A few years ago – during my accountancy period – I had an interview with a well-known tobacco company in Nottingham. I remember it clearly because the interview took place in a large meeting room with a bowl of cigarettes on the table. People were actually smoking them, too. I was an amateur smoker myself at the time, but even I was taken aback by this.

The interview went well until they asked me a question about what I thought about the ethics of making and selling cigarettes. I answered that I was dead against it, and the interview went downhill from that point on. I never heard back from the agency so I assume I didn’t get the job.

In retrospect, I’m very glad I didn’t get it. I’ve never been a fan of smoking (except for passive pipe smoking, which I enjoy whenever I get the chance, which is seldom) and I was pleased when they banned it in pubs and restaurants – and, presumably, interview rooms.

I probably shouldn’t have attended the interview in the first place, but I needed a job.

Is that enough of an excuse? If you’re desperate, yes – but job seekers of today seem to place more importance on the ethics of the companies they want to work for, which I believe is a good thing.

Trust your instincts!

#ITrecruitment #recruitmentmidlands #smoking #nottingham

Inspired by idea – this article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/oct/04/tobacco-companies-smoking-profits-tobacco-levy-cancer-research