The worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life,” he said bluntly, clearly unafraid to express his disappointment.

In a world where corporate buzzwords and rehearsed answers dominate the job interview process, sometimes it takes a brutally honest voice to pull back the curtain. That’s exactly what happened when James Cartwright, a seasoned marketing professional with over a decade of experience, walked out of what he described as “the worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life.”

He wasn’t ranting or venting on a personal blog. He wasn’t anonymous. James, now 34, sat calmly in a podcast interview two days later and laid out the experience with astonishing clarity and self-awareness. His story has since gone viral on social media, not because it’s rare—but because it’s all too common.

What happened in that interview—and why are so many job seekers nodding in agreement?

A Veteran of the Game

James isn’t new to the job market. He’s held high-level marketing roles at Fortune 500 companies, built two brands from the ground up, and has a portfolio that speaks for itself. When he saw an opportunity at a major lifestyle brand expanding into digital commerce, he was intrigued. The role seemed tailored for his background: Director of Digital Strategy, a title he’d held before.

He applied with a custom resume, carefully crafted cover letter, and within days was contacted for an interview.

“It moved fast. That was the first red flag,” James says. “Usually, a company at that scale takes time. But I was excited. I thought, maybe they’re just really efficient.”

They weren’t.

First Impressions Can Be Deceiving

From the moment he logged into the video call, James says things felt off.

“No one introduced themselves,” he recounts. “There were three people on the screen. One was clearly distracted, typing the whole time. One asked me if I’d had a chance to read the job description—after I just submitted a 2-page tailored proposal for their rebranding strategy. And the third just stared at the camera with a deadpan face, arms crossed.”

He chuckles, but only to keep from letting the frustration show.

“I thought I was being pranked,” he says. “Like this was some bizarre social experiment.”

The Interview That Went Nowhere

According to James, the questions were bizarrely unrelated to the role. One interviewer asked what his favorite snack was while working from home. Another asked him how he’d market a toothbrush to someone who didn’t believe in brushing their teeth.

“I get the creativity test thing. I do,” James says. “But I’ve built international campaigns. Asking me about toothbrushes with no context isn’t quirky. It’s lazy.”

The final question was what did him in. One of the interviewers leaned in and asked:

“What would your spirit animal be if you were given a company credit card and no budget?”

James paused for a moment. Then, as he tells it, he answered honestly.

“I said, respectfully, I think I misunderstood the nature of this interview. Are we talking about the actual job, or is this an improv audition?”

The interviewer looked back at him and replied flatly, “That’s a little confrontational, don’t you think?”

Walking Away—and Speaking Out

The interview ended awkwardly, with no thank-you or follow-up expectations.

James closed his laptop, sat in silence for a moment, then wrote down everything that had just happened. Two days later, he recounted it on a podcast hosted by a friend in the HR industry.

The quote that took off—*“The worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life”—*wasn’t said in anger. It was delivered with genuine bewilderment.

“I’m not mad I didn’t get the job,” he said on the show. “I’m disappointed that this is what the hiring process has become for a lot of people.”

Why This Story Resonated

Within days, clips from the podcast spread across LinkedIn and TikTok. Comments poured in from job seekers, hiring managers, and even executives who admitted the hiring process had become “broken.”

The reaction revealed a deeper issue: modern interviews are often more about performance than capability. Candidates rehearse answers, hiring managers Google “creative interview questions,” and somewhere in between, the actual job responsibilities are forgotten.

James’s experience is a case study in what happens when companies prioritize gimmicks over real conversations.

The Culture of “Vibe Hiring”

One term that emerged repeatedly in the conversation following James’s story was “vibe hiring”—a phenomenon where employers make hiring decisions based on superficial chemistry, personality fit, or gut feeling, rather than qualifications.

“It’s dangerous,” says HR consultant Dr. Naomi Caldwell. “We’re seeing more decisions based on who people ‘like’ in a Zoom call than on actual competence. It’s especially harmful for people of color, neurodivergent individuals, and anyone who doesn’t fit a mold.”

James agrees.

“I wasn’t there to charm them. I was there to talk strategy, outcomes, revenue growth. If they wanted a comedian or a mascot, they should’ve said that in the posting.”

A Broken Process with Real Consequences

The stakes in hiring are high. For candidates, a job determines financial stability, career growth, and quality of life. For companies, the right hire can generate millions in revenue—or cost them dearly.

James’s story serves as a cautionary tale: when companies don’t take the interview process seriously, they risk alienating the very talent they claim to want.

It’s also about respect.

“I’ve sat on both sides of the table,” James says. “I know hiring is hard. But when you bring someone in and waste their time with jokes and tests that don’t reflect the job, you’re telling them you don’t respect their time or experience.”

Where Do We Go from Here?

The response to James’s story has inspired HR teams and leadership consultants to rethink the structure of their hiring processes.

Some key suggestions that have emerged include:

• Structure the interview: Make sure questions align with the actual responsibilities and goals of the position.
• Respect the candidate: Offer transparency about the process and give clear expectations.
• Ditch the gimmicks: Avoid abstract riddles or “gotcha” questions that test personality rather than performance.
• Train your interviewers: Not everyone is equipped to conduct a meaningful interview. Proper training ensures fairness and consistency.
• Create feedback loops: Give and receive feedback after interviews to improve the process over time.

James’s Next Move

Despite the bad experience, James isn’t bitter.

“Honestly, it lit a fire in me,” he says. “I realized how much I care about fixing this system. I’ve started mentoring younger professionals on how to prepare—and how to call out red flags when they see them.”

He’s also back in talks with several other companies—ones that “get it,” as he puts it.

“They respect that interviews should be a two-way street. They want to know what I bring, not whether I’d rather be a wolf or a lemur with a company card.”

Final Thoughts: A Moment of Reckoning

In a digital age where the power dynamics of work are shifting, James’s story is not just a rant—it’s a rallying cry. As companies compete for top talent, the interview process must evolve from a hollow ritual into a meaningful conversation.

The worst interview of his life may end up sparking one of the most important discussions in modern hiring. And for that, we’re all a little better off.