Bad job interview

[Almahart]

I’m waiting to hear that I haven’t got a second interview after an interview yesterday in which I completely failed to demonstrate that I had the skills to do the job.

Basically I had done the wrong kind of prep, though in my defence there was a day’s notice and I was told it was a one on one conversation- when I got there it was a formal interview with two people

Anyway I am boring myself with going over it in my head and am waiting for the email putting me out of my misery.

Anyone want to share job hunting misery?

I am still stewing over an interview I had last month where I spent far too long preparing my presentation, and not enough time prepping examples for the interview itself, meaning I was unable to answer some really basic question.

Still absolutely kicking myself over it

So, I feel your pain!

I was working for a large global company as a temp for 6 months, had turned down other outside perm roles as I really wanted to stay with the company.

About 6 perm roles came up in my area, and I didn't get one because I didn't demonstrate in the interview I wanted the job enough.

I interview people a lot. I know the in's and out's of the process. I was gutted.

They asked me to stay on as a temp. I declined but it threw my self confidence.

6 months on and I'm still pissed off!

I found that the more interviews you do, the easier it becomes.

Write down all of the questions they asked you and use it to prep for future interviews.

Oh god a month of kicking myself!!

I only ever go for jobs that I really want but I did used to work with someone who Fid an interview every six months or so. Honestly I think it’s a bit shit to waste everyone’s time but I can see the benefit.

Before I hit my 40s I got every job I ever went to - I think as you get more senior it gets harder but also I feel really quite out of practice

‘Did’ an interview

@EmpressJewel good idea, I’ll write up notes and file them with my cv

I recently went to an unsuccessful interview involving a test, which apparently I did “wrong” but actually I didn’t and they subsequently realised THEY were wrong and mentioned they’d change the test for future interviews. So that was nice.

That’s good @puppymonkey

I'm a teacher and regularly graded outstanding.

I got a job interview for a leadership post and part of the process was teaching a maths lesson.

Maths is my last subject.

It was a disaster!!! So so bad! The kids didn't have a clue with the fancy resources id brought and I just froze and persevered with my shit lesson

Then the head says "one minute" and I thought she wanted to tell me something... nope she was telling me the time left.

Mortified.

I arranged a job interview late Friday afternoon. Big mistake. I was exhausted from my current role (the reason I'm looking) and was distracted by a lunchtime incident that resulted in an injury.

Every question they (3 of them!) asked I couldn't process, couldn't formulate a coherent answer. Didn't even get home before I got the 'thanks but no thanks' email.

Been looking since just before Christmas so not long, but I really need to change jobs soon.

Thank you all misery loves company and this is really cheering me up!

When I was made redundant I went to so many job interviews and here are the highlights:

Burst into tears at the first question. They said I could carry on after I'd composed myself but I figured the chances of getting the job were quite low at that point.

Different company, they stopped the interview about 15 minutes in to tell me I wasn't right for the role. That really knocked my confidence as I thought it was going ok and they couldn't even bear to listen to me for another 30 minutes.

At another one, I had to do a test which was to write a report on how to improve a process. No problem. Except when I got there the brief was to write about a particular process that you'd only know if you worked in that department. So I knew straight away they'd rigged it for an internal applicant. Got a call 20 minutes after the interview to tell me I was unsuccessful. What a shock!

One tip to pass on - do NOT fall for the informal chat thing

This is the second time this has happened. Last time i had glowing feedback from first interview, was only candidate to go for ‘chat’ with chief executive and head of dept.

Chat was re run of exact same interview in same room one miserable January evening. Sample question. Can you tell us all your contacts in the national press.

It was so bad that the chief exec who I had worked with before sent me a letter of sort of apology

I had a job interview recently, two in fact, stacks of experience and qualifications in a niche area. I didn't get the job because somebody else was better qualified. I've got a 1st class degree in the relevant subject and an MA with distinction ffs.

Like OP I only ever go for jobs I really want, and normally get them.

Not now.

I really wanted one last week, I was offered an interview and then it was retracted, because the hours were too long.

Worse still: I went for one last week, apparently for someone famous, haven't even heard back from the agency. And to top it all off yesterday I got a letter of a speeding fine (and I'll get 3 points) - because I didn't know the area, I didn't know that stretch of road was now a 30, and I was doing 40. Dh is well cross!

I currently work with children in a role where safeguarding is paramount. I went for a job in a school and couldn't explain what safeguarding was!

My mind just went blank. My opener was "Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility." And it didn't get any better after that

PeakingDuck
I am still stewing over an interview I had last month where I spent far too long preparing my presentation, and not enough time prepping examples for the interview itself, meaning I was unable to answer some really basic question.
I did that recently too! Aaargh!

Still haven’t heard

Any more awful experiences?

Ooooo I've got a few, I went to one interview where I really wanted the job...I turned up and they had forgotten I was coming, the interviewer was plastered, and so disinterested... I'd prepped hard for that interview so made him continue regardless, he was sweating booze. It was so obvious I was a make up the numbers.

I'm quite specialised so I now have a blacklist of companies I will not interview again for. I'm not there to make up the numbers as they want to keep their current contractor - but have to put it to open competition.

The worst ones are where they have grilled me on things that only the exact person currently doing the job would know... I've actually pulled a few of those interviews short, as why should I waste my time. And then they have wondered why when they genuinely need to fill the post that I won't entertain them 😱

My absolutely worst though, was two rather slimy chaps who kept asking me how I would cope with the hours as I had children, and who looked after the children, and so and so on. The sexism that oozed off them was yuk, my agent called me to get a brief and i told her exactly what they said... (sorry can't tell as it would be spectacularly outing). I told my agent I didn't want the job, so no idea if I got it or not, but they went out telling me in our industry that I was working for to try and get business - basically submitting my CV for contracts.... I was not amused.

Arghhh did one last week where for some bizarre reason I said out loud what I was thinking which was not a good thing to say. Mortified and a big fat fail.

A drunk interviewer

I always muck up interviews i just cannot do them. I have no idea how i got my current job i fuck up basic questions like mushroom

I was thinking of doing a course to help me

Not me but a friend of mine was asked in an interview how people would best describe her and she replied Sexy 😂

Another time they asked her to give examples of being a team player.
She says she just kept repeating ''I am very team''

She's very clever and articulate usually but just terrible at interviews !!

@Thatstoast how rude of them. Think you dodged a bullet there.

I applied for a job that had previously been advertised but the company had realised it was more of a management position.

All good I applied and got an interview. Spent hours preparing, researching company and values etc. Rushed there after work one day to have the interview.

Was then called to say sorry for messing me around but they had decided to drop the job to its previous non manager level.

I don't think they knew what they wanted