Finding a Job: Americans’ Experiences with Interviewing

An October 2017 Associated Press and CNBC poll of 1,054 adults conducted by The AP-NORC Center explores Americans’ experiences with job interviewing.

Half of Americans have faced problematic questions or inappropriate situations during a job interview at least once. In an Associated Press (AP) and CNBC poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, most job applicants have had to deal with uncomfortable situations at some point during a job interview. Three in 10 acknowledge exaggerating or lying about their background at any time while they were seeking a job.

When considering a job offer, Americans give most importance to the type of work they’d be doing, the salary, and the benefits package. Where the job is located and whether flexible hours are offered are given less weight. And few regard office amenities as a significant selling point for a job.

Online and telephone interviews using landlines and cell phones were conducted with 1,054 adults, 1,030 of whom said they had ever interviewed for a job. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.0 percentage points.