Tell me about your interview failures

[roaringwater]

Today I had a gruelling full day assessment centre for a job I really, really wanted. I didn't get it.

Please tell me your stories of interview failure so I feel worse a bit better.

Twenty years ago I had an interview lined up for a job in a motor racing PR company. I had a work trip booked immediately before so I took my portfolio with me (a cuttings book of all the stories I had placed) to edit and sort out. Which I did. On the hotel room floor. My plane was delayed on the return journey so I ended up being 2 hours late for the interview,however, I had phoned them from the airport to explain why I would be late.

I duly arrived, everything went well and then I got out my portfolio, opened it up and there was a bloody great big ginger pube lying in all its glory on a double page spread.

I didn’t get the job.

Interview for a new job, wearing best suit (not worn for some time). Went into gents for a pee before going in. Zip on my trousers broke. Spent the interview with my hands firmly crossed in my lap. Didn't get the job.

Cringe, I was clearly hormonal or had taken an immediate dislike to the woman interviewing me but she said something like "tell me what was your last job" and I replied "oh have you not had my CV?" whoops I was such an arsy cow in that interview and no I didn't get the job 😂 😂

Not a job but uni interview years ago - blagged in my application about a book I had “read” only to be introduced to the author of said book who very excitedly wanted my thoughts on it. I hadn’t got round to reading a word of it. I died of shame.

f83mx omg! What are the chances of that?! What did you say?! Did you tell them that you just hadn't read it?

It was my first interview out of college. Despite living in a homeless hostel and having a lot of shit going on at the time, I had done very well in my A levels - unexpectedly so.

I had an interview at a very prestigious organisation which was worlds away from the type of lifestyle I was currently living, so was feeling rather intimidated.

The interview itself went rather well, I thought, right until the end when I shook each of the panels hands and said 'fuck me, I'm glad that's over with! Give me a bell, yeah?'

I had rehearsed painfully what I was going to say at exit, along the lines of thanking them for their time etc, so wtf I said that I don't know.

Needless to say I did not get the job.

I just had to fess , question was so specific I had no chance of blagging an answer. Urgh I’m cringing now just thinking about it, shudder.

My last job interview was a car crash, I wittered on and on and on about all sorts of rubbish and was very over confident about my skills. Somehow they gave me the job....

Had interview for job after university with investment bank and asked why I wanted to work there. I replied I don't know I thought of things before but now I'm here I can't think of any reasons why I would want to work for you. What did I write on the form?

A later one for a charity where I said how much I would like to work for another charity getting the name confused.

Went for a job I really, really wanted because i was commuting and getting a job there meant I would be working closer to home. I had actually sent them my cv about six months earlier asking if they had any positions so was thrilled when I got a letter saying they did actually have one and could I go for an interview.

Interestingly I knew two people who knew the interviewer personally, but one said that he was a really lovely bloke while the other one said that he was an absolute arsehole, so I went in with an open mind.

And I was very confident, really wanted to work for that particular organisation and felt I would fit in there perfectly.

However, before he even got to the questions he started by saying “well, I’ve already done three rounds of interviews for this job and to date I haven’t been able to find someone who would fit in with my team, so let’s hope you’re different to the rest of them.”

By the time I left I had concluded that in fact yes, he was an absolute arsehole, and I had gone in thinking I would be really upset if I didn’t get the job to thinking that actually it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

I didn’t get the job, but I later heard that he had never in fact managed to recruit anyone for it. Not surprised really.

Went on a two year secondment and needed a permanent position. A rare vacancy came up and it was my wirst interview ever, even my boss said she didn’t recognise it as being me!
On the plus side I left for a new place and saw my old boss a few months later whilst with my new line manager. She kept telling him how she didn’t realise how hard i’d been working til I’d gone - result!!!!!