… to ask for your most cringeworthy moment in an interview yet you still got the job?

[tympanic]

I’m plagued by the missteps I made at an interview last month. Plagued. The process has been put on hold for various reasons so I’m still waiting to hear if I’ve progressed to the next stage. Really, really want the job.

As time drags on I’m growing increasingly embarrassed by the dumb things I said in the interview. If anyone has any stories with a happy in spite of feeling they made a total fool of themselves I’d be very happy to hear them!

I had a car crash of a zoom interview recently. Internet died right at the start, cue me spending the next 10 minutes running around the building trying to find a working router, then being all sweaty and flustered and galloping through my presentation without drawing breath. Then could not answer 2 questions at all; just stared into space before admitting I didnt know and could we move on. I seriously considered turning the computer off at that point. They offered me the job later that day.

Got caught in a downpour, massive portfolio soaking wet. Arrived on time but had wet hair/clothes, abit flustered, mascara had run abit and I had a blob on my eyelid.

They rang me the next day to offer me the job!

Not really funny but hopefully gives you some hope!
I had to leave an interview due to nerves/panic once. I think even a little cry. Anyway I forced myself to go back in and finish, thinking that even though I had screwed it up at least by going back in I might feel less defeated.
Anyway I got the job and they said it was one of the best interviews they ever seen. Probably slightly trying to make me feel better but I did get top scores as well. They were really confused why i asked to be excused and hadnt clocked the sheer terror or panic I was feeling.

I was trying to show that I’d researched the company thoroughly and started banging on about everything I’d learnt about them. It was the wrong company 😂 very similar though!

I got the job but to be fair I was the only applicant and they were desperate

Cried, in an interview as a very new graduate when the very stern woman interviewing me was giving me the third degree about why I hadn't read x, y and z book about my chosen field, my nerves turned into tears and frantic apologies for the tears.

Somehow got offered it still!

Steve and the animal balloons have really made me laugh

Had an interview with a man who was clearly having a nervous breakdown. He was rambling, talked about his personal life and just kept going- two and half hours later, and having tried to gently steer him back to my CV. I made my excuses and left- I am really sorry I have another appointment. They rang next day to offer me the job. I politely declined and had a further call from a more Senior Manager asking why I had declined. I said that I did not think I was the right fit and the Manager asked if the interviewer had put my off. I said honestly yes they had been the case. He said he thought so and that one of the advantages of taking this role is that I could succeed this guy when they sacked him... I put the phone down. What a horrible company.

At the end of the interview for a short interim cover role, the interviewer thanked me for my time, said they had lots more candidates to see, and that I 'was a lot more expensive than the others'.
I replied with a 'lovely to meet you, you do get what you pay for'.
Had a call back from the agency that evening - how soon could I start, and could I commit to six month contract rather than two months?
I stayed for two years (and was asked back when the permanent person they took on to replace me didn't work out).

I love your confidence @ThinWomansBrain. Wish I had more of that. Well done.

Had to have an emergency dentist appointment in the morning and the interview at lunch time. I looked like a demented chipmunk. Interview was excruciating. Until I apologised for sounding like Duffy Duck and explained why. That caused the panel to chuckle and got me a lot of sympathy.

I haven't had the interview yet... it's happening on Monday.
It's for a Masters position in a super amazing university, and this step consists of 15 minutes of questions about the field I'd like to study. Problem is, I have shit poor memory (ADHD, anxiety, depression) and 4 years of content to review in less than a week.

Then, there's the fact that the interview was scheduled for the week I'll be having my first real holiday since the pandemic begun. Somewhere I have no fucking clue about the internet quality, stability, and about how quiet it is. It's in Rio de Janeiro, too, so with my luck, there will be a shooting when the interview starts.

I somewhat wish I hadn't made it to the final 15% of candidates, as I really want this position and I'll be crushed if I don't get it (yet I know my chances are really low, because I really don't remember most of what I've studied).

I'll come back on Monday to share how it went.

@InTropicalTrumpsLand Fingers crossed for you. Let us know how it went!

I once accidentally got myself and the lady I was interviewing stuck in a basement.

Our office shared meeting rooms with a couple of other companies and they had been overbooked. Reception very kindly set up the basement for us to use (it was used for group activities so not completely left field).

Anyway, they forgot to tell the maintenance guy we were down their and he locked the door.

Neither of our phones had signal down there and no other rooms were on the same floor. We were stuck for almost an hour before my colleague came to see what was taking so long.

She got the job .

I suddenly realised the candidate was the bloke my good friend was having an affair with. He used his Sunday name on his application but the shorter name i recognised on the online meeting. It was torturous as i was no way going to
Employ him. As whilst i am not a judgemental sort i just didnt want to
Approve or it actively support it
Or know any more then i did.
It was also hard trying to listen and look interested whilst in my head going 'omg
What is it she sees in you'????

I had a lunch interview once and ended up getting really quite drunk with the interviewer! It was scheduled for an hour and a half and after about 4 hours he said “I don’t know whether to give you the job or not, I mean you’d be great but I feel we’d end up doing this quite a lot!”

He did and we did! He’s one of my best friends now and we still laugh about it…

I went for an interview and all was going really well. The guy wanted to show me the offices where the successful candidate would actually be working and it was in a separate building.

We had to go through a 4 partitioned revolving door and I stupidly squashed in behind him in what was then obviously a one-person partition. So intimately squashed against him, my face almost smooshed against his shoulders, the door stopped turning and we stayed that way for a good 5 mins until building admin arrived and got the door going again.

I was walking to an interview for a summer job when a pigeon shat on me (and not just a little bit). When I got there I started to cry. They were very sweet and pointed me to the ladies room to wash it off. I came out and interviewed - the interviewer thought it was hilarious - I got the job.

@myblackbirdsbeadyeye

I went for an interview and all was going really well. The guy wanted to show me the offices where the successful candidate would actually be working and it was in a separate building.

We had to go through a 4 partitioned revolving door and I stupidly squashed in behind him in what was then obviously a one-person partition. So intimately squashed against him, my face almost smooshed against his shoulders, the door stopped turning and we stayed that way for a good 5 mins until building admin arrived and got the door going again.

I was interviewing for a position in a different country, so in a language that wasn’t my mother tongue. I’m fairly fluent, but needed to be really good as it involves working with the public in a role that can be challenging. I had also recently been turned down for a less difficult role, where I felt I had interviewed well, and had been told it was because my language skills were not good enough. The interview was on Zoom, which made it even more difficult.

I struggled throughout and had to ask them to repeat themselves so many times that it was embarrassing. At one point, they sent me a written exercise that I had to work out some answers to, then discuss with them. I misunderstood one of the significant words and therefore answered completely wrongly.

About halfway through, I felt so demoralised by my performance that I almost blurted out that I could tell I wasn’t going to get the job, so we might as well stop.

Was offered the job a couple of weeks later and I’m still working there a year and a half on.

Good luck OP.

A friend of mine went for a job interview and was asked if she could highlight the key bits in a CV.

She opened her bag up, grabbed a highlighter pen and proceeded to literally highlight parts of her CV! She got the job.

I've had a couple of good ones, although not as good as this:

V late interview to accommodate everyone's work schedule. So at 7pm, leaving building and reception staff are not there. This is the 5th interview so it's with the Super Big Cheese. He says he'll walk me out as obviously no one is around. Get in the lift, making small talk.... I realise I've picked up, and brought with me, their water glass. (realise dit because I used the hand holding it to gesture and make a point....). Technically I did get the job, but by the time it happened, neither I nor them was in a position for me to take it. It was complicated!

I'd been interviewing for my dream job. Had interview with relative big wig who had been 100% completely poker faced. Was convinced he wasn't even slightly interested in hiring me. Everything goes quiet. I have surgery to remove my gallbladder. Suddenly get call, "the whole process was paused due to internal stuff but you're the preferred candidate and big wig who saw you 3 weeks ago has now convinced everyone but you have to come see some other bigwigs who have veto powers.)

So I rush into the office, 10 days post surgery. Half way through interview, shift on my chair, make embarrassing pained squeal. I honestly remember almost nothing else from that interview - I might have been high on the pain drugs.

I got that job and worked there for years. The original big wig, it turned out, had been trying to get me and had to fight a few people. He was my biggest supporter, saw me get a number of promotions etc. I owe a lot to him even though during the interview I was absolutely convinced he loathed me!

When I was on maternity leave I had an interview for the local council, I'd been off work for a while, was sleep deprived and fully in the young baby fog and did zero prep. I almost forgot about the interview.

It was on zoom as the first lockdown was in full swing and I was a bumbling mess. I just kept messing up and I could feel tears rising and I just wanted to hang up the entire time. Completely misunderstood the questions. Kept apologising. I kept holding the mouse over the end call button because I knew I'd fucked it. I carried on but after they asked me a question about what services the council provide and I said "umm.. schools, bins.. and stuff" I just burst into tears.

It was really awkward, I rang the interviewer a couple of days later and when she came on the phone she started relaying that I didn't get it, they just didn't phone unsuccessful applicants and I stopped her and said I knew and hadn't been waiting for a call, I just wanted to apologise for such a bad interview, that I was seriously out of touch and hadn't done enough prep and that I hoped they wouldn't blacklist me for future jobs. She was really snappy and rude about it and mentioned it would be beneficial to read up more about what the council do. It was embarrassing as anything and I felt like such an idiot phoning to apologise but it seemed logical before I did it.. I applied for a couple of jobs there since and haven't been shortlisted again.

I managed to get band 5 admin in the NHS a few months ago though and it was the best interview I ever had, I did so much prep and it was actually a pleasant experience, never thought I'd say that!

Sorry.. didn't fit the brief as I didn't get the job! I glossed over that.

In my NHS interview that I got the job they asked to see some ID and I had to leave the room to get it. I was slightly horrified when I stood up and my outfit visible on screen went from a smart blouse to my Percy pig pyjama bottoms I thought it was a genius idea before that point..

@Lwren

I had an interview when I was desperately broke, I mean, I had less than my bus fare home. Anyway I'd gone for a day position and whilst there they offered me a job, when I was so excited he said, "so 4 nights on, 4 off okay?" And I burst into tears, I had a baby (single mum) and I cried saying, "but I've just spent my last 30 quid on these pants from next! Fucking next steve, just for you to ignore my working hour specification! I can't even return them Steve! I took the tag out!", anyway I became somewhat hysterical and poor steve drove me home, apologising for the position fuck up. I cried home, not cute dainty tears but ugly panda eyes mess. Anyway about 3 hours later he rang me saying that he'd managed to get me a 37 hour day contract if I wanted it, so I cried again, as I thanked him and he said, "can't let your lovely pants FROM NEXT go to waste, kid!" Nice guy.

Another interview the man took me into a basement and asked if I liked bondage and I asked was it part of the interview, he dead pan said yeah, then when I said no retracted the proffered position.

Had a few wild interviews tbh

This gave me a lump in the throat! What a nice guy!

Tripped on the stairs while talking to the Hiring Manager, broke a heel (the one and only time in my life that that has ever happened to me) and spilled a cup of coffee on myself. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. They were lovely and I got the job, I didn’t take it.