To ask for your interview fuck ups

Also once put a fork in a tomato at a posh interview lunch and it squirted out and hit a lady who worked there.

I once had an international interview. I have no idea what came over me, but got it in my head it would be two hours later than UK time rather than two hours earlier. I have no idea why I did this: I understood the time difference of the country.

Anyway, the skype call on my computer woke me up and I ANSWERED IT. In my pyjamas.

I wanted to die. I was supposed to be moving to this country to join my (now ex) and he was so desperate for me to get the job. I never admitted what happened.

30 years ago I had an interview for being a Clinical Research Associate. I was newly qualified as a nurse, no experience in research and no degree. I was surrounded by ridiculously talented and experienced people interviewing for the job. Turned out the place was quite dingy and not what I was expecting. When they asked me why I wanted the job I said I wasn't too sure if I did as the place was a bit gloomy and I wasn't clever enough but the Monday to Friday 9-5 hours and massive pay rise would win me over. By the time I had got home they had rung offering me the job. They said they valued honesty over everything else. Best job I've ever had. Good luck!!

It was a second interview, the first had been a breeze. This one was in front of the big boss. It quickly became apparent that I was woefully ill equipped for the role, I got really nervous and managed to get my bracelet tangled on a button on my suit so badly I couldn’t move my arm. The more I wiggled to get myself free the more tangled I got. God I made an idiot of myself 😳 Funnily enough I didn’t get the job.

Tripped over a step as I walked in the room, fell flat on my face! I didn't get the job. It was also one of my first ever interviews as a teenager after A levels. I still cringe 40 years later.

Turned up a week early because I had only read the day and not the date on the letter!! The office lady was very lovely and didn't tell anyone. I came back a week later and got the job 😆

I went for a WHS group interview as well for a temporary sales assistant role!
Not a great experience and the interviewers were so full of themselves!

😂🤣😂
Fabulous!

I had an interview where the male interviewer kept glancing at my top.
I realised when I left that one of my buttons had popped open. 🙈

My colleague and I were interviewing and one of the interviewees was obviously nervous and fiddling with a paper clip. My colleague suddenly shot up out of her chair; the interviewee had somehow flicked the paper clip she was fiddling with right into my colleague's eye. She was mortified and cried.

She interviewed really well though and got the job!

PS. Colleague's eye was fine, it mainly made her jump.

Not an interview but a meeting when I was about 24 (so a LONG TIME AGO).

I had a meeting with a man (probably mid 30s).

I was wearing a fine chiffon camisole with spaghetti straps and a boob tube underneath to hide my dignity.

At some point I realised he kept glancing at my chest which I thought was a bit off.

Then the meeting ended, I gathered up the heavy paperwork I had brought and went to shake his hand.

as I looked down I saw my boob tube had slipped down to my waist and my boobs were exposed. And because I had some much paperwork to carry I couldn’t pull my top up.

had to style walking out of his office utterly utterly mortified.

cant remember much else about it!!!!

Well, I think not liking poetry is justified.
There are many other types of literature.
As long as you explained why you didn't like poetry, that would've been acceptable for me, anyway!

I would highly recommend taking a bottle of water with you and don't be worried about getting it out and drinking from it. After I went to one interview and had to do it with a mouth like the Sahara as they didn't offer me a drink, I took one everywhere. I even had an interview at a drinks company and they didn't offer me a drink but had one themselves. So glad I had my own!

Good luck

Not my howler but someone else's.
I was interviewing for a post on my team. Most people have wee gestures or things they do when nervous, usually more prounced in an jnterview.
Everyone had to deliver a 10 minute presentation. One guy was obviously v nervous and when he stood up to present, He kept touching his crotch every few seconds. Obviously his comfort gesture. None of us could take in a word he was saying with his penis-press every 10 seconds. I so wanted to reassure him that it hadn't fallen off since he last checked.
A major part of the job would have been presenting to large audiences. He didn't get the job.

Three times now I've worn completely inappropriate shoes.

First two times I had to drive there and so wore my trainers and thought I had my heels with me. I did not. Both times in super smart suits and the trainers were very very obvious... Got both jobs though!

Third time, at least I was on crutches with a badly sprained ankle. I couldn't wear anything else! Nearly whacked my now boss with the crutches a few times in the pokey room... Got that job as well!

In the 80’s my gorgeous friend had an interview at a solicitor’s office as a typist. She was being interviewed by the senior partner and she idly (and rather enticingly) twirled her beaded necklace in her fingers whilst answering the questions. The string of beads promptly broke and hundreds of beads flew across the desk and floor. She hastened to gather as many as she could whilst trying to remain credible, and scrabbling under the desk she could see beads lodged in the interviewer’s trouser turn-ups. She got the job!

I got to the final stage of graduate scheme civil service interviews and thought I’d done really well with several very thoughtful responses - then lost it on the final question to which I stupidly gave an answer which could certainly be considered party political. As soon as I left the room I realised I should have just said that it was government policy enacting legislation. What an idiot.

Back in the 80's I had an afternoon interview in Knightsbridge as a trainee mortgage broker. Travelled up from Nottingham, every piece of clothing borrowed, and a tad nervous so decided to settle myself with a nice lunch and a glass or two of wine. As far as I remember the interview went well, they were very impressed when I told them that not hiring me would be a big mistake (oh, that Dutch courage!). We all stood up, shook hands and I promptly got my feet tangled in my handbag straps and went flying....

Still, I got the job 😁

Mine isn't that funny - just beyond stupid!

I attempted to exit afterwards via a storage cupboard - the doors looked similar.

Then at the second interview in the same room, despite really reminding myself not too, I did it again with one of the same interviewers.

Still got the job. I just have no sense of direction.

Many years ago I walked out of an interview . I had gone to an interview in a black skirt, tights and jacket but what I hadn’t anticipated was a team task after a panel interview. Candidate were shown to a room and put into groups, we were then asked to sit on the floor and given the task of making a boat that floated, we had to work together while interviewers stood in corners of the room grading us, of course there were some people who were loud and overpowering who wanted to take control of the task and I found it difficult because I was wearing a skirt, I remember looking around and thinking what the hell am I doing, I’m applying for an office job not Big Brother! So I got up and walked out, one of the interviewers came running out after me and said it was a shame I was leaving because I was one of their strongest candidates during the panel interview, but I’d made up my mind it wasn’t the company for me…I didn’t want to go through forced team games and tasks every month for a simple office job.

They asked me a question and I wasn’t sure so I took a sip of water whilst I had a think. It went down the wrong way and I couldn’t stop coughing for ages. Even when I thought the liquid had gone and I started talking it came up again and the coughing re-started. This must have lasted more than 5 minutes. In hindsight I should have turned off the camera but I didn’t 😞

I wasn’t offered the job.

Interview 2 weeks ago. The first in 6 years.
it was for an internal position so I figured casual chat with my manager as you do.
instead the new big boss that had started 2 days prior joined.
he asked what the best thing about working for the company was. I honestly told him the free bus pass 🤦🏽‍♀️ laughed it off and said options for progression.

shock of my life 4 days later- I got the job!

I'm another one who had to cut short an interview to be sick. I'd got up in the morning feeling sick and put it down to nerves, but halfway through the interview felt like I was going to vomit so had to apologise and ask where the toilet was. I wasn't sick, but was not well enough to carry on so I had to say I really had to go home. I'd gone on the bus, but was not well enough to go home on one so had to get a taxi (which used up the last of my money!) and only just got out of the taxi at home in time to throw up on my feet. Company rearranged the interview for the next week and I got the job.

DP went for a job that he really wanted. He was incredibly nervous and managed to lock the keys in the car at the site where the interview was. He rang me asking if I could come out with my keys and unlock it. I had to call my Dad to drive me out there (we only have one car) and take DS1 who was 2 at the time with me. When we got there we had to drive round 3 car parks to find our car and get the keys out of it (it was a huge site) then we had to drive round looking for reception. We then got told off by a security guard for being somewhere we shouldn't be, but he did tell me the quickest way to get to the reception which was to walk between two buildings. By this point DS1 had been in the car for an hour and a half and needed the loo so I took him with me to the reception to ask if there was a toilet we could use and my Dad said he'd drive round the other side and meet me.

Whilst I was explaining to the nice lady on reception that my DP was having an interview but had locked his keys in the car and could I leave them with her to collect DS1 managed to pull over a stand they had with leaflets on it which went everywhere! I was mortified and quickly trying to pick them up whilst DS1 started crying the he needed the toilet. The incredibly nice lady told me not to worry about the leaflets, showed me where the loos were and by the time we came out she'd had sorted out all the leaflets and gave DS1 a biscuit. She said he was cute! I'm not sure whether all this debacle got back to the interviewing panel, but DP did get the job.

Went for an interview once and the interviewer had her screaming toddler on her lap the whole time. Every time I’d try to talk he’d SHRIEK and she’d have to distract him with an iPad.

I was so blindsided I forgot almost every word I was going to say, it was hilariously awkward and the whole thing was a blur.

Needless to say, I didn’t get the job but did end up working there not long after. BIG mistake, as you’d expect.

Went for a job in a school. There was a practical test where I had to type on word a table which I did with difficulty as not done anything like that in previous roles.

Finished it and told the interviewer, who said to print it off which I did.

She looked at the finished product and was well impressed, which so was I as it was the original sheet I’d had to copy and mine was on the printer still 🤣

Didn't say anything but got the job 🥳