By MrZhang - 23/06/2009 03:34 - Australia

Today, I had an interview with IBM. For a week I did extensive research and preparation for the interview. At first the interview was going really well. I was hitting all the marks. Then just as a final casual question she asked with a smile "What does IBM stand for?". I didn't know. FML
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Same thing different taste

Foot in mouth syndrome

By Anonymous - 05/05/2024 12:00 - United States - Seattle

Today, I had an interview for a pretty interesting job. Everything was going smoothly until I referred to their company by the wrong name, not once, but three times. They politely corrected me each time, but I could see the resentment in their eyes, especially because it was the name of their main competitor. I probably won't be getting the job, huh? FML
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Top comments

fatgothchick 0

Internationale Büro-Maschinen how the heck should anyone know

114 7
Overcast117 5

International Business Machines, but who cares?

103 9

Comments

BelindaTree 0

Lmao. Iron Bun Machine?? Yeah, awesome. I have no idea what IBM means either & I live in Australia. Go figure.

6 2
formosus 0

International Business Machines. Durr.

6 2
redbluegreen 40

Isn't that one of the first things you're supposed to look up?

7 1
genius_man16 0

That was my thought. Like, you want to work for a company and have no idea what it stands for? Fail. Why was that not the first thing you looked up in your "extensive research"?

3 0
heywood 0

YDI. It's a job at IBM, not Mcdonalds. I think you should know what their name stands for considering how well known and prestigious their company is.

5 1
dmmd8686 0

"extensive research" -- either you're lying or you can't research for shit.

5 2
LocoChaz006 0

I didn't know either. That's a damn good question to ask, though!

2 1
intrepid00 0

Tell them you are not sure but you think it had something to do with Nazis using their product to find jews. That will get you hired.

2 6
Insert_Wit_Here 0

Is there no one else who thinks that the OP completely misunderstood the question and the interviewer was asking if he knew what they "stand for" as a company? This seems a lot more logical to me, but maybe not...

1 5
redbluegreen 40

I think that the interviewer was just what IBM stood for. There are a couple companies that do not actually have any meaning behind their initials. My mom for years worked for a company called PML, and that's just what it was. They used it as a question though for interviewers. Great trick question though, but as clever as that sounds, I think the interviewer just wanted to trip up the OP. Sometimes they know when they're being faked out, and they like to see just how much effort was being put in for the job.

2 0
JarJarBinks_fml 0

#22 possible, but it could've been literal too. Ha ha it would've been a good way to avoid the acronym by interpreting it like that though. Btw, I don't see how knowing the company's acronym shows whether you're equipped for the job or not. Also, you did well with the other questions so it shouldn't impact too much

2 0
ihatestupidppl 0

The way he said she asked (threw it in at the last minute, casually, with a smile) shows she DEFINITELY meant the initials. This is classic interviewer strategy. Its a way of figuring out whether the person being interviewed honestly cares about that particular company, or is really just looking for a job anywhere. Theoretically, anyone honestly interested in working at IBM would know what IBM stands for.

2 0
ihatestupidppl 0

JarJarBinks (#24): Knowing what the initials stand for shows that you're actually interested in the company, not just the money they can give you. No company is going to hire someone who is gonna use them to get their foot in the door them dump them for a higher paying job less than a year later. If you can't be bothered to know what their full name is, it makes you look like you couldn't care less about where you work as long as it pays. If you think about it, it would be the equivalent of having a friend named "Sam" and not knowing whether her full name is "Samantha" or "Samara". Not knowing her name means you're not much of a friend, and not knowing a company's name means you're not the best candidate for the job.

3 0
musicfanboy33 0

IBM didn't stand for anything for anything when they were first a business but then the government refused to give them a contract unless they told them what it stood for. At least that's what the tour guide at the computer museum in silicon valley said

2 1
starile 19

#22's interpretation would be the PERFECT cover for him not knowing the meaning of the initials. Just answer the question with an impassioned monologue about the virtues and values IBM holds and what principles and goals they stand for, with enough ass-kissing to impress her so much she wouldn't care what those three little letters mean.

2 0
starile 19

#22's interpretation would be the PERFECT cover for him not knowing the meaning of the initials. Just answer the question with an impassioned monologue about the virtues and values IBM holds and what principles and goals they stand for, with enough ass-kissing to impress her so much she wouldn't care what those three little letters mean.

2 0