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)?

There is something very odd about 'not being allowed notes' in any interview, particularly in the public sector. The ones I have attended have been specific in their introduction that 'you may consult any notes you have brought in.' This is because you relate an anecdote (for want of a better word), that describes a competency, and sometimes you just need a prompt. This is very odd.

My advice is that your crying boss has got too involved and has taken the impartiality out of it and has probably misled you in how the process works. Swallow the decision, stick in there at the alternative you've been offered and prove your worth as the trusted lieutenant and expert. The public sector is currently changing how it is approaching interviews and your day will come. It's understandable how you feel humiliated at the moment and very emotional. Also, how it's hit your confidence. Wait for that to pass You've booked feedback. Take the feedback in an adult way. Make notes. No-one has a crap interview technique. They only have one if they have taken 'method' advice that does not suit their personality, or does not tease out their true insights. I feel for you. Hang in there. You can do the job. Show them!

I am really crap at interviews, I can't do the STAR thing, and I lose my head and start talking bollocks. But I am a pretty awesome employee, and people have cried (and not with relief) when I leave.

And if the interview process was so brilliant and effective, my (ex) dishonest, lazy, lying, incompetent. homophobic, twatfaced, waste of oxygen colleague, who did untold damage (hiding work, lying to service users etc) in his short sojourn with us, before fucking off to another job, to doubtless repeat the process, would never have been employed, as he was up against some decent candidates.

' Was he the only applicant for the job?', I asked 'No' came the answer ' we had loads'.

Can you tell I'm still bitter?

Are you entitled to a pay off?

I'm in the academic public sector and these scoring matrix things are standard - they do lead to surprises because good things that line managers and colleagues may know about a person currently doing the job aren't necessarily brought out in the very formatted interview.

I think you should be able to take notes in, I can't imagine what difference that would make but if you can't take pre-prepared notes in, you should still be allowed to take pen and paper in and make notes while in the interview though - and I'm not sure HR can refuse that.

What you can do is say 'That's an interesting question, I'd like a few moments to think about that,' and take a minute or two, possibly jotting a couple of things down as you do. I conducted one of these interviews recently and the person who got the job did this two or three times and gave much better answers than some people who answered everything off the top of their heads.

I think you should approach an interview like this remembering that nothing you don't say and demonstrate in the room can be taken into account, so you need to step back an assess yourself from that perspective. Anticipate that questions won't be about just what you want to talk about, they'll test your job knowledge and experience of course but also institutional knowledge, dealing with other people and situations not necessarily at the most obvious everyday level of your job, including strategic questions for the future. They usually like to tick a 'this person made a difference in their role in these specific ways' box too.

I'd find the crying manager a bit much but make sure they give you a great reference, sounds as if they will. And consider practising interviews with friendly people you know who are actually familiar with interviewing or can at least do it seriously with you.

Good luck OP.

What a shitty way to run an organisation. I'd get some advice from a union first, even if you aren't in one now.

For your next interview, prepare answers to the 5 most tricky questions you can think of. Prepare 5 questions to ask them.

Havelock is very kind, I suggest you take up her offer too, it's always useful to know what a "good answer" looks like.

Right, whats done is done, as you rightly say - it is time to move on. How much did you prepare for this interview? I always spend hours and hours prepping, answering questions out loud over and over for practice. Did you do this? I find it really helps. You really do need to put massive time and effort into interviews unfortunately, even if already doing the job.

I used to do a lot of interviewing, and whats happened to you IS really hard to come to terms with - and FWIW, I totally believe you that this is all down to a bad interview. I've seen it happen a lot, especially in the public sector. What I would do is find someone skilled at competency based interviewing, and get them to coach you through multiple mock interviews. If you end up staying, I would ask for this as part of your development plan, if you make you redundant, then you may be able to negotiate outplacement as part of your package, as you've been there quite a while. This is completely fixable, but the problem is that most people don't (need to) have enough interviews in their lifetime to get the skills, so unless you are confident with it, it's possible to mess it up completely. given your nervousness and now a bad experience, the best way forward is to have coaching and enough repetition that the interview situation is no more frightening than driving a car, (or whatever analogy works for you) and you can listen effectively to the question and produce an good answer without too much thought. This CAN be done.

I'm in HR and have observed this insane practice.

When I offer consultancy to my private clients, I always say "we're looking for a person who can do a good job, not a person who can do a good interview and it's our job to help them show us that" - you do, of course, need a fair process that doesn't discriminate unlawfully, but that does not extend to asking exactly the same questions to everyone and not allowing them notes, or not allowing them to expand on their experience etc.

I currently work for a large organisation that does a bit of this stuff though, I just eye roll and ask the question as written but then say "you'll probably want to relate that to........[and include something relevant to their actual role as the questions are generic across the whole organisation so it can be difficult for people to relate to them I think]"

Are you in teaching op?

Let's be honest, no candidate knows how another candidate performs at interview, so the interviewers can give anyone they wish the job.

In my sector it isnt about giving anyone the interviewers wish the job. All interviewees are scored as they are interviewed and the highest scorer is offered the job. Often panels are made up to specifically ensure that there is no bias towards a particular candidate by using external interviewers.

As mentioned upthread, a colleague of mine was interviewed but it went really badly. She knew that herself. The interviewers, who really wanted her to get the job without any doubt, had to offer it to the person who scored the most at interview. There was no way round it. The scoring sheets are kept by HR and could be reviewed at any time, along with the interview notes taken. I've once had a candidate challenge back, and we had to provide evidence of why that person wasnt appointed.

Thanks everyone, it's good to know that so many of you understand this bizarre system. That saying is so true, 'I want someone who is good at the job, not someone who is good at interviews'. I have PM'd the lovely poster about the kind offer.

I did an insane amount of prepping and spent weeks on it, it is when I walked in it went wrong, mind completely blank.

So sorry to hear this OP, the public sector systems are really crap on everyone. I hope you find something even better soon.

I once got an NHS job over the internal candidate actually in the role but I had absolutely no idea until I turned up day 1 and he was doing the handover. There was understandably bad feeling towards me but the resentment didn't let up and I quit after 9 months. It's a ridiculous system that fosters a terrible working environment for everyone.

In my sector it isnt about giving anyone the interviewers wish the job. All interviewees are scored as they are interviewed and the highest scorer is offered the job.

There's a lot of cooking of the books that goes on though. It is very hard to devise a system that can't be gamed if people are determined to game it.

In this case OP feels she had a bad interview, but that's not always the case.

Yes, as it was all down to the interview, I did a shocker, I even surpassed the last awful one i did and that's saying something.

What you need for the next interview then is plenty of mock interviews.
Also, could this interview thing be a way to give the next person less money?
So if you moved up, they'd have to pay you more. But if someone who gets the job is already on much less money then no extra money is needed. Sometimes it just comes down to that. They might even save money by giving to the other person.

No it's all graded so no fudging wages. I think that's what I do need, lots of practice.

Hi, the notes thing is weird. I’m public sector and everyone is allowed notes. Many choose not to but it’s perfectky normal.

In future interviews always ask to take notes. It’s very common. V sorry their system is behind the times.

Apply for other things immediately, but don't leave the job they do give you in the meantime and put yourself out of work. Just keep being professional (but without doing the new person favours) until you get something else and can go.
^This

"That's beyond my pay grade/not in my job description" tinkly MN laugh

Good luck.

That is utterly ridiculous - where is the common sense? Why can’t they just give you the job considering the KNOW you’re great at it. I actually wouldn’t want to work for a company with such knobtastic policies. So sorry OP, I’m actually fuming on your behalf!

Hi OP I am public sector and this happened to me a few years ago it really put me off interviews after that and I cancelled about 5/6 as I was petrified. Fast forward a few years and I have been successful in the last 6 posts I have interviewed for. What helped me were beta blockers and writing out answers to questions that always come up and learning them off by heart. Also if you go blank just move on to the next question and ask to go back at the end.

I’m NHS and as pp have said, the highest scorer gets the job. You can be great at saying the right thing in an interview but be shit at the job or have much less experience than all the candidates, but if you score the highest the get the job. It really irritates me as you only the get the person who is good at interviewing, not necessarily the person who fits the team the best or has the most knowledge or experience.

V common in LA and NHS to have a competency based interview highest score appointed
It’s meant to be fair,reduce nepotism and candidates being shoehorned in
It simply doesn’t take into account your reputation,familiarity,it’s a score based process

Some of you are really missing the point,it’s not unfair or knobtastic.its process
And someone really should have briefed op that familiarity etc doesn’t cut it
And advised her how to prep,and be prepared for such an approach

Lipstick Unfortunately I know the process inside out, was right about most of the questions I imagined they would ask and had prepared accordingly. I was feeling pretty ok about it until I walked through the door, complete and utter brain freeze! If I hadn't have frozen up then I think I would have walked it as I knew the answers, I suppose that makes it all the worse.

Anyway, I'm feeling loads better reading all your advise, I've got an action plan now and will have to focus on the next few weeks and where I want to go with it. I'm going to see a recruitment agency next week so that may get the ball rolling and give me a bit of breathing space.

Thanks again everyone.