I just messed up a job interview

[CathyTre]

I just really messed up a job interview for a job I really wanted by panicking when they threw me a curve ball question. I should have anticipated it, but I didn’t and although I corrected my (fairly catastrophically) wrong answer at the end, I feel like I can’t stop kicking myself.

My partner says I need to let it go and just be prepared for that question next time, but I can’t stop fretting.

It was my absolutely ideal job too.

I guess I know IABU because it’s done now.

Thank you all for replies. I just feel it might make them fundamentally question whether I’m right for the job. I’ll update on Friday if anyone is interested and definitely try and start seeing it as a learning thing.

The interview for the job I'm now doing went badly, to the extent I cried in the hotel afterwards because it was the perfect job in the perfect place and I thought I had totally blown it! But they still wanted me so fingers crossed OP!

Look at this way - under pressure and in a stressful, unknown situation you made a mistake, found it, and corrected it within mere minutes. - that’s impressive and shows you can work well under new, stressful conditions.
Doesn’t sound so bad now - and also might be the way the potential employers see it. Better than you were cocky and too sure of yourself and didn’t correct the error.

@CathyTre for what it's worth I went for a very similar position with the same department a month or so later and got it! It was definitely a learning experience for me.

I totally fucked up the interview for the job I have now

And not just one question - loads of them.

And they had a strong field of candidates.

I had totally written the interview off and was amazed they offered me the job. In fact, when I emailed to accept I fully expected to get an email back saying, ' OMG we are so sorry, we phoned the wrong candidate - you weren't successful at all. Sorry!'

So don't despair. Tbh, just one question that you initially fluffed but later corrected sounds like a pretty strong interview performance to me.

Thank you all! I’m glad people have been successful, or if not come back from it the next time.

It was a bit of a massive wrong answer, but I’m just going to try and think of it as something that I’ll learn from and assume that it won’t be this job, but there will be something out there that is just as perfect at some point 🙂

@CathyTre

It’s something I REALLY should have got right the first time, but I just panicked because it’s a complicated issue and made me instantly anxious. Sorry, can’t be more specific, but it was an uncomfortable question and it took me a little while to process it and say the right thing.

So lesson learned for next time please, please (x 1M) let your interviewer/s know that you need a moment to process their question, or ask them to rephrase it a different way.

I cannot express it enough as an interviewer how much we want people to do well - asking for help and support is a very normal thing, especially if you suffer from nerves.

I interviewed someone today and they got a bit tied up in knots trying to answer the question we'd asked.

Guess what, we have made them a job offer because the question wasn't even earthshatteringly important, it was the whole interview that mattered. Better luck next time x

Don't write yourself off yet. You may still get it. 🤞

Same happened to me, been made redundant after 20+ years, had 1st interview and totally fluffed --fucked - it up, they rang later in the week and invited me to a 2nd interview as they couldn't decide between myself and another candidate (no pressure there ) totally sounded like a complete moron in the 2nd interview to the point where the interviewer actually laughed out loud, they rang in the afternoon and offered me the job!
My point is interviewers understand that people get nervous, they will have read your cv and the fact that they interviewed you shows they are interested in you.
Dont be too hard on yourself, let us know what happens

@CathyTre thanks xxx and please do let us know how you get on. Fingers crossed xxx

You never know. I had an interview his morning and felt sure that I had messed up, but they actually just called and offered me the job. So you may still be in with a chance.

You gave the 'wrong' answer, but then corrected yourself. So you gave the right answer!
OP, did you come out of exams thinking you'd failed dismally, then find out later that you'd aced it?
You might be focussing on your mistakes far too much.

I had a terrible interview last year. The company gave no notice (about 36 hours) I was on mat leave and realised nothing smart enough really fitted and my eldest developed a vomiting bug the night before. I had no time to prep properly and was knackered. Basically, I was gutted as I’d never had a bad interview before. The feedback I had wasn’t as bad as I had feared. On some aspects I’d done really well and was the best of the field but one question (which I knew) was a total flop was awful from their perspective as well as mine.

Happens to the best of us but sorry if you lose out on this job

I’ve fucked up two interviews in my life.

With the first, I learned something important from it and got the exact same position six months later, because I was able to rectify what I’d got a bit wrong first time around.

With the second...I got the job! And it sounds a very similar situation tO yours. There was one question that threw me, I garbled some complete shite and went red/stuttered, then desperately tried to correct it at the end of the interview. Turns out everything else is said was spot on and that was enough to get me the job.

However it works out for you, there will be a positive from it. Update us on Friday!

Oh no! I'm sorry, job interviews are horrible - so much pressure to be perfect. Was it like:

• you were interviewing to be a doctor and asked "which organ pumps blood" and you confidently went "the LIVER!", and then later was like, "oh sorry I got flustered there, I obviously meant the heart", i.e. confusion or being flustered

• you're interviewing to be a teacher and they said "what would you do if a child was misbehaving" and your actual response would be to put them in a chokey a la Miss Trunchbull and they were actually looking for "gentle discipline and explaining what was wrong", then you backtracked cos you realised they were horrified i.e. you don't know the done thing in that scenario and your answer revealed that?

If it's the former, I wouldn't worry at all - interviewers are generally used to seeing through nerves and if you demonstrated you do know what you're talking about later on then even better. If it's the latter then you might get a children's film made about you haha - and it would be rubbish but as you said it's very good practice for future interviews and you know you'll be ready for it if it comes up again!

Try not to fret :)

I was in the same position today - had interview for my dream job and really fluffed it up! They said they where going to be asking the same type questions which where on the application form, however they worded them so differently none of the examples I had prepared fitted the questions so I had to answer a few using ones off top of my head and was on back foot the entire interview!

Pretty sure I just rambled on like an idiot - if you can try and think and take some of the positives you can from it and use it as a good learning and development opportunity.

Interviews are one of the most unnatural experiences and I'm sure you did alot better than you think you did!

I had my first interview for over 20 years in the same job earlier this year. I almost knocked myself out on the sloping ceiling at the end when is stood up - they offered me the job so you may be ok!

"The jobs you don't get are the universe protecting you from something that wasn't right for you. You'll get the job you're meant to have."

Sounds rather woo I know, but I'm a big believe in "the universe", karma, and all that. And it's helped me when I've felt despondent about a missed opportunity.

I did the same a couple of weeks ago, I unsurprisingly didn’t get it and was absolutely gutted! It was a question that I knew the answer to I just dove in and started to waffle. I got really good feedback, was told I scored high for pretty much every other question. He suggested I apply for another similar post they are advertising and said to me don’t worry about taking a moment to think before answering. I apologised for my extreme nerves too, I always find I’m 100 times more nervous when I really want the job, which is annoying.

I have had a few interviews where I felt the interview went terrible and I have got it though so don’t be too quick to write yourself off, it does depend how they score/judge things and obviously the rest of the field.

I’ve used mine as a learning experience, I’ve got 3 more interviews coming up, my plan is to write down their question and take a few seconds as suggested, hopefully I’ll get one of these.

Stay positive and try not to be so hard on yourself!

I once got asked a question and went blank. I actually sat there for ages then just said “ I’m really sorry, I can’t think of an example” .

I’ve been working there 7 years now

Interviewers know you are nervous and can (mostly) pick through who’s actually going to be, not only good in the role, but a good fit for their workplace.

Good luck!

That's rotten that you have to wait until Friday.
I stuffed up an interview question today - they asked about the accuracy of my work and I just said a load of garbage then asked them to repeat the question.
Amazingly I got the job - maybe all the other candidates were dead or mooned the screen?
Anyway, best of luck!

Oh I've said some shocking, shocking things in interviews.

My success rate is still about 80%

I interviewed several candidates for software trainer position. In the practical most of them tried to impress me with their computer skills but I can teach them those. The person who got the job (and was brilliant) did a presentation on his dog eating his sofa. I was transfixed by his presentation skills as he was so engaging.

Another position several years later for a data analyst. Most of the candidates tried to impress me with their computer skills (again, this is something you can learn). The successful candidate, a young lad, was spectacularly useless at the data skills but his attitude was fantastic and we knew he could talk to all levels of the company in a respectful and intelligent manner. Six years later he is still in the team and universally respected and terrific at his job. A real asset to the team (and his data skills are fabulous now).
When interviewing, I am not looking for skills particularly as they can be taught, it is about attitude and bringing something positive to the team.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time is a lazy question - what do you want to get out of the responses?
I’d be inwardly cheering if they said “not working here” I would hope people have moved on
Worked with some amazing people who I have trained and developed, and yes they have moved on but I’m bloody thrilled to see them grow and move on. All teams need new blood to change the mix and develop new Ideas.