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Original poster

To ask for your interview cringe moments to make me feel better

84 replies

HelpPlsArhhgg · 28/04/2021 14:33

Interview this morning for dream job presentation ready and on point, prepped to within an inch my life was calm cool and collected until my laptop wouldn’t let me enable camera or microphone settings for teams. Fine the panel were lovely arranged a zoom instead Still the camera wouldn’t work cue me faffing around eventually dialling in by different device by which point I’ve lost all composure.
It was hours ago I’m still mortified. They were all very nice but definitely not my best moments.
Worse interview ever 😫

OP posts:
bonfireheart · 29/04/2021 18:47

Congrats @HelpPlsArhhgg!!!

ScaredOfDinosaurs · 29/04/2021 19:21

Wow, congratulations!!!

Also, please keep the stories coming, these are hilarious...

Namechangedforthistoday · 29/04/2021 19:34

Phoned to cancel an interview as my childminder had been rushed into hospital via ambulance. Was instead told to bring dd who was only six weeks old at the time with me. One of the interviewers asked to hold her and at that exact moment she did a poo explosion. I asked to excuse myself to go change her and instead was told I should just do so in the boardroom. Felt really under pressure as I knelt on the floor with her on the change mat dealing with dd’s mess while trying to maintain a sensible conversation. I got the job!

snoin · 29/04/2021 19:36

I lead a fair few (zoom) interviews as part of my job. I wouldn't worry about technical issues - they're fairly common! Sometimes it can actually go in the candidates favour if they show a good level of resilience in resolving the issue and recovering from it.

CargoShortsAndSlippers · 29/04/2021 19:42

Well done, OP!

museumum · 29/04/2021 19:47

In my early 20s I did a recruitment process with psychometric testing and scored 98%. The HR lady at the test said I was odd to get that score and that teams preferred “real people” who are aware of their flaws and imperfections.

It threw me so much that I went into the actual interview with the managers and went in and in about all my flaws and imperfections. It was cringeworthy and awful.

Cam2020 · 29/04/2021 19:53

What a shame, OP. You're focussing solely on what went wrong though, you dont know what the interviewers saw. I'm sure you're not the only person to have technical issues.

Cam2020 · 29/04/2021 19:55

Saw the update (belatedly), congrats!

SwanShaped · 29/04/2021 20:00

Nice one!!

nixso29 · 29/04/2021 20:03

Congrats 👏

Not me but a friend of mine- went to an interview, all went really well, interviewers seemed to be impressed, she finished and went to leave but opened the wrong door to exit and ended up in the store cupboard instead!

toocold54 · 29/04/2021 20:04

I went for an interview and met the senior team. They were lovely but old school and very senior, they were talking about how they often do fun things as a work place like bowling, pub quizzes etc and one lady said “and dogging” the manager gave her a dirty look and she went bright red. I half laughed uncomfortably as the room went so silent and tense. I don’t know if she was making a joke or meant to say something else but it came out wrong.

toocold54 · 29/04/2021 20:07

I don’t even like spreadsheets. I think I’d seen one on the desk and couldn’t get past it!

That’s hilarious!! And something I’d probably do too!

Babygotblueyes · 29/04/2021 20:18

Thought the fresh faced guy chatting to me was a slightly older graduate trainee putting me at my ease - turned out he was my future boss and it was the interview! I got it and he told me I was the most relaxed person he had ever interviewed. I never told him why.

Stressedtoddlermum · 29/04/2021 20:26

@Namechangedforthistoday

Phoned to cancel an interview as my childminder had been rushed into hospital via ambulance. Was instead told to bring dd who was only six weeks old at the time with me. One of the interviewers asked to hold her and at that exact moment she did a poo explosion. I asked to excuse myself to go change her and instead was told I should just do so in the boardroom. Felt really under pressure as I knelt on the floor with her on the change mat dealing with dd’s mess while trying to maintain a sensible conversation. I got the job!
I actually think this is great! Is it a really family friendly company?

Congratulations OP!

Oh I have soo many. I did loads of awkward group interviews when I was a student. I also did a salesperson trial in a posh clothes shop when I worked in Sydney... I was definitely no salespersons and had to keep making cringe attempts at talking to customers!

I also once had a 3rd interview with a company, I had spent loads of time on presentations etc to get to that stage and the guy who would have been my boss was just the biggest knob ever. Wouldn’t let me get a word in, and made a point of telling me how strict he is with everyone (a team of women). I was so annoyed at it just felt like hours of my life wasted! Glad I didn’t get it as I wouldn’t have been happy there but would have probably taken it.

Inclinedtochatter · 29/04/2021 20:27

I once finished an interview and as I turned to leave the room I was faced with two doors. I picked the wrong one and ended up walking into the cleaning cupboard.

alwayswrighty · 29/04/2021 20:38

@HelpPlsArhhgg many congratulations

WellWhyNot · 29/04/2021 21:13

Huge congrats OP!! 😊

Original poster
HelpPlsArhhgg · 29/04/2021 22:10

Thank you still smiling ear to ear 😁😁😁

OP posts:
YorkshirePuddingsGreatestFan · 29/04/2021 22:30

I'd had a heavy cold in the run up to the interview but thankfully I was feeling much better on the day.

I was interviewed in a tiny room with two chairs facing me, so our knees were almost touching. They kept asking me questions and I was answering and it was going well. Then my nose decided to drop a massive lump of snot down the back of my throat.

I ended up in a coughing fit where I couldn't stop and I couldn't get my breath. I was wheezing and coughing all over them until one of them finally went and fetched me a drink of water to clear my throat.

They decided they didn't have any more questions for me and I never heard from them again.

WellLarDeDar · 29/04/2021 22:39

In one interview I had the panel asked me what I know about xyz - a very obvious question, my brain just went splat and I panicked and I just blanked and went 'absolutely nothing' it was so awkward. The silence after I said that was so painful.

newtb · 29/04/2021 22:48

Interview for a temp job can't remember how it came up but I said that you couldn't do much with a 3rd in physics. The partner looked at me and told me she'd got a 3rd in physics.

Not the best thing to have said!

RedcurrantPuff · 29/04/2021 22:51

When I had just finished Uni I had an interview at 9 am after being out on the lash from about 4pm - 4 am. I was pissed. I vomited over my suit jacket in the toilets on the way in. I must have absolutely stank of booze and vomit. Funny enough I never heard back after the interview.

RedcurrantPuff · 29/04/2021 22:56

Oh just seen your update, congratulations!

stayathomer · 29/04/2021 22:57

I once had to do a crazily difficult (for me) written exam I wasn't expecting. I sat there absolutely frozen and three minutes before the end just started randomly ticking without even reading. When the interviewer checked over them her eyebrows nearly jumped off the page. I have no idea what I wrote!!!

CorpusCallosum · 29/04/2021 23:13

Wahey!!! Wine