Nigerian Lives: 5 Nigerians on Their Worst Interview Yet

These experiences, while amusing in hindsight, point to deeper issues within Nigeria’s corporate culture—the sometimes arbitrary nature of hiring processes, the blurred lines between professional and personal spheres, and the often unexpected criteria candidates must navigate.

Yet they also showcase the resilience and adaptability of Nigerian job seekers, who often must think on their feet and navigate cultural expectations alongside professional requirements. For future job seekers, these stories serve both as entertainment and warning, in the Nigerian job market, it pays to expect the unexpected. 

Culture Custodian spoke to 5 young Nigerians about the worst interview experience they’ve had.

Adetutu

During the interview, I was asked if I had a boyfriend who was ready to settle down soon. I got the job, but it turned out the CEO sleeps with his female staff. It’s why he was always asking that. Started making advances on me and I had to get another job as soon as possible.

Raheemat

I was looking for a job, I had already sent applications to different places but I didn’t hear back until I saw this job. They said they were looking for a sales representative for a skincare store, so I applied. They sent the address. I was so happy on Monday morning since I was going for my first interview. I stood in front of the bank where they asked me to wait until someone came out after a long time. 

They gathered us in a hall, and a man came and talked about how Bsc was a bachelor in stupidity, and Msc was a master in stupidity. I was still thinking about where the interview will come in. Around 11 am, we were divided into two groups, with people talking about how school alone is not enough. Different people came to talk about how if you put money in, you’ll earn more money, it was giving scam. I wasted my time, lost my money, and I still hate Neolife today.

Mona*

The recruiter told me to meet her at a restaurant which was weird to me. So I went to the location, it’s a very popular one here. I opened my phone to get another email from her saying she was going to be 2 hours late and I should hang around. My head was already banging. So I sat outside because sitting inside would mean that I had to buy something and I didn’t have money for such. I sat outside for so long, the security was even asking what I was doing. 

When she came, she asked for my salary expectations, and I told her, and she said, “Do you think the company can pay such?” Meanwhile, in the online interviews I had with the directors, they didn’t complain about my expectations. They said it was okay. But this witch, who was also newly recruited, was trying to sabotage me. She said, “You gen-z people sha.” After a series of emotional blackmail, I had to go lower than what I had said.

After the questions, she said we were done, and she advised that I shouldn’t wear a sleeveless gown for my next interview at another place. Lmao, what do you mean in the next interview? I hope she sees this and knows that her coworkers don’t like her and she should find better things to do than sabotaging people.

Stephen

You wouldn’t believe this but I went to an interview where we prayed all through. The interviewer said it was the company owner’s directive, and we would be called upon as the spirit leads. I’m not even sure why I stayed, maybe it’s because I never pass on an opportunity to pray. I didn’t get the job though. 

Mira*

I saw a role on Twitter, post NYSC, and jumped on it. From our conversations, it seemed like I already got the job, even before the interview. I was preparing for ICAN exams at that time, so I informed him I would need Friday off since my classes were during the weekend. 

The next step was to meet the manager to conclude things. The first red flag was I waited for the manager for about an hour. The manager came and the first thing he thought was to comment on my body stature and weight. He told me to move to another chair because he felt the one I was sitting in, was “small for my size”, even after I told him I was just fine. In many instances, I had to tell him “I don’t think that is really important to this meeting, as this is an official one and that is a personal matter”. He later told the owner that I was rude and he couldn’t work with me.