Just made a fool of myself at interview...I'm so upset

[doodlisaxx]

Had a interview today
Well if you can call it that
It was at Hilton hotel
For a room attendant /housekeeper

I got there and the receptionist told me I was too early (15 mins early ) so I just sat in reception whilst they gave me daggers
Then one came over and said "housekeeping interview isn't it ? " I said yes and she rolled her eyes (no idea why )

Then head of housekeeping comes over
She was nice enough but asked me nothing
I mean nothing
No previous job history
She said okay go to a room and make a bed.

Bare in mind I have no experience (ad said training will be given )
Got to the room
It was red hot
Head of housekeeping
Supervisor and 2 room attendants all there.

I had to try and guess how they like the bed being made
I had no experience of making a hotel bed

Whilst I was was busy making it they were whispering "she hasn't folded that properly "
At this point I was panicking and sweating
Shaking the works
Anyway I made the bed (in a fashion )
The head of housekeeping just said
"Sorry we won't be offering you this role "
Then I left
I'm so embarrassed

Are you white British?

It's them, not you, honestly. I bet one of them has a mate lined up for the role.

Horrible experience for you but don't let it knock your confidence.

They know exactly what kind of housekeeping staff they're looking for - vulnerable people with limited English skills with lots of experience turning around rooms in impossibly short times for minimum wage.

I imagine they rolled their eyes because they could tell you weren't that (maybe your CV they'd seen beforehand?).

They treat housekeeping staff appallingly, you dodged a bullet there until housekeepers form a proper union

As it sounds. How hard can it be? I'm sure OP is capable of learning.

@opalescented I did clarify upthread that that wasn't aimed at people in similar roles. The op is overqualified and should aim higher. I've acknowledged housekeepers are hard working and have different skills. Doesn't mean the op can't go for a job with higher pay and better conditions.

Op have you had a few threads about this? I've read a few but with various hotel names.

This completely. If you'd worked there you'd have faced that all day every day. You've made a lucky escape.

Never you mind, they sound like a bunch of unprofessional, condescending morons. You've dodged a bullet by not working there OP. Who would want to spend time in an awful environment such as that?
I would message their head office and send them a full report of the experience.
Dust yourself off- there's something much better for you than this position.

Sounds horrible!

Whenever I have gone through situations like that I just think oh well it's a bit of life experience and a story to tell.

Don't be embarrassed, they won't even give you a second thought (and I mean that in the nicest way)

But how on earth is she supposed to know what their standard is if they never told her? She's not bloody psychic!

You've had a lucky escape. Imagine the constant scrutiny and bitching there would be if you actually worked there. Sorry you had such a terrible experience.

Well yes, that's what I thought too.

I had to try and guess how they like the bed being made
If you could read minds you'd have a Vegas residency and you'd be raking it in. Leave them to their secret special hospital corners and dark arts of pillow plumping, op. They don't deserve you.

You really, really didn't make a fool of yourself - they made fools of themselves, they sound horrid. Good luck for your Hays interview x

@doodlisaxx do not feel bad - this was not your fault.

To give you some hope…

My DD has been looking for a summer job. She is 18. Happy to do NMW jobs but they mainly seem to only add up to 16 hours and we live in an area where competition for NMW jobs is fierce and she had no experience. So she took one working for a large household retail chain (not a supermarket) shelf stacking starting a shift at 4am (to give you an idea of what she was prepared to take). Absolutely no training and no breaks in a 6hr shift. She was balancing on boxes to reach the higher shelves - ridiculous for a shop that sells steps (I pointed this out). No one checked she had the right to work. No uniform. No payroll info, no. Handbook and no idea what her shift would be (the person who hired her went on holiday). I actually encouraged her to leave after all the workers were left waiting for over an hour on more than on occasion in the dark and pissing rain with no way of contacting whoever was the shift manager to let them into the store because this is no way to treat anyone.

She then applied for a chain restaurant position where she was expected to do a ‘trial shift’ for no pay. Again, it might be considered normal, but everyone’s time is worth something IMO and you can’t model encouraging kids to feel valued if you allow someone to pay them £0 for their time..,.,

Anyhoo.. She then rang a local restaurant. Owner was lovely. Paid her above the NMW for a trial shift and gave her as many hours as she wants to work during the Uni hols.

There is a job out there for you OP. Don’t give up. You arrived on time having sone all the research and prep. You couldn’t possibly have known they’d want you to make a bed (I wouldn’t expect an interview for a trainee mechanic’s job to include an oil change!)

Give yourself a break this evening, This was not on you.

Exactly this. Ive seen it in action from the other side in a big corporation when a manager had earmarked a friend for a position that stated training would be given then scuppered the other candidates.
You could let Hilton know, or chalk it up as a very near miss, sounds like it would be a toxic environment to work in.

LondonPapa
For any role in housekeeping, service etc. with Hilton, you get tested first and, if you pass the test, interviewed second.

If this is how it's done it should have been communicated to a prospective employee.

Don’t worry once I ‘rode’ out of an interview setting on a massive umbrella whilst pretending it was a broom when they told me there was no on site parking. I have no idea why. Nerves I think! I didn’t get the job! It
sounds like you were more composed and it was them with the problem!

😂

You’ve dodged a bullet - how awful for you xx

You definitely did nothing wrong.

Imagine how horrible it would be working there! Congratulations on dodging a bullet.

This is amazing 😂😂😂

You absolutely should not be embarrassed by that interview. That was totally on them - terrible behaviour. In the future you will realise that you have dodged a bullet there.

That sounds awful. I'm sweating for you.

You dodged a bullet though, what horrible people. I'm sure the questions you practiced will come up in other, proper interviews so the time wasn't wasted.

Honestly, they should feel embarrassed, not you. You didn't do anything wrong.

Imagine how bad they would be if you started working there if that is how they act when they are supposed to be impressing you!