Share your embarrassing job interviews with me to make me feel better!

[EmbarrassingInterview]

I had a job interview today. I got a question wrong, and I've felt SO embarrassed all day I've been totally out of sorts, really really stressed out and just it's running over and over and over and over in my head and I can't get it out. My brain is just in overdrive on it, 12 hours later. Maybe the solution is to drown it out with your embarrassing interview stories and make me feel less bad?! Please share!

The thing is, sorry not to get this off to a great start but mine isn't even that bad and isn't funny, it's just hit me really peculiarly and I can't shake it off. How do you get over embarrassment and stop it running wild in your brain? I really struggle - I can still feel embarrassed for things that happened when I was a kid!

Basically, mine is I just got an absolutely basic competency question wrong. It's a question that someone one month in a training job would know and i'm a 4 year fully qualified person who does this very thing literally day in day out. They flattered me with how qualified I was, saying 'we probably don't even need to ask...', so I got myself in a silly flap, laughed about how I didn't know the answer, and plonked for the wrong one out of two options without even trying to think it through. AND They didn't let on I'd said the wrong one.
I realised pretty much as soon as I finished the interview and could have literally 2 seconds to think through the logic. Then I - even more embarrassing cringe- impulse emailed straight away being like 'oh no, of course it's the opposite', but of course I could have just googled it by that point (I shouldn't need to, it's obvious), and also, obviously, the damage was done already.

I don't know why I've got myself so wound up, this interview didn't even matter, it was just going to be a nice bit of extra something to do that I'd enjoy, contributing something positive to the world. I've got a main job, this was just a second weekend job for a cause I believe in.

Ohhh...

Sorry for the rant, I'm really wound up with embarrassment still. Share your tales of embarrassing woe!

They’ll give you plenty of latitude, nervousness-wise.

It sounds like the rest of the interview went really well.

All the best, @EmbarrassingInterview. I’ve got my fingers crossed for you!

Fingers crossed for you, don't beat yourself up, I've sat in on a few interviews recently and some people got a really basic question wrong but as long as the rest of the interview was strong it's overlooked.

My most cringe worthy interview was for a professional job needing experience and qualifications, I'd made it through the first round and went for a face to face interview in what I can only describe was a disco room from hell. The interview was done sat on bean bags in a funky painted room with an fecking disco ball spinning, I've never felt so uncomfortable but apparently it was to put people at ease! Trying to get out of a bean bag as a larger lady in a suit and heels was not my finest moment, somehow I was offered the job but couldn't face working somewhere I'd made such an arse of myself!

I'll help you out. I fell asleep in an interview. I was a secretary, looking for a new job. I'd always found that if my boss had an interesting job then mine would be, too, so I asked the interviewer - my potential boss - what he did. He told me in great detail and it was so fucking boring that I went to sleep. I woke with one of those jerks to find him and the other interviewers staring at me. We finished off with him saying, "We'll be in touch" but obviously - and fortunately - I never heard from them again.

You'll probably get the job... tbh sleep on it, it'll feel less terrible better in the morning I promise.

Here's mine. You know that thing about how women should apply for more jobs for which they don't completely match the job description? Yeah, I did that, and it's a terrible idea. I have no idea why they shortlisted me, but maybe because I was an internal candidate. Within 10 minutes it was crystal that I had absolutely zero concept what to do with said job and that my preparation had been hilariously inadequate. I almost stood up and said 'shall we stop this, it's a waste of your time' but wasn't quite brave enough. To try and speed things up I just started answering 'yup' 'nope', but the main interviewer started digging in to try and get me to elaborate. It was painfully embarrassing. Eventually it ended, they promised me feedback, which thank the Lord they never gave and I never asked. I have worked in the same organisation as that panel for a further 8 years and have managed to avoid ever speaking to any of them ever again! It took me a year to be able to pass the interview room without feeling sick...

That is hilarious!!

I went for an interview years ago with a major insurance company. I was wearing my best suit (which I hadn't worn for a while and it was a bit tight).

Sitting down on the, very low, interview chair the zip in my trousers burst open.

I spent more effort trying to conceal the opening in my files than in answering the interviewer's questions.

I didn't get the job.

I had one where my mind went completely blank - competency-based question - I sat there with my mouth gaping open - didn't even have the wit to ask if we could come back to the question later. Didn't get the job, unsurprisingly. I did ask for feedback but they never came back to me.

I had one where I got a fit of the giggles because his answer to my question was so stupid. It was so awkward and I couldn’t focus on the interview after that.
I didn’t hear back from the company.

I had a phone call interview. Sat at my desk (at home), with note pad, pen, glass of water. Said hello, deep breath, leaned back on (cheap ikea) chair, whereupon the chair broke and I loudly crashed to the floor.

interviewer-asked (in a worried and concerned manner) what had happened. I said I’d fallen off the chair and he suggested we reconvene. I said I was absolutely fine and we should continue. We did. I got the job!

Fortunately this was years before video calls!

I went for one early in my career with an organisation whose business was supplies for a popular hobby. It isn't this but an example would be if they made wool. The job was an office based one, nothing to do with the product itself. Got to the interview, they looked at my CV and said "I see you haven't put knitting as one of your hobbies" and I opened my mouth without thinking and said "that's because I'm not interested in it", my first thought was "why on earth would I have put that" and my second thought was "oh fuck". They laughed and said pretty well everyone puts it on for us whether they are interested or not. I got the job.

I have 2 stories to share!

I went to an interview for an accounts admin role and, after a few questions, I was told I needed to do a test. I had no idea there would be a test! They left me in the room and told me to ring them when I finished. I literally went blank and started to panic when I looked through the booklet of maths questions. I decided before I got to the interview room that the company wasn’t for me as there were piles of paperwork everywhere and the employees didn’t look happy, so I decided not to bother doing the test. I was so glad to get out of there.

I had an interview at a private secondary school as a classroom assistant. The job was working in the chemistry department helping to set up equipment etc. The interview was going okay until I got to the last room where there was a load of equipment set up. I was given a piece of paper with chemical formulas on and was asked to mix them up. I decided not to try in case I blew up the lab, so I told them I didn’t want to risk it as it can be dangerous to mix chemicals. I was told a few days later that I was in with a chance to get the job, but they wanted to interview a lady relocating to the area who had experience. I was very relieved when I was told the position had been filled.

Not me but a dear friend (who has now died and I know would not mind me sharing) had an interview for her first job after qualifying as a nurse.
She was a big lady and when she sat down on the chair it broke.
Being the fabulous woman she was she completely styled this out and had the panel laughing with her.
She got the job.

I went into an interview as a confident 18 year old, it was for a receptionist. Well I walked in and it was 3 suited people sat round a very posh board room style table, instant horror I was so intimidated, all the previous interviews I’d had, had been an ‘informal chat’ with one person! I instantly felt my face burning and fluffed every question I think I even stuttered at one point. I virtually ran out of the room after 😂

Another one was a well known male hairdresser for apprentice, I’d got through the initial stage but got sent to ‘the big guy’ for the final yay or nay…horrific, he questioned my parents jobs, and told me I couldn’t have the job as my mum was a SAHM and I wouldn’t have a good work ethic 😳 I don’t think I was from good enough lineage 😂 I felt so bad about myself after that interview and was gutted as I really wanted the job.

good luck OP I hope you get the job! x

I signed up with an agency at one time and was looking for admin/secretarial roles. The agency went me for an interview for a post as Company Secretary. For those that don't know, the Company Secretary role is nothing like a secretarial role - it is about compliance, governance etc. It is a senior role within a company. I was there for my interview with my extremely limited secretarial experience and no business experience whatsoever, apart from a brand new business degree which in no way makes up for no experience! What's even worse is that they had also sent somebody I knew who had more ordinary secretarial experience but no degree. We were both seriously under-qualified and not at all suitable for the role. The agency obviously hadn't the faintest idea what a Company Secretary was.

I also went quite a long way for an interview for a role as PA or something similar for the owner of a business. He started off by giving me information on the Company and what he needed - and within the first few minutes it became painfully obvious that I didn't have the skills that he needed. I stopped him and told him straight that I wasn't the person that he needed, without him even getting started on interviewing me. He felt so sorry for me that he gave me a hefty amount for travelling expenses, which was very much appreciated.

I had an interviewer ask me what my parents and older brother did for a living.
Yes, mate, i’m working class!

He also asked if I had a boyfriend.

I was a bit 🧐 at the time, but, now, I’m definitely more 🤨.