Sometimes, job interviews are just as much about your personal self as they are about your professional self. One TikToker learned this the hard way with an awkward Panda Express job interview where they left unsure if they would get a call back after some questionable responses to the interviewer’s questions.
Marlene (@marlenethemango) recently discovered that Panda Express was paying its employees $21 an hour in some cities. As a previous Daily Dot article covered, this news caused quite an excitement online, with many folks on a different video commenting that $21 an hour is way more than their retail or fast food job. Marlene decided to try her luck. However, the job interview did not go as expected.
“I landed an interview, and guess what? It was the worse sh*t ever. I don’t even know if this is how long it was supposed to be, but I had seven minutes, and that’s it,” Marlene says. She goes on to say that after telling the interviewer she’s been to Italy and that she likes to travel because she learns about different cultures, the interviewer asked her to share one thing she learned about Italians after visiting Italy.
“Um, I learned Italians are rude,” Marlene reported responding. “Why did I say that? Like, why did you say that? I think that’s when he said, ‘That’s it; no more interview.’”
Marlene goes on to say she was very nervous throughout the whole interview and that it didn’t help that the interview was in the dining area, where customers and other staff members could hear her response.
The video has over 23,600 likes and almost 244,000 views.
@marlenethemango I should have taken my time with that question but I LITERALLY COULDNT THINK OUT OF NERVES #greenscreen #pandaexpress #interviews #storytime #fyp ♬ original sound – marlene 🐧🦋
Marlene says that she expected questions like “Why do you want to work for Panda Express?” and that she was thrown off by such a personal question about her travels. According to an article on Indeed.com about interview questions you’re likely to get, some of the most common questions asked by employers today are rooted in getting to know who you are outside of just your previous work experience. You can expect questions like:
What makes you unique?
What motivates you?
What are your greatest strengths?
What are your greatest weaknesses?
And a series of other questions to get to know you beyond your resume.
Despite Marlene’s uncertainty about how the interview went, she posted a separate video revealing that she got the job.
“Shoutout to the people manifesting I get this job, but yea, I got hired!” Marlene states.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Marlene for comment via TikTok and Panda Express via email.
