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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask you to make me feel better about this absolute howler of an interview? Or should I just leave the country?

217 replies

TattyOldOwl · 03/07/2026 20:57

So I had an interview today and it was over Teams in front of a panel of 3. I prepared well, and was sat in my home office at my desk on my new office chair

Anyway, before the interview, I’d been fiddling with the height adjustment of the chair as it wasn’t quite high enough for me. Finally got it sorted and all good.

so, I’m sat there and half way through an in-depth answer to a multi pronged question. I’m all animated and talking away when I suddenly feel myself descending but ever so slowly. I kind of stutter a bit as I’m SO distracted by this and I try to hold myself up by gripping my desk but it’s no use …. Literally, one moment I’m in their line of sight and then next, i gradually disappear from view as my hydraulic chair takes me all the way down as low as it will go.

I end up inches from my floor, desperately trying to scrabble myself back up and then I sort of PING back into view like a jack in a box to find one of the women on the panel literally helpless with laughter.

I just can’t. So mortified. Please tell me you’ve had worse?

OP posts:
JCS1000 · 04/07/2026 18:42

As someone who has interviewed hundreds of people over the years, you do find one interview/interviewee can tend to blend into the next. You on the other hand would have made my day. Don’t worry, you handed it well and I hope you get the job.

Original poster
TattyOldOwl · 04/07/2026 18:36

@Whyarentmysquashesthriving ha ha.

now that reminds me of a food related incident I had last year. I was at a dinner thing for a charity event. Sat at a table of about 12 and chatting to people as I ate … the meal was chunky chips and battered fish. ANYWAY … I speared what I thought was another chip with my fork and put it in my mouth only to quickly realise it was actually a large wedge of lemon!

And me being me, and because I didn’t like to draw attention to myself , just chewed it and swallowed it, rind, pips and all.

it was disgusting

OP posts:
Whyarentmysquashesthriving · 04/07/2026 18:31

I also once speared a tomato with my fork during a departmental lunch on an interview day, and the tomato seeds flew out and hit the head of department. I actually still got the job.

Wordsmithery · 04/07/2026 18:30

I reckon they'll offer you - and the chair - a job. 😂

BashfulClam · 04/07/2026 18:29

Honestly you will have stood out.

Purplecatshopaholic · 04/07/2026 18:29

I’ve got an interview coming up - I m totally going to try this, lol. Good luck op, I hope you get the job. Let us know

Lizziespring · 04/07/2026 18:28

Excellent. I do hope you got the job. I stood at the end of an interview and my smart new interview skirt fell to my ankles. Not only did nobody laugh, but as I reached down, grabbed it, pulled it up and redid the button and zip, nobody acknowledged it was happening.

Manifoldoptions · 04/07/2026 18:28

🤣🤣🤣 having a right old chuckle at this….too funny 😂😂

WearyAuldWumman · 04/07/2026 18:24

At uni, my tutor had a habit of sliding down his chair.

One day he went all the way down and slid right under his desk. He then scrambled up and continued as if nothing had happened.

I feel for you, OP, but it's not the end of the world.

Shell18celhave · 04/07/2026 18:22

I fell off a wheeled stool at a interview! Didn't realise it had wheels, & was a tiled floor. Bit embarrassed but hey ho. The interviewer came rushing over to help me up but I was ok & said I could manage it. So I flipped over to get up from a kneeled position & farted when I stuck my bum in the air, moved & farted again. Mortified I beg pardons & said a few oppsie daisies........I didn't get the job!

Whyarentmysquashesthriving · 04/07/2026 18:13

TattyOldOwl · 03/07/2026 20:57

So I had an interview today and it was over Teams in front of a panel of 3. I prepared well, and was sat in my home office at my desk on my new office chair

Anyway, before the interview, I’d been fiddling with the height adjustment of the chair as it wasn’t quite high enough for me. Finally got it sorted and all good.

so, I’m sat there and half way through an in-depth answer to a multi pronged question. I’m all animated and talking away when I suddenly feel myself descending but ever so slowly. I kind of stutter a bit as I’m SO distracted by this and I try to hold myself up by gripping my desk but it’s no use …. Literally, one moment I’m in their line of sight and then next, i gradually disappear from view as my hydraulic chair takes me all the way down as low as it will go.

I end up inches from my floor, desperately trying to scrabble myself back up and then I sort of PING back into view like a jack in a box to find one of the women on the panel literally helpless with laughter.

I just can’t. So mortified. Please tell me you’ve had worse?

Once answered a skype call in my pyjamas with bed hair back in the day. It was a job interview for an international school: I'd miscalculated the time difference.

Oldmamabear · 04/07/2026 18:00

TattyOldOwl · 03/07/2026 20:57

So I had an interview today and it was over Teams in front of a panel of 3. I prepared well, and was sat in my home office at my desk on my new office chair

Anyway, before the interview, I’d been fiddling with the height adjustment of the chair as it wasn’t quite high enough for me. Finally got it sorted and all good.

so, I’m sat there and half way through an in-depth answer to a multi pronged question. I’m all animated and talking away when I suddenly feel myself descending but ever so slowly. I kind of stutter a bit as I’m SO distracted by this and I try to hold myself up by gripping my desk but it’s no use …. Literally, one moment I’m in their line of sight and then next, i gradually disappear from view as my hydraulic chair takes me all the way down as low as it will go.

I end up inches from my floor, desperately trying to scrabble myself back up and then I sort of PING back into view like a jack in a box to find one of the women on the panel literally helpless with laughter.

I just can’t. So mortified. Please tell me you’ve had worse?

Im so sorry but this is the funniest thing ive read in a long time and worthy of a comedy sketch.

Regardless of this event you will either be the right person for the job or not and I dont thi know they would let this put them off xx

CandidRaven · 04/07/2026 17:57

I'm so sorry I laughed so hard at this 😂

Draytoncb · 04/07/2026 17:51

TattyOldOwl · 03/07/2026 20:57

So I had an interview today and it was over Teams in front of a panel of 3. I prepared well, and was sat in my home office at my desk on my new office chair

Anyway, before the interview, I’d been fiddling with the height adjustment of the chair as it wasn’t quite high enough for me. Finally got it sorted and all good.

so, I’m sat there and half way through an in-depth answer to a multi pronged question. I’m all animated and talking away when I suddenly feel myself descending but ever so slowly. I kind of stutter a bit as I’m SO distracted by this and I try to hold myself up by gripping my desk but it’s no use …. Literally, one moment I’m in their line of sight and then next, i gradually disappear from view as my hydraulic chair takes me all the way down as low as it will go.

I end up inches from my floor, desperately trying to scrabble myself back up and then I sort of PING back into view like a jack in a box to find one of the women on the panel literally helpless with laughter.

I just can’t. So mortified. Please tell me you’ve had worse?

It depends on what you say and whether the interviewers have a sense of humour.

I would write: "You may wonder why I slowly disappeared during the interview. It was not because the floor opened up, but because my chair literally let me down.

I'm keen and think I could make a real contribution to your firm. So if you've stopped laughing, I hope we can carry on from when my chair betrayed me,.

BambinaCucina · 04/07/2026 17:51

Well you certainly made yourself memorable! 😂

Wishing you the best of luck!

FFSItsTooHot · 04/07/2026 16:54

Your story reminded me off that scene in Johnny English where he's in an important, serious meeting and his chair slowly started to descend, until his chin was level with the desk.

DugnuttEyeBoogies · 04/07/2026 16:52

HangingOver · 04/07/2026 07:56

It wasn't an interview but I did once famously finish a meeting with my newish boss and tried to sweep out professionally, walking straight into a glass door. It made this BWONNNNG sound that reverberated around the whole open plan floor. By the time I got back to my desk I had about ten emails with laughing emojis.

Hahaha I can just imagine the Bwooonggg

DugnuttEyeBoogies · 04/07/2026 16:49

randomchap · 04/07/2026 02:00

Had an interview after a bout of digestive difficulties. Thought I was fine

As I sat down, I let out a fart of impressive duration

Did not get the job

I really hope you do

Snort!!

Daftypants · 04/07/2026 15:52

That’s so funny 🤣

Thepeopleversuswork · 04/07/2026 14:19

A friend of mine farted audibly midway through an interview for Oxford University. She still got offered a place there (she was bloody clever and predicted A*s at A levels which she delivered).

She turned them down.

DoraSpenlow · 04/07/2026 14:08

A friend was asked during an interview what ambitions she had outside of work. She said that she really wanted to join the Mile High Club. She thought it meant that she had flown more than a mile above the ground. She couldn't understand why they looked a bit stunned.

My own embarrassing interview was my very first one after secretarial college. I was 17. All during the interview there was this awful smell and the interviewer got up and opened the window. As I was leaving I bent down to pick up my bag to see there was a huge dog turd impailed on my new white stiletto (I am an Essex girl!). I was mortified and just got up and left, leaving a trail of crap behind me. Didn't get the job.

Firstruleofsoupover · 04/07/2026 10:31

I once cried in an interview. I don’t even know why, although one of the two interviewers was quite a stern woman and frightened me a bit. Perhaps I had been expecting an easy ride as I was well qualified and very keen. The other interviewer insisted we finish the interview despite my weeping protests. Marvellous.

shuffleofftobuffalo · 04/07/2026 10:31

I would have been the laughing panel member, I’d probably score you higher just for the entertainment factor and your JFC reaction probably have made me need to leave the room to compose myself before continuing. Assuming you are suitably qualified this could very well have tipped me into hiring you over another candidate….

Original poster
TattyOldOwl · 04/07/2026 10:14

@Thegreatestoftheseislove the word ‘blaspheme’ made me lol 😂

OP posts:
NoMoreDribbling · 04/07/2026 07:57

Hahaha that's so funny

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