The interviewer was late and rescheduled the phone interview for later in the day, which was an early sign that my time was not being respected. When the interview did take place, the experience confirmed my concerns. After answering a question about an employment gap on my resume, the interviewer followed up by asking how I had "managed to support yourself and make money" during that time. That question is irrelevant to my qualifications and felt like an invasion of privacy. There is a difference between asking what someone did during a gap and pressing them about how they financially sustained themselves; the latter has no place in a professional interview. I remained professional throughout, but the combination of the rescheduling and the inappropriate follow-up question made it clear this was not a culture I wanted to be part of. I would caution other candidates to be prepared for a lack of punctuality and questions that may feel personal and out of bounds.

Almost the entire interview was reading through my resume and describing my retail experience. Also asked questions about my interest in fashion, how I would describe my style, and a mock buy session in which I went through clothing and passed or “bought” in items.