What the heck...

Is this for real? Do people really do this?

I was browsing through the news this morning when starting my day. The one article was on "9 Ways to Ensure You Don't Get the Job". Link here.

The writer lists things like "Don't spam your resume" and "Don't ask what the company does". Fairly logical and reasonable, the kind of tips we see often, but I nearly fell out of my chair when I read:

Come with your own beverages.
Many hiring managers dislike it when people bring their own take-out cups of coffee to drink during an interview, according to career strategist Barbara Safani. It can come across as far too informal. And if you bring a child's Hello Kitty lunch box containing utensils to brew your own tea, as one candidate did when meeting Terdik, you will be memorable--but not in a good way.

People do this?? Seriously?

And this....

Bring the family.
Erin Duddy, a recruiter at a small staffing firm in Raleigh, has been unpleasantly surprised when a candidate brings a baby or a child to an interview. "If you absolutely must bring children to the company, at least clear it ahead of time," she recommends.

A hiring manager at a Florida hospital adds that bringing a spouse or parent to the interview--or letting a loved one negotiate your salary and benefits for you--is one way to ensure you'll get no salary and benefits.

I'm sitting here shaking my head... it boggles the mind.... We live in an insane world...