To ask for your interview fuck ups

In 1976 for one of my first teaching jobs I was interviewed at the school in the Head Master's office by his nibs himself - nobody else present. It was 11am and he poured himself a large sherry and then one for me. I was so nervous I drank it all! He pulled out a packet of Benson & Hedges and offered me one. I hardly smoked but took it anyway and he lit it for me. Obviously I coughed and spluttered until I could barely speak.

He then asked if I was engaged or thinking about getting engaged as in his experience, engaged ladies tended to leave as soon as they got married to start a family. I wasn't.

He then walked me around the school (me staggering and wheezing) and offered me the job. With a slur, I croakily accepted!

Civil service board interview. Very smart intimidating panel on one side of a long desk. Me in a chair in front of them .fluffed it from the start and it just got worse. Drawing to a close they asked me if I had any questions for them I replied, ' yes, can I go now please'. Got the next job I went for there as I knew what to expect.

I was the interviewer. Woman turned up with 2 massive tesco carrier bags of shopping. Seemed a bit wacky, but capable. As she turned to leave I noticed 2 velcro rollers in the back of her hair that she must have forgotten to remove.

We gave her the job and she became one of the best friends I've ever had.

I once made a career mis-step into a role I absolutely hated with loads of travel I hadn't expected. Started interviewing after a couple of weeks. One screening call they ask why I was job hunting so quickly and I said "there's so much travel with the job which I wasn't expecting, and I'm running out of dog sitting favours with friends and family". Which, is fine, except I don't have a dog and I don't know why I needed to qualify my original (totally ok) reason.

I thought, no biggie, I'll not be speaking to the HR person again. She told the interviewer. We spent 15 minutes discussing my lovely three year old shiba inu called Holly. Why I didn't just say a Labrador or something I don't know. The second interview with the big boss we also spent 20 minutes talking about our pet dogs.

They offered me the job, I turned it down. I didn't want to have to get a dog!

Turned up hungover and told them! No, I didn't get the job and I must have reeked of alcohol. Not my finest hour

I went for a job at a supermarket in my 20s. The three men interviewing me asked if I had children and what would I do with them if they were ill.

I asked them the same question. They looked really embarrassed and then I proceeded to give them 1 10 minute lecture on equality and discrimination in the workplace. They actually offered me the job! I told them I didn't want it (in not very polite terms).

I was interviewing quite recently a young man who basically gave me his life story when I asked him about his strengths and weaknesses. Including his addiction to cocaine and nightly binge drinking. He said the job would be a chance to leave all this behind.

I applied for a job doing something that I was already very experienced in, but it was an essential requirement that you could speak a specific second language (I can’t, not even a tiny bit).

Managed to get an interview. Chatting with the other candidate while waiting I realised she was fluent in the other language but had never done the job before.

Went into interview, and when asked about language fluency confidently told them that I didn’t speak the language at all, but could do the rest of the job immediately without training; and asked them to consider whether they wanted someone who was fluent and inexperienced, or someone who could hit the ground running and then learn the language.

Must have made a good impression as they offered me the job; on the condition that I take steps to begin learning the language. I accepted over the phone; spent the night on duo-lingo trying to get started then panicked that I would never be able to reach an adequate level of fluency and sent an email to withdraw my acceptance.

I was prepping in the car beforehand & managed to leave my glasses in my car. Couldn't see to read a A4 Spreadsheet they asked me to complete. Decided to be honest & say I couldn't read it rather than try & wing it. I got the job!! Apparently they liked my honesty 😂

About 6 years ago I had an interview at a HE college. There was a written task and a group task too. I did my best, although I hate interviews. I was relieved that I was told that I was through to the second round. At this point, another successful candidate, much younger and very beautiful and seemingly confident, told me, politely, that I had my blouse on inside out. I did. I don’t know how it happened! Or why! Argh! I’d gone through at least a couple of hours and surely everyone my at have seen. I had to go to the loo and put it the right way. Honestly I felt like the biggest twat ever. Perhaps I am or was. Needless to say the next part didn’t go well for me. My daughter is starting here in September and my husband’s a governor. Oh well!!

My interview for my current role went horribly. I was asked about the MSc I was studying at the time, and how it had changed my practice (it was for an advanced practice clinical role). I broke down in tears saying the MSc had basically made me question if ever known in my job and that I didn't think I'd be able to assess a big standard simple ankle sprain.....I was very surprised when they offered me the job at the end of the interview 😱

I read on one of these threads years ago someone tripped over a potato at an interview. Countless posters asked why there was a potato in the room but the question was never answered. I think about it every time I have an interview now!

My worst was probably my most recent one, the interviewer was really down to earth and approachable, I ended up massively oversharing details of my life. I haven't heard back from them weeks later on so I'm going to guess I haven't got that one!

interview with the charitable arm of a commercial radio station.
On the way to the interview room, 'no, don't listen to the station, I like radio 4'

On a more positive note, an interview for a short interim role, closed with 'well I've got lots of other people to see, you're by far the most expensive, I'll let the agency know' - to which I replied 'yes of course, hope it goes well, you get what you pay for'
The agency called back within an hour to confirm when I could start, and would I commit to six months rather than two? I stayed for two and a half years.

hope it goes well.

I was interviewing for a PhD and you had to put down 5 potential supervisors in the dept. I was only keen to work with 2 or 3 of them. I went into one interview and the first question was ‘What is it about my work that interests you enough to do a PhD in my group?’ I couldn’t actually remember what he did. I did get the supervisor I wanted though! But then saw this guy around the department and cringed every time with embarrassment.

On telling a candidate he was not successful he burst into tears because he needed a job for his wife to keep her visa and it was all my fault that she was now going to be deported😳

I interviewed for a role which was split over two areas eg 'comms and marketing manager' and when they asked about my weaknesses I said 'probably marketing because I've never done that'... Absolute brain fart.

Also I interviewed at a wallpaper company and when they asked about their competitors my mind went blank and I couldn't think of a single other company that sold wallpaper. I'd prepared so thoroughly otherwise as well.

I once had a candidate turn up 90 minutes late and without any form of ID whatsoever, despite me explaining quite clearly both on the phone and in the confirmation email that ID was needed to get on site and that they needed to allow 20-30 minutes to get through main security and then our building security.

I have them the benefit of the doubt because I knew it was the best part of a 3hr journey to the arse end of beyond and most people underestimate the journey time.

They turned up for the second interview a week later 45 minutes late.

I told security to turn them away.

Also, not a job interview but I once had an audition, then instead of walking out of the room, walked into a cupboard. So then I had to go back into the room and out again.

One of the interview panel had a very thick accent. He asked me a question and I didn't understand what he'd said, I had to ask him to repeat it. He repeated it. I didn't understand again. He repeated it AGAIN. I didn't understand it AGAIN. I was absolutely dying inside. At this point one of the other panel members repeated the question and I finally understood 😅

The interview itself went well but at the end my legs had gone numb and when I stood up to leave I fell to the ground 😳

Straight out of school, I had an interview for a sales assistant in a shoe shop.
I wore a knee length skirt, tights and 3-4 inch stilettos (early 90’s)
It turned out the interview was in the office which was in the basement of the shop, there were really uneven stone steps leading down and I wasn’t used to wearing stilettos- think they were my mums.
I fell down the last 5 or 6 steps - ripped my tights, blood pouring from my knees, split my skirt
The manager was running round trying to find the first aid kit to patch me up - I was trying not to cry.
The manager sorted me out and was visibly shaken, then decided to forget the interview and made me a cuppa with biscuits and we had a chat.
She offered me the job on the spot, was probably worried incase I put a claim in 😂.
I was there for about a year, she was lovely but always joking about not letting wanker near the stilettos.

Oh god 🙈 That makes my mascara panda eyes experience feel less bad!

First job interview in London. Got on tube in wrong direction. Managed to phone them to let them know I was going to be late, call was a bit broken up as it was one of those lines were you go in and out of being underground.

When I go there they asked me if there were delays and I said “No I went in the wrong direction” and laughed at myself.

Got the job. They were apparently impressed that I was honest and didn’t take myself too seriously.

I got asked if I knew the history of the company and I didn't have a clue! Also had a coughing fit just after starting the interview, thought I was going to be sick and it wasn't long after covid!
Didn't get the job 😂
I did a teams interview recently and didn't shut the cats out as they'd make more noise scratching and yelling, one sat politely next to me on camera for most of the interview 😂 Got that job but decided against it as it wasn't the same as the job as and not for me.

I had an interview for a job I was already doing. I really wanted to be made permanent. I had a vomiting bug the day before the interview and still wasn’t feeling very well. I cried a little in the interview. So embarrassing and I’ve never told a soul.
I didn’t get the job.