… 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 applied for a junior management role at a new company. I was so flustered and realised that I was totally screwing up the interview that I'd prepared loads for but I was just nervous.

So, I stopped the interview and asked the interviewer if I could just start over again. He agreed. As I walked away from that interview he stopped me and asked me what my name was again. It was then that I knew I'd got the job which I did.

Then another role wasn't really my screw up. I went along and found out the boss liked the same sport as me.

We spent almost the whole interview passionately talking about said sport. He asked me only about 3 questions and I asked him many more than that. Got the job!

The interviewer/owner asked me if I was religious - it came up in conversation because the office was over a church. I scathingly said no, that I had a hot water bottle and books for those 3am "why are we here?" moments, and that I was way too old for an invisible friend.

Then noticed he was wearing a crucifix.

He turned out to be an elder in the church.

Still got the job, and later got a promotion too.

“You say that you are a perfectionist and hate to get things wrong. How would you react if there was a mistake in your work that someone later noticed?”

Me: “Well I’d have got someone to check it before I produced it, then if it was wrong I’d blame them.”

How I got that job I don’t know, although in hindsight I wish I hadn’t!

@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.

Dead lol I can just picture this. It is like a sketch from a show

@Gemster19

Rocked up super early at a client premises ready for an interview for them to extend our contract - had all our glossy brochures prepared, did a couple of run throughs of our presentation in the cafe and got it spot on, and it was all going to plan until I thought I'd be sensible and go to the ladies before we went in. In my slightly distracted state I forgot that the very slinky leather pencil skirt I was wearing was one that needed to be unzipped and pulled down for a wee, so I bunched it up around my waist like any old skirt, only for it to get stuck. Immediately panicked and got into a right old sweaty mess trying to free myself, and just had to wait until my team (all male) sent a random woman in to rescue me as I'd left my phone with them.

Echoes of Ross.

@Myleftbigtoe

I compared myself to both Mother Theresa and Gandhi in my last interview.

My friend had recently been successful in an interview for a similar position with another organisation. They had asked her to complete an online personality test and be prepared to discuss. My interviewers had not
I got flustered mid interview and rather than chat about how my personality type (Advocat) would benefit the post and organisation, I talked about how I was similar to Mother Theresa and Gandhi.
Thankfully I knew one of my interviewers who saved me from waffling myself into oblivion. I was miraculously successful.

This is the personality test www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test do not complete before interview if of a nervous disposition

So, I did the test and turns out I’m am also an advocate. I’d love to be more like the Mahatma, but his saying “Change yourself - you are in control” defo didn’t apply in my interview or I would have controlled my stupid self better to not make a bumbling tit of myself.

@Cardboardboxingring

Wrapping up a rather serious interview I was asked what my favourite film is, I deadpan said "Chicken Run, I genuinely believe it's a cinematic masterpiece" still got offered the job

Bwahaha! Do you really think that or did you have a brain fart?!

I felt faint after not having a chance to get something to eat beforehand. Had to leave the interview for a bit to get some fresh air. Then they gave me a Mars bar to help revive me! Got the job but it was actually a horrible place to work so maybe wish I hadn’t!

It was raining and I slipped on the wet marble floor whilst walking in the reception area. Properly face planted the floor. It was at that point the HR woman came out to get me so I didn't have time to assess the damage.

15 mins into the interview my nose starts pissing blood everywhere. I got up to go to the loo to try and stem the flow and the HR woman goes 'oh no I really can't deal with blood' and promptly faints.

First aider is called for and is immediately out of his depth and insists on calling for an ambulance, for both me and the hr woman. He didn't want me to go to the loo incase I fainted too. In a previous life I was a Nurse so I was directing him to put her legs on a chair etc.

It was a mess but I directed most of the people to do things and eventually the ambulances arrived, she wasn't taken to hospital but I was. My nose was very broken and I broke my eye socket as well so needed surgery.

I got the job.

@jackiebenimble

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'????

You treated that person illegally.

Got lost trying to find the office - interview was at head office in London I don't know it very well and even though I had given myself plenty of time (like an extra hour) to find said office and planned it meticulously I was still half an hour late.

I then proceeded to miss the chair as I sat down in spectacular fashion, I was all in a flap because of the lateness and chair fall so I went to grab some water from the jug and cup they put out on the table to try and reset myself and I spilled the lot everywhere. Mopped that up and tried to start again and we got interrupted because the room had been booked immediately after my interview was supposed to finish and obviously because I was so late we ran over and I at this point I was just like ok good I have wasted £80 on a ticket to London 😑

I nearly died of shock when they called me up two weeks later to offer me the job!

They asked
“describe yourself in five words”
and I said
“helpful, friendly” couldn’t think of anything else so said “silly” and that was it, couldn’t think of five words and called myself silly.

Didn’t get the job, but I’m sure you didn’t stuff up that bad!

Off topic slightly but years ago I applied for an internal promition. I was heavily pregnant. The 2 male interviewers spent most of the interview asking how my husband would feel looking after our child whilst I was at work. They had first asked who would be looking after my child whilst I was at work. I didn't get the job but then the female manager who had been on mat leave herself, rang and offered me the job when she returned to work. Turned out one of the interviewers was also screwing a female colleague, even though he was married.

Flustered at a design position interview after a very late night & early start, when asked where I got my ideas in my portfolio from, I found myself saying "I dreamt them" meaning I dreamt them up, but it came out wrong even though that's what many designers do, it's not a good thing to own up to, to some business type bod at an interview I remember the look of horror on his face at this flaky air head he was interviewing.

I didn't get that job immediately, it was given to someone else, but I took a job elsewhere, did really well with it as a new company where only I designed for it was selling out & I got a phone call 5 months later offering me the same design job at a much higher wage. I turned it down.

First interview after over 20 years in the same job - all going well, got up at the end and forgot the ceiling behind me was very low and sloping. I almost knocked myself out, and had to pretend it didn't hurt. It did. A lot. I was very surprised they offered me the job the following week!

Being asked “What three words would your friend use to describe you?”

I know one of them was “Nice”

Got the job.

Went for a management job. The first red flag should have been that the interview was in a community hall. Anyway, rolled up to find 20 or so nervous candidates. Interview went something like this:-
Very successful company, this award etc blah
Lots of extra ways to make money
It’s commission only
That commission is quite low but it’s higher than other similar businesses
It’s an mlm
Theres a small charge to get started but it’s really very cheap

One by one people started walking out, their chairs screeching against the concrete floor in protest. The salary stated had been high and it’s clear they had maybe taken the salary of a top earner. Anyway, despite walking out, I was surprised to get a call congratulating me on getting the job and wanting me to do some paperwork!!!

@tympanic it is my favourite film but I wish I'd picked a more erudite one!

I mistakenly took a sip of water out of the interviewers glass rather than the one they'd put out for me

Interview 1: Post interview, I was shown to the lift, said goodbye and got in. Just as the lift doors started to close, the interviewer said “just one more thing” so I was manically jabbing buttons but couldn’t find the door open button in time so just sadly waved as the doors shut & never knew what they were gonna say.

Interview 2: Was raining on the way to the interview & just as I turned into the road where the office was, a lorry drove past and tidal waved me in a puddle of wet gutter muck. Turned up at interview site dripping & grubby.

On both interviews I got the job. Apparently I was “memorable”! So it might not be all too bad OP.

It won't help but...Interviewer: "why do you want to be a programmer?", Me "I don't want to be one, I thought this was a marketing assistant position?". Interviewer "No, this vacancy is for a computer programmer", Me "Oh, okay, I'm sorry, I didn't realise that, there's obviously been a mix up, but I am sure I can probably do that". Fast forward two weeks, I'm a programmer. Actual interview 1989.

This must have irked them and yet... 😂

This just happened to me OP.

I studied for this interview for a job related to but just outside my specific expertise. There was a lot of new terminology bouncing around my head. I just rambled all over the place during the interview. I was talking and in my head was thinking - "what was the question?.....what am I even saying!?" I was crushed.

Then I got the job! It's not over until it's over. Fingers crossed for you

The two positions I didn't get:
The first one I applied for a well known utilities company, I repeatedly put on my application I have a disability, childless currently and didn't want this raised!, and my cv etc. Got to interview it was two much older women, they asked bizarre and borderline inappropriate questions, they then asked how I was able to manage my time well, I spoke about being fully self funded in my uni studies so working full time and that was a challenge. The lead interviewer somehow took from that I was a single parent and spoke repeatedly about how amazing that was and how I was 'an instant winner' I found this super insulting as I had told the hiring team I had just had surgery for a stillbirth and had trauma from this. In utter shock I initially didn't correct or deny her as to be honest I didn't know what to say, she didn't ask anything else about my capabilities and proceeded to bang on about being a mum. I ironically was rejected from the job after and the feedback was nothing to do with what was discussed. Friends who worked there and knew of the woman said she was a complete psycho who caused serious issues amongst junior staff members.
The second, within the last year I went for an interview with the NHS for a grad role, the lady turned out to be a very distant relative who my dad warned me about for causing issues (I HAD NEVER MET THIS WOMAN) I was offered the role and within a few weeks she had it redacted because we were related despite me not knowing who she was. I was offered another role in a team that it turned out wasn't even ready to begin that fell through. After six months of being messed around by NHS I am finally starting a normal grad role with a separate company, however she has since left the NHS for multiple failings and other issues?? What a bizarre lady!