Senior techie's confidence shattered with 'Why shouldn't we hire you' in job interview. Internet has a smarter answer

In a world where professionals are expected to show up polished, prepared, and perfect, sometimes the real test isn’t your technical skill — it’s how well you handle awkward or confrontational interviewers. One experienced candidate recently shared his bizarre encounter with a company that took things a little too far, and let’s just say… it didn’t end well.

The candidate, a senior-level professional with nearly a decade of experience, had been progressing smoothly through a job interview when the interviewer suddenly threw a curveball: “Give me two reasons why we shouldn’t hire you.”

The question, which is often seen as a clumsy cousin of the classic “What’s your biggest weakness?” threw him off guard. He admits it rattled his confidence, leading to a shaky response filled with what he describes as “random reasons” — the kind that probably cost him the offer. But the tables turned when it was his turn to ask a question.

“What’s the biggest reason I shouldn’t join your company if I get multiple other offers?” he asked. "Well, just stay at your current company if you prefer,” the interviewer snapped, visibly annoyed. He then dismissed the candidate with a chilly farewell, calling the question “strange” and ending the interview on a sour note. The candidate took to the internet to vent, saying, “I don’t even want your job anyway.”

His frustration resonated with many online, sparking a debate about toxic interview culture and the outdated power dynamics still embedded in hiring practices. As one commenter on Reddit put it: “If he's gonna keep playing hardball with everyone else, he's gotta expect it to occasionally get thrown back at him.”

Others pointed out that the interviewer’s question, while awkwardly phrased, was essentially a version of “What are your weaknesses?” — and that the candidate’s response, while bold, might have come off as combative. One felt that a more diplomatic way to answer could’ve been something like: "You should always choose the candidate whose experience and qualifications are the best fit for the position. In the unlikely event that is not me, you should hire someone else.”