To think this interview was quite unprofessional

[ssdfcxd2]

Hello,
I had an interview today and I did not get the job but when I left I knew I had not got it as the interviewers just didn't seem interested.

It was three ladies and it was an interview for a role working with children.

It was 9am so an early interview but:

• one was yawning throughout the interview and saying 'it's too early' a few times

• They would forget who was asking what questions and then there would be moments of

"it's your turn"
"no your turn isn't it?"
"no yours"

Then at the end, I was asked a questions and I mentioned a course I had done and one sarcastically said:
"Woah you've done a lot of research"

I was just thinking if I was yawning throughout the interview and repeating how tired I was it wouldn't be seen as good.

I felt rubbish after the interview.

[ColleagueFromMars]

I'm sorry, that sounds like a rubbish interview. If it's any consolation it doesn't sound like they'd be great people to work for.

[Cantdoitallperfectly]

I think you’ve had a lucky escape! I always think that although you’re the one being interviewed, the interviewees are representing their organisation and culture, I’ve walked out of an interview before thinking No thanks!

[Kanaloa]

I agree with pp, you’ve had a lucky escape there. Sounds like they were just pretty unprofessional, and if that’s their best first impression they won’t be better to work for. Hopefully you find something else soon.

[OudRose]

Sounds like a rubbish interview and I'm sure you've dodged a bullet!

I once had a job interview for M&S, I was about 17 and it was only my second interview.

When she had finished asking me questions the interviewer left the room, then came back in and asked me to follow her.
We came to a door and she stopped, told me they weren't taking my application any further and pushed open the door which led to outside. She gestured for me to leave and the door slammed shut behind me. It all happened so quickly, that until she pushed the door open I hadn't even realised the interview was over

I felt so shit. I have a successful career now, but I still remember how awful I felt.

It's them, not you. It's not difficult to treat people with respect.

[ssdfcxd2]

I'm not too fussed about not getting the job as the joys of job hunting is going through the rejections first,
it's the fact that I put a lot of effort into preparing, getting all geared and dressed up for the interview, bed early etc. just to be met with that professionalism.

Usually I would ask for feedback after a rejection but I really don't feel the urge to bother.

[ssdfcxd2]

@OudRose Wow how rude of them! I do not understand how some people can treat people so rudely.

[Sparticuscaticus]

Yup, terribly unprofessional of the interviewers, even just the 'it's your turn..' but before getting to the 'too early and yawning' part (at 9am?!)

Shame given all the effort you went to
I suspect they had someone in mind for the job (sometimes someone already temp in the post)
At least they showed you that they're knobs at the interview so you don't feel any loss

[CasperGutman]

I ca

[rainkeepsfallingdown]

A lot of people giving interviews don't have any training in recruitment and/or any experience. Sometimes if there isn't a dedicated hiring manager and/or HR person, someone gets told to hold an interview, and they see it as a chore that they don't want to do - they don't think about their impact on you, as a real person, with real feelings and needs.

So many things in life would be better if we all just took a moment to think about how our actions make other people feel. I'm sorry your interviewers were so thoughtless, and I hope this doesn't knock your confidence too much. It sounds very clearly a case of it wasn't you, it was them.

[CasperGutman]

Sorry, posted too soon!

To be honest, none of those things sound impossibly bad taken in isolation, but the overall impression you had does sound like an unprofessional setup.

I can't imagine how anyone can work in an organisation dealing with children and think 9am is particularly early! But that's odd rather than an absolute dealbreaker.

I suppose the "no, it's your turn" stuff would be understandable in a small-ish business where e.g. the interviewers were business partners whose "day jobs" were something entirely different, but I wouldn't particularly want to work with them on anything remotely similar to conducting interviews!

[Nikori]

It sounds awful.

I had a job interview once where they asked to meet me at a coffee shop in town. During the interview, she told me that I wasn't actually suited to the role but she thought she'd meet me anyway as she fancied a jolly into town to do some shopping.

[dontwantamirena]

You have my sympathies OP. I've had more bad interviews than good ones. I don't understand why companies bother inviting you in when they're clearly not interested. It's especially irritating if you've been struggling to get an interview anywhere, only to have your time wasted.

My worst was when the interviewer got bored going through the set questions and started asking about my parents and where they lived

[SnowHare]

I had an interview once for quite a senior job and as part of it I had to give a powerpoint presentation.

One of the interviewers sat there examining the split ends on her very long hair for the entire hour or so interview and never made eye contact.,

[ChristmasinJune]

They sound awful yes and as pp have said, you had a lucky escape as they'd probably be similarly rude and disorganised to work for. They probably had an internal candidate lined up. Don't let it knock you as it's about them not you.

[80sShoulderPads]

That doesn't sound great...I'd shrug it off and put that one down to experience!

I had an interview once where the interviewer made it quite clear that he just wasn't that interested. He asked me half hearted questions, didn't listen to the answers, was looking over my shoulder to the corridor outside most of the time and even waved to a couple of his passing mates.

I'd spent hours preparing as I thought it was the perfect job in the perfect location and I already knew some of the people there. The guy told the agency that I hadn't answered some of the questions satisfactorily, but when pushed for examples, one wasn't even a question he had asked me and the other was totally different to what I'd said! He was just making shit up, he openly admitted to the agent that the role was already earmarked for someone internally and they "didn't really want a woman".

Dodged a bullet there.

[SnowHare]

Oh! and I used to work for a well-known person and i went to an interview where the interviewer admitted I was not right for the job but they wanted to get me in to hear some gossip about my former boss.

I travelled over an hour on the train to get to that interview.

[ChristmasinJune]

My worst interview they refused to show me around the school and said (very sarcastically) we'll show you around if you get the job.
Sighed and rolled their eyes at every answer I gave then wouldn't show me out at the end of the interview so that I got lost.
So glad I didn't get the job

[thecognoscenti]

Going against the grain slightly, I don't think any of those examples by themselves is totally awful. I agree with a PP though that together they give a bad impression overall, and 9am is hardly early for most. That said, is it possible that the interviewers were trying to seem friendly and unintimidating, knowing how nerve wracking many people find interviews?

[SnowHare]

Anyway the BEST interview I ever had the interviewers were really engaged and enthusiastic and offered me the job on the spot.

12 months later I left after a period of such extreme bullying that I developed stress incontinence, vertigo and insomnia, had to go on antidepressants and had suicidal ideation. Turned out I was the ONLY candidate because for the firm had a reputation locally and despite that i left a year ago they still could not get anyone to apply for the job after me (3 recruiting rounds!).

So a great interview might not mean much either!

[ChikiTIKI]

Remember it's a two way process, you are interviewing them as well.

At least you found out what they are like and don't have to work for them now.

I've had a few naff interviews but glad things didn't go any further. Two examples:

• One of the interviewers who collected me from reception and took me back, asked about my time off for interview and I said I used a flexi day. They were SO frosty with me after that. Asked a previous colleague who worked there what the problem was. Turned out there was a massive standoff going on between staff and managers as they didn't allow flexi time (it was finance-- so you would be expected to do a lot of overtime at month end, but the managers weren't allowing people to take flexi days or even finish early in the quiet time of the month).
• Another one (different place) took me back to reception after and as I was signing out of visitors book, was saying thanks for taking the time to interview me etc, looked up and she was just walking off, didn't even say bye! I asked another previous colleague about it and he said he had gone out of his way to do a big piece of work for her, outside the scope of his role and she didn't even say thank you. Before the interview I met someone in the lift at a recruitment agency who had left that team. He was surprised the role was in the Manchester office as it was previously based in Ireland. She had hidden this this fact in the interview but had mentioned that whenever I needed to travel there (which would have been A LOT more than she was letting on), I would've had to submit a business case each time?!??

I just see it as two bullets dogded and some good interview practise.

[ChikiTIKI]

@snowhare that's so awful. I'm really sorry you went through that. Glad to hear you've got out! Hope you're recovering well from the ordeal.

[sweetheartyparty]

It should be a two-way street so they should try to impress you too. Agree with others that you've had a lucky escape, it sounds like they weren't very respectful

[icelollycraving]

An interview is a two way process. It’s a good opportunity to see if you want to work for them as well as you for them.
Glassdoor can be good for this!

[Groundhogdayzz]

It sounds like they already had someone lined up for the job (maybe a friend/temp already working there??) and were just going through the motions. Wasted your time and totally unfair, but I think this happens quite often. Good luck with your next interview, and try not to dwell on this one.

[FippertyGibbett]

Sounds to me like someone already had the job and you were one of a few they had to interview to make it look like it was done properly.