To ask for interview advise, I've lost my job because I'm shit!

[RinkeyDinkey]

I've just had to apply for my own job, my manager thought it was a given that I'd breeze the interview despite me telling them again and again how shit I am in an interview. Loads of people applied, someone else got it because my mind went blank in the interview and I just garbled pure garbage. My boss phoned me crying as I couldn't possibly be offered the job now as my score was rock bottom, it was acknowledged that I was the best candidate and can do it stood on my head. My staff are in bits, I can't stop crying, what a mess.

I thought I would be ok this time, I spent weeks and weeks preparing, I had all the acronyms in my head to remember things, it went so badly, I could even do the 'tell us about yourself' properly. I don't really get stressed and was only nervous by the usual standard.

I've now got to find myself another job asap, wtf do I do now if I can't do an interview (it happens every time)?

I am so sorry, that's absolutely shit. I really empathise too, I go blank in interviews and almost all my jobs have been temping which became permanent. Much love to you

stayathomegardener In the public sector, especially where personnel are involved, you can not do this. I have conducted interviews lots in the public sector. When personnel are not involved, you can fudge it. But normally when people are having to reapply for their own jobs, personnel will be heavily involved. So I totally believe that OP is the best candidate for the job.

Sweetheart, PM me your email address. I have a guide to interviews for candidates that I use with staff and it has been really helpful for them. I’ll send it to you. You might find it helpful.

Are you maybe preparing too much and becoming overwhelmed? I know it sounds silly, but I find if I do this I psych myself out. Also you can absolutely be the best candidate for the job but not get it; I’ve conducted a fair few interviews and there are certain things from the interview you need to submit to HR to support your choice- ie this doesn’t take into account performance outside of the interview. Is there anyone you can practice with? I know it sounds silly, but once you can get your head around interviews it’s a skill you will carry forward. Sorry to hear about your job though, that absolutely sucks :(

Happens all the time in public sector. They go out of their way to make it ‘fair’ to external candidates. Which often ends up being unfair to internal candidates and hugely unfair, not to mention a massive waste of public money, to the person already doing the job.

It’s about a clear points score in the public sector. Opinions on whether the person is right for the job are not considered relevent in many recruitment decisions.

OP one of the things that really helped me when I had to do an exam as an adult 25 years after last sitting an exam, was hypnotherapy. I passed. I am pretty sure I would have failed without it. Might be worth a try before an interview?
Also I agree about over preparing. Which I know sounds counter intuitive.

No one is 'good at interviewing'. Just know your skills, know the company you're applying for, relax, be calm and collegial.

I can't believe your manager is crying to you. She failed to prepare you for this weird inquisition, whilst telling you not to worry about it. She's either dishonest or stupid or a little of both.

Yes, public sector. As some posters have said, it is a very strict recruitment and selection process, completely transparent and EVERYTHING has to go through HR. Prompts have to be written down and the senior manager from the other department was brought in to make sure there was no funny business.

Or I may have been managed out.

I've applied for a few jobs so as you suggest, I'll just have to keep practising.

Thanks everyone, I'm very grateful for all your advise.

Try not to focus on what they thought op, or spend time being embarrassed, they are most likely incredibly sympathetic about it. It's hard to pick yourself back up after something like that.

I think it's more unusual for places not to accept notes these days - I've always taken notes in without a problem, so hopefully you'll be able to as well. I always provide interviewees a glass of water and tell them that if their mind goes blank, they should pause, take a sip of water while they're thinking and then reply. Nobody likes awkward silences, but they're entirely forgivable in an interview situation and often bother the candidate far more than the interviewer. If you can use techniques like that to get you through (also taking a few deep breaths before you answer) it'll help.

So, basically you havnt lost your job. You just didn't get a promotion?

They aren't restructuring, or making redundancies? They just offered you an interview for a promotion?

So you've still got your current job? Your job can't have just disappeared. They'd need a valid reason to dismiss you; a restructure or a redundancy. Have either of those processes started?

I wholeheartedly disagree @Waytooearly I have known people who are exceptional in interviews. Usually they're the ones who are utter shite at the job though

Sounds like a shit system though OP

So sorry OP that sounds awful. But I agree, go and find an employer who will value you for the work you do on a daily basis not your performance at one interview (assuming the interview was as bad as you say it was and as pps say, it's not some political gameplaying)).

I work in the nhs and we have to go on the interview points system rather than what we think of internal candidates overall performance.

It's caused a fair few issues for us having to reject valued and respected staff for promotions/training over people we're a bit about but it's very strict and we have to adhere to it.

So i totally believe this is what's happened.

I've interviewed one candidates who brought notes in, I'm not a big fan personally as they were rifling through them and looking down rather than at me but she got the job so wasn't a deal breaker!

Do you have to leave the company? In which case, I assume you're getting a redundancy payout?

There are companies and individuals who provide interview coaching. Ask around or do some research. Or PM me and I will send you two names - one's a bigger company and one's a freelance coach. Both are excellent.

Sadly that's probably not true. I've conducted lots of interviews and sat on interview panels using competency-based scoring matrices, particularly in the public sector where everything has to be evidenced. Unfortunately it's possible to be great at your job but totally flunk the interview and score the lowest on paper. I've seen it happen lots (and been on the receiving end).

This has happened to me before. My job was changing from temporary to permanent (I'd been on rolling 6 month contracts up until then), so it had to be put out to interview. I didn't get it. Fortunately, I managed to get another job (in the same organisation...with better pay). About three months later that lady who had got the job quit and they asked me back...a small part of me did get some pleasure from turning them down.

So chin up, something better may well fall out of this. And next interview you do definitely take in notes!

This happened to my very competent fried (who I worked with so I know she's excellent - public sector) so it can and does happen.

OP for future interviews the key is to practise practise practise. I got my DH to repeatedly test me with a load of typical interview questions taken off the web - obviously you'll get variations specific to your job sector but if you practise enough you should have enough responses to come up with something to suit the situation. You can do this any time, not just when an interview is actually coming up.

Good luck with your job search!

Of course the OP isnt being lied to, I've seen this happen a number of times. My colleague was fantastic at her job but did a poor interview and didnt get her own role. If its any consolation OP, she found a secondment for another role within the organisation, and has ended up in a post two grades higher than the original one. Things have a funny way of turning out, take a look round and see whats out there.

They're either lying to you, or set you up to fail, or both

That is not true. As other PPs are saying, making people apply for their own jobs is a common process in the public sector. Don't make the OP feel worse by telling her that this was some sinister plot to get rid of her.

Hi OP

This happened to me, public sector, interviewed by a panel who didn't know me during a "restructure" exercise and I completely went blank in the interview. It was horrible. There were over 60 of us at all levels reapplying for our jobs but also anyone could apply for any job within the restructure. Someone who was in our team at a lower level did brilliantly in the interview and got the role I was doing. I was offered another role at the same grade but very different to what I had been doing, and which I totally didn't want to do.

I felt so humiliated and spent days crying. Then I pulled myself together, went to the feedback meeting and really thought about what had gone wrong. Then I had a session with my manager (who hadn't taken part in the process) who gave me loads of good advice, gave me my confidence back but who also stressed I should take notes in to the next interview I did.

So, I immediately applied for another job within the same organisation but very different team/sector) and this time took notes into the interview. I didn't end up using them but just having them there gave me confidence. I ended up being offered the job, I'm no earning 30% more than I was in the previous job, have a fantastic team around me and I love my new job.

This isn't the end of the world, OP. Apply for jobs, and when you go for an interview think of it as practice, even if you don't get the job. Your technique will improve. Good luck!

Waytooearly, I’m NHS. People cry all the time where I work as a natural reaction to things (because we see some very bad things and work in difficult circumstances). I would not find it unusual for a manager to cry down the phone. Sadly I would also not find it a weird inquisition. This shit (having to reapply for your own job etc) happens all the time to public sector staff and is considered normal to an extent. I do agree she should not have told you not to worry though.

OP . Is it a specialist role you do? If they are actually talking about getting rid of your job presumably they are talking about moving you to a different role? Do you have a union?

I agree with pp, it doesn't stack up - if you were the best candidate while simultaneously fluffing the interview? Someone is lying to you.

Don't be so ridiculous. The managers know op's experience, skills and qualifications. They have worked with her and seen her do the job really well. The fact that she fluffed the interview means that she can't be offered the job, but she can still very much be seen as the best candidate.

Another suggestion for you would be to move into temporary roles; recruitment consultants are more interested in your references than in an interview and not all roles need an interview. If it's NHS then there's bank staff: www.nhsprofessionals.nhs.uk/Joining-NHSP/Our-NHS-our-Bank.

Also you can get free interview coaching from the careers service.