Just had the worst interview ever!

[Worstinterviewever]

(Lighthearted!!)

Pleeease help me feel better. I was just interviewed by a local authority. I had all the "essential" and "desirable" skills and qualifications.

I prepped for hours and hours and my answers were just "um" & "oh"...The questions were not really what I expected (not in the job description or job role spec!)

God I'm so embarrassed. How many days until they forget they interviewed an idiot? 😂😂😂

I went for an interview for a Customer Relations job once and told them that I didn't like talking to people on the phone...

I had one LA interview where the interviewer said he couldn't believe I was the same person who'd written the application as that was so good and my interview... was not.

Also for a social work job I was so bad that the head panellist just said 'thanks and good luck in the future' before I stood up to leave 😟 but I felt better as another woman had come out of the room before me saying 'that was the worst interview of my life!'

Good luck 🤞

@AceofPentacles oh my god! There's some red flags!!

I have just spoken with my friend who works at another LA and she was surprised that they hadn't asked to see my ID (passport) - so I think this is a sign I definitely didn't get it!

😭 I'm surprised too! They want someone with SQL experience too.

Don't worry. I interviewed for a promotion at my job. The job description covered everything I have already been doing, even the interviewer said that. They didn't give it to me, I threw up half way through, and not just a little bit, a sprinkler of red curry and rice.
Not only didn't I get the job but I still work there so I can't even run away and hide.

I went to one with really obscure questions. One question I asked them to explain and they just repeated it, twice and I still didn't understand what I was being asked! There were two interiewers and they just looked at me like an idiot but obviously were not allowed to say any more than was written on their questionnaire. Disasterous interiew and I had travelled a couple of hours to get to it so it was very frustrating.

As much as you can prep for a job interview - there's always the element of the unknown that can go off.

I've had interviews where I've got cramp, turned up two hours late, fallen over and generally not given the best first impression of myself and got the job.

I've done charismatic and insightful interviews and not got the job despite the panel appearing to love me.

I've been called shy, aggressive, too talkative, over prepared and underprepared in feedback. I can never call it - sometimes it appears completely random!

The worst interview I had was for a role which involved office management including managing it, phones, computer programs etc.

The interview was online. I couldn’t make the teams link work (I use teams every day), I rang them an they started again and sent me another link which I couldn’t make work. Then they called me and my phone cut out mid call.

I did not get the job.

I just want to hide away and eat 5 donuts

Loved that bit of your post!

I’m pretty sure you’ve got the job.

Please don’t take this as a sign, I work for an LA and interview people a lot! We never ask to see id docs as that’s all done by HR. You never know. Fingers crossed for you!

Senior manager in a LA here who has done a ton of recruitment over the years and you honestly don’t need to cringe any more - please don’t traumatise yourself because you’ll be more likely to fuck up your next interview and there is no need!

They shortlisted you because you have the knowledge and experience but ANYONE can suddenly go blank and perform badly…especially if you start badly, it can snowball from there (personal experience). They will almost certainly have said afterwards when they scored you “poor woman she is probably kicking herself she must have been having a shit day” - or similar.

Honestly there are worse things than stumbling and fumbling- obnoxious dickheads who are over confident are the ones that interview panels consider idiots and slag off after the process - and remember, more importantly. They really won’t think badly of you and they certainly won’t remember it (when you do a lot of interviews they blend into one after the day anyway!!)

Please don’t torture yourself any more xx

Thank you so much @Pinkclouds80 this is truly lovely.

How do you deliver bad news? Is it usually email? I want to be prepared 😂

I agree with the managers. It's also really stressful being on the end of an interview like that. It's like you are being interrogated and have no normal feedback to get an idea as to how your answers are being received.

Those sort of interviews are also more difficult for neurodivergent people - especially if they also require answers in a STAR format, so potentially discriminatory.

Years ago I just went to pieces in a job interview. I really wanted the job (I think) but just panicked, basically. The questions were as expected but my mind went completely blank on at least one of them. The more I couldn't decide what to say, the worse it got.

Later the boss phoned me and we had a sensible conversation where I presented very differently. She told me I wasn't her last choice (lol, which made me feel a bit better) and offered to coach me in Interview techniques, but I never took up the offer as I knew the techniques and had been fine in the past.

It took me a while to get over it though. The thought of it happening again made me too afraid to find out whether it would for a while. But I never did as badly again and eventually overcame my fears and regained my self belief.

I had an interview at a very cool ad agency and went on the tube, in the rain, reading my free metro. The guy seemed weird and distracted during the interview but it turns out the damp and the newspaper meant I had gotten ink ALL OVER MY FACE! I only realised after.

@Stickmansmum oh goodness that's embarrassing!!

I just feel so sad. There aren't many jobs vacant here and this one just looked nice and professional. I had all the essential and desirable criteria. With flexibility and good holiday

If you go on Indeed for my City you'll just get "Evri Driver, Seasonal bar staff, NHS Consultant etc"

I went for an interview where I got the giggles, I literally couldn't stop, my brain was saying shut the fuck up but the rest of me had gone to that happy place where there's no stopping it
The more I tried, the harder it was, I even thanked them whilst chuckling
I can't remember what the man said but it tickled me

I think LA interviews are so tough! They seem to be so intense compared to others. to you.

I went for an interview once and had two very quiet, restrained people interview me. They explained the job, asked if I'd got any questions and I could only come up with one as I didn't want to talk too much - the question being, can I look at the room I'd be working in😂? I got the job. I asked the other secretaries if they knew whey I'd got the job, especially as I found out who the other two candidates they interviewed were (and knew they were very good), and apparently they liked the fact I wasn't too full of myself.

It ended up being a lovely job. My manager and the partner who interviewed me were really nice once I got to know them.

Good luck for today.

A panel of four seems a waste of time and money!

I did a terrible interview for a housing association, and cried on the way home.

By the time I got home, they called and offered me the job. According to them I had done a fantastic interview, I certainly didn't feel that way. I felt I stumbled over questions a lot. But I think my end of interview questions and knowledge was good.

I missed the call by accident. No voicemail left. I really don't want this conversation.

How do you even say "thanks for letting me know" without sounding too awkward? 😂

@Worstinterviewever generally a call I’m afraid!! Depending on how many candidates there were and the level of the job. I would always give people a “shit sandwich” lol, which is start positive, describe where performance was weaker, then end on another positive.

Best of luck, it’s all just a game :))

Update! I didn't get the job because they filled it internally.

However I did score second highest and they interviewed over 10 people (over 200 applied!) So I'm quite impressed actually.