Just had a bad interview

[reallybadinterview]

I don't normally interview so poorly. I don't know what went wrong but I was a wreck. I was so nervous, I was a mess, it was obvious.

Am I U to ask for your interview stories to help me feel better? Does anyone else get that nervous? I'm feeling pretty shit and embarrassed at the moment.

I really thought I had bombed the second interview for my last job. Cried in a restaurant by myself for an hour over a couple of glasses of wine (luckily had a sympathetic waitress). Got offered the job the next day. Fingers crossed for you x

I had a coughing fit in a telephone once, had to put the phone down eat a cough sweet and call them back - got invited to a face to face interview.

I was so nervous I cried during my final interview for my early years professional status (I had missed two standards I think, but got an extra few weeks to do them in placement and passed)

I have done some absolute shockers in my time, isn't this just part of adult life? The worst one ever included tears as above . Thankfully I've not yet done an awful internal interview so I've never had to see these people again. The problem is that interviews are really stressful, particularly if you need a job. With age I've kind of come round to thinking that if it's meant to be its meant to be.

I just failed to get a job yesterday, the interview was OK I think but by the time I was called in I knew I probably wouldn't get the job and didn't really want it anyway! I have decided not to put myself through that hell any time in the near future, interviews are just awful.

what magazine/newspaper are you researching for?

If you don’t want the job enough then you’ll interview badly for it. How much did you want the job?

I was doing really well for an interview once, being Really keen, and they looked keen back, until we all realised it was a full time job and I wanted part time

Interviews are purgatory but I think most of the time everyone involved knows that, so hopefully your interviewers will have been sympathetic to your misery even if you feel you didn't do well.

My worst interview was in the summertime - I walked to the venue which took me a lot longer than I thought it would (this was well before the days of google maps). By the time I got there I was sweating through my shirt, and this only got worse as the interview progressed. Both interviewers were totally stony faced - the overall sense was one of some sort of intelligence services interrogation, which obviously I failed.

I've found those times that I've felt I gave a great interview but didn't get the job almost harder to cope with - because then I don't trust my judgement; I worry I was making a fool of myself without knowing it.

I hope it didn't go as badly as you think but even if it did - hopefully the cringe will fade soon and you'll be able to chalk it up to experience for the next one

I had a really bad one years ago. It was a sales position and the interviewer tossed me his phone and told me to pretend he'd never seen one before and to sell it to him. My mind went blank, I just mumbled loads of nonsense while blushing scarlet. Needless to say I didn't get it and still cringe thinking about it.

I have the complete opposite...I'm nervous and Whittier on when I really want a job and I'm confident and relaxed when I'm not that fussed.

Sympathies. I did an interview over two years ago which was the single most humiliating experience of my life - and it was internal (big organisation thank goodness). it took ten months before I could walk down that corridor with my eyes up...

We had a young lad cine for interview, he was so flipping nervous.

I stopped the interview and said we should go for a cup of tea and a tour if the workplace. And spoke to him about nerves etc. And how it wouldn't be held against him. That we were looking for someone who could learn and was willing. He relaxed visibily and after a while and through talking during our walk about he shin and got the job :)

I can't understand why interviewers are knobs and don't do anything to help when it usually really obviouswhen people are nervous

I'm not writing for a magazine MN can check my posting history if they want. I've just name changed.

I've spent the last hour crying in my car and am now at home with chocolate eating my humiliation away. I still feel shit, but thank you all for your stories.

I think I wanted this job too much. I don't think I realised how much I wanted it until I was in there shaking and verbal diarrhoea-ing. I bombed it massively.

I had an interview about 30 years ago and spent the whole interview calling the man by the wrong name! He said as I left the room “ it’s david, by the way!”

Got the job though😂

If you don’t want the job enough then you’ll interview badly for it. How much did you want the job

Naw!
It's the anxiety that gets you- whether you want it or not.

I've had an IT failure during an interview. The panel was horrified ( in a nice way!). It was totally my fault, but they offered to call IT.
I went home feeling like shit on a stick. I got the job though- turns out IT failure was a very real aspect of the job, and they liked how I handled it.
Their faces though!

I hope you do get the job, but if you don't, then try not to let it get you down. There will be another one- chin up. 😊

Poor you OP. A lot of us have been there & done that!

I'm sure you did all your pre-interview prep (knowledge about the company, what you want from the role, what you can contribute etc), got a decent night sleep, arrived early (avoiding transport delays and give you time to check hair, clothes, makeup and re-read your CV) and have some water or tea.

Most of the rest is slow controlled breathing, look them in the eye and smile and remembering the interview is a two way process.

If this one doesn't work out that's too bad - on to the next opportunity.

I did the same a few weeks ago. Interviewed internally with my scary boss for a job I already do but with a title/ pay change. Fucking bombed it. The new person starts next week- it was devastating

I interviewed for quite a senior role at the local authority. There was a section of the interview where they were asking about my interests and hobbies. They then moved back to talking about the role but I hadn’t noticed the change in questioning.

They then asked me if there were any new skills I would like to acquire and I said, “I would quite like to learn how to make balloon animals from balloons.”

The whole panel were like . And needlesss to say, I didn’t get the job .

For one interview I left my house half an hour beforehand although the journey only took 10 minutes as I wanted to get there with plenty of time. I hit bad traffic and a traffic light that was stuck on red so (after spending a good five minutes just waiting) I then had to go the long way round. Then I couldn't find anywhere to park so had to just drive around. Once I'd parked I tried ringing the workplace to let them know I was almost there but didn't get through. I then couldn't find the building. By the time I finally arrived my confidence was shot and I was running late. Not the start I was hoping for. After the interview I felt awful and cried, I knew being late would be a mark against me, even though I'd explained, and that I was back to square one on the job search. Turns out I was wrong and got offered the job :) You're definitely not alone!

GirlRaisedInTheSouth

That is just hilarious😂😂😂😂

Balloon animals, brilliant :)

I worked with someone who had once had a diarrhoea accident during an interview - top that!

I'm sure it wasn't as bad as you thought. I was talking to a colleague the other day about interviews as I have one looming this week. She told me no matter what happens there is always someone somewhere who has interviewed worse than you. It made me feel much calmer.

Her two examples if terrible interviews were:

1. A women who was nervous and kept drinking water both before and during to calm her nerves. During the interview she threw up all over the desk. She got the job.

2. A man who didn't feel great but not too unwell to interview came. It was a hot day and the room was stuffy. He fainted and left the building by ambulance some time later. He also got the job.

If you don't get this job then there will be another out there for you I promise.

OP I've ended up crying from nerves TWICE while actually in the interview and both times I got the job! It may not be as bad as you think - try not to stress too much If you don't get the job then just try to look at it as practice, try and look at the process and think about what you can try and work on for next time, and congratulate yourself on what you think you did well.

God I just feel so shit and useless.