The candidate is a student looking for part-time work, and applied for a receptionist job at a spa. Getting there meant a bus, a walk through a shopping centre, a stretch of road with no pavement and a car park. They had asked about the dress code in advance and been told jeans and a t-shirt were fine.
The interview lasted three minutes. Greeted with a side-eye, the candidate asked the manager whether there was an easier way to reach the spa from the bus stop. The manager shrugged, said she did not know what to tell them, then read their CV as though seeing it for the first time. Asked whether they were happy to commute, the candidate said it depended how the shifts were allocated — and was told that such questions are not relevant before you know if you have the job.
When the candidate said they could sense a problem, the manager named it: opening an interview by asking for better directions was 'very inappropriate'. The candidate agreed the interview should end there, wished her a good evening and left. They have nine years of full-time work behind them and a degree in progress. Most interviewers, they note, open by asking whether you found the place alright.