack of professionalism was a massive red flag.

Redditors chime in with their thoughts.

This toxic behavior is exactly the kind of thing HR associates (at least the competent ones) would want to hear about.

This is definitely no way to treat a human who’s being looking for work.

You wouldn’t believe some of the harrowing situations candidates are put through.

This commenter thinks there are better forums to post about their negative experience on.

If this is how the company treats candidates for an open position, just imagine how they treat their actual employees.

No job is worth enduring this kind of disrespect.

Thought that was satisfying? Check out what this employee did when their manager refused to pay for their time while they were traveling for business.