Just had an awful interview

[PerfectParisian]

The title pretty much sums it up. I don't feel like I answered any of their questions, and feel like I wasted their time.

Please cheer me up :) Any similar stories out there of tricky interview situations?

My friend had an horrendous interview on Tuesday,(for a teacher's assistant) she rang me in tears and told me how pathetic her answers were and how her mind just went completely blank.

Well, she must have done better than she suggested as she got a call on Wednesday to say they would like to offer her the job! So don't give up hope OP!

fell over and broke my arm reaching out to shake hands!

I did not get the job

Hi OP, I always recommend What Colour is Your Parachute for interview preparation - you can skip quite a lot of it but he says there are only really 5 questions, and they are something like -

Why are you here? ( why this job, not any other?)

What can you do for us? ( What are your skills, and how much do you know about some subject or field that is of interest to us?)

What kind of person are you? ( do you share our values? what kind of personality are you?)

What distinguishes you from nineteen other people who can do the same tasks that you can? ( experience? work approach? )

Can I afford you?

It's a useful book but these are the things you need to know, even if they don't ask them directly. So "tell us about yourself" is really question 2 - what can you do for us - and question 3 - what kind of person are you?

Had one last week where the interviewer sped through the questions and so I got confused and stumbled through my questions. At the end I asked "What's a typical day like here?" Fine. Then I asked how long the interviewer had been there. I was there maybe 10 minutes and the next day I received a rejection email. Fuck them then.

I had no idea but it had seemed like a good idea at the time

Brilliant! And brownie points for honesty
Depending on everything else, I might not even reject you for that, at least it's funny

Most of us have suffered these at some point. I recall the cold, frozen stare from a prospective employer after I'd asked her what the job entailed - you'd think that such a question was outrageous if you saw her face. That was only around ten minutes in and I knew I'd blown it. I felt like telling her to put her face straight whilst making for the door.

There was the wonderful interview when half way through I had the hot flush from hell - I went purple & the sweat was literally rolling down my face & dripping from my hair, plus I was feeling rather peculiar & lightheaded with it.

Then there was the time I'd had an excellent telephone interview, invited in for face to face "just because the client you'd be working for insists we check you aren't covered in tattoos & piercings (laugh)". they walked into reception where I was sitting, I stood up & they looked me up & down & I could see their faces fall. No I don't have tatts or piercings, my hair was neat & tidy and a normal colour, and I was wearing a smart business suit. Then again I'm short, fat & plain so obviously didn't fit the "image".

However the job I rolled up for 10 mins late hot & flustered, out of breath because I'd been running due to major train issues, i got.

I've had some corkers in my time.
There was one where I arrived early so bought a take away coffee and sat in my car drinking it. The lid came off and I spilt the whole lot down my jumper. I turned the jumper round so it was back to front (squirming around in their staff carpark) and put on an old fleece I kept in the car. Not a good look-didnt get the job.
A sinilar one was when I popped into a cafe for lunch and treated myself to jam tart and custard which I got all over my sleeve and didn't notice until I was in the interview room.

Another one was where I had a research interview (I am an academic) and couldn't remember anything about the subject I had applied to research. Id had excellent references from my professor but clearly I didnt perform. Telephone feedback was that they were VERY disappointed in me.
Another was when I told a panel of interviewers that I disagreed with their whole research design,, saying it just wouldn't work (even though they had already received funding for it). I also kept interrupting one of the interviewers. What was I THINKING! !! I'm honestly not at all arrogant but must have come across as the most obnoxious person ever. Didn't get the job surprise, surprise..
Finally, I had what seemed the longest most boring interview
ever. I was struggling to concentrate and even the interviewer reassured me that the end of the interview was in sight.

Just a few of my unsuccessful interviews!

I had an awful one a few months ago, I clearly wasn't the right candidate and I went into it half knowing that. It was competency based and I had prepared answers to questions which they then asked in a different way so I wound up using answers for different questions in the wrong order which left me with NOTHING for the last two questions.

I had to make it up on the spot and waffled nonsense clearly unable to give them what they were after. Many an awkward silence.

Didn't get it obviously. BUT a couple of months later got a job that was much better suited to me, they were both internal and when I next bumped into the person from the original panel I was able to say I got a different role and we had a quite hilarious conversation about how that was much better for everyone concerned!

After the bad interview I was so much better prepared for the next one, had several examples for each question and I think had I not gone through the bad experience I wouldn't have performed as well in the next one. Chalk it up to experience, learn from your mistakes and keep on trucking, the next one will be better and it's all a learning curve. Good luck OP, keep the faith!

My OH got so nervous at an interview his hands were sweating badly. When he left he had to turn a handle to get out the door. His hand was so sweaty it kept slipping off. Stood there trying for ages until an interviewer come over and turned the handle - she winced when she felt how wet it was! Poor OH was traumatised.

I had an interview at a swanky office in Canary Wharf. The guy who interviewed me liked the sound of his own voice so I barely got a word in. As I left somebody else came to show me out. I turned around quickly to say goodbye to the interviewer and caught him doing a big dramatic shake of head to signal to the one showing me out that I was not suitable. The twat.

You have my sympathies OP

First interview out of school was for an administrative position for the city council. I did just fine in the oral interview and all going along quite jolly. Just the standard typing test to go, ho ho ho. Was led down what seemed like miles of stairs and corridors to a really long gallery-like room with an old typewriter at the far end, given a printed document and told to type it up. I could not for the life of me type, literally my fingers froze and I just sat there. And sat. Seemed like hours. Finally set my fingers on the keys and typed the first line - I was one letter too far right (or left) At that I got up and left. Went out the opposite way really fast, praying that I did not have to pass anyone.

I am still cringing thinking about it.

I passed out in an interview before.

It was a panel of three. I hadn't had time to eat and had been rushing around. The room was so, so hot.

I remember the female boss asking me a question, and I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out, and then I just remember falling sideways off the chair. I tried to get up but my head felt so heavy.

They had to call an ambulance which delayed the process so much when I came out of the interview room 2 other candidates were waiting outside.

I still squirm thinking about it. I didn't get the job but I did get a call to ask if I was okay.

FfionFlorist |Aww that sounds very sweet, go on give her the job:)

On the issue with being ill I was interviewing someone once, he looked rather pale and ill and uncomfortable. I just said without thinking "you look like your about to shit yourself" he hardly replied and said is their a toilet anywhere said yes out and your right and there's showers there sort it and we'll wait for you .

Which we did, he looked much better seems he'd had a dodgy meal was an excellent man for the job and is still there !

As to the rest. Have some idea why you want the job. Scribble down any questions you might have in case you forget due to nerves, please spell properly in letters, please also dress reasonable smartly, don't be scared to speak, that all goes a long way to creating that very important first impression.

Friend of mine was doing an interview for a well sought after job well paid too had a very good looking, on paper, candidate agreed to a 7PM appointment she didn't even bother to turn up! Said when asked the following day that she couldn't be bothered to go .

Someone who looked less able on paper did and performed well and now has a very rewarding career in front of her:)

I did a fair bit of interviewing towards the end of my career. It taught me something I wish I'd known earlier on. My employer had a preferred personality type and for the type of jobs we were recruiting for it formed a significant part of the assessment. I interviewed some well qualified candidates, some highly intelligent ones, some who had interesting non-relevant qualifications (for example recent qualification for a seaplane pilot's licence) and some who had all of those qualities. However, if they weren't a good fit for the type we were looking for, they didn't get shortlisted. It felt a bit like looking for a partner; you know the type that fits your ideal profile and you may have to date several before somebody suitable comes along.

So if you don't succeed at an interview, it doesn't necessarily mean there is anything wrong with you; it may just mean you don't fit their ideal profile. If you persevere, you will eventually find an employer for whom you are just what they are looking for. I got disheartened several times before I found an employer with whom I really clicked and it led to 14 years of mutually beneficial employment.

I always think if you don't get a job after an interview then it wasn't the right job for you.
I've had some classics...getting lost and being really late etc but the 3 that spring to mind are
One an agency sent me to - for various sound reasons I wanted to take a step back, take a lower position. I spent the whole interview explaining why and I wasn't over qualified, I wasn't motivated by money etc. I could tell the interviewers were a bit puzzled - yep it was actually for a better paid, more senior position. (The agency did know and had been selective about what they told me - I think they thought I would not be so obvious, get offered it and the extra money would persuade me to take it and they would get the commission - I changed agencies.)
Then (in my next career) there was one where I didn't really want the job but it was well paid and I thought I could bear it for a couple of years - it might not be as bad as I thought and at least I could get some money behind me to go and do what I did want to do.... I had a really good conversation with the interviewer (we had both been working on the same thing) which confirmed my doubts, and rounded off by telling him why I wouldn't like working for his company... He asked me why I had applied...I had a beautifully worked out answer and thought - no - actually I can't do it. So I said - 'for the money' - I wasn't offered the position and if I had I would have turned it down.

Another one I had to set off really early and was worried I'd oversleep so I didn't actually get much sleep at all. I was so tired I couldn't be really nervous and was not really up to giving well planned answers. However I did really want the job. Also I was collected straight from my flight and straight in to see the 'big boss' in his executive office. He started talking about his subject, really got into telling me all about it - meanwhile I realised I needed a wee. And he was going on and on and on - I was getting more and more desperate. It got to the point where I wasn't listening, just wanted him to shut up and let me go - all I could think was I'm going to wee myself and things like I was sat on an expensive leather sofa (would it be ruined - or could it be cleaned some way?) I don't have any clothes to change into (how will I get home in wet clothes? I'll have to buy more clothes - are there any shops nearby? But I'd have to go to buy them in wet trousers...) In the end I had to cut in (almost rudely) and ask to go to the loo. He was very apologetic about not being more considerate but I thought I'd blown it. So the rest of the day/other interviews I was even more relaxed, was just chatting really, sharing interests.
The next day I was gutted, so convinced that I wouldn't get it and dreading the rejection, the knowing that for certain, I didn't even check that email account for just over a week. To find they had offered it me the next day - and I nearly missed out by not accepting it earlier....

I had a interview for a Saturday job at Sainsbury's in my teens. They asked if I would mind stacking shelves 'oh no I'd much rather be on the checkout' I replied. Clearly the wrong answer . . . . Still remember the thud of the rejection letter landing on the doormat.