Worst interview ever...I need to leave the country, don't I?

[minou123]

Just had an interview it was, without fail, the worst, most embarrassing thing I've ever done.

One minute I was rambling, next minute I couldn't speak.
I was over enthused about the greatness of 'action plans'. To my shame, i even said I have action plans to clean my house 🙄

I cant remember the rest, I think my brain is trying to protect me from the shame I have brought upon myself.

I need to leave the country, don't I? The thought of ever bumping into the interview panel is filling me with fear.
Albu?

Don't stress about it. Those on interview panels know how nervous people can be . When I'm interviewing I always try to put people at ease and if they fidnt fo this are they really worth your concern?

In a previous job one candidate broke down in tears, they'd previously had a breakdown and it was their first interview. I had so much respect for them and what they had been through. I offered them the job. Never regretted it for one minute!

Best of luck with your job hunt xx

I recently had an interview and whilst I felt confident to begin it soon went downhill. I wasn’t able to answer a simple question and said my mind went blank. I was so annoyed with myself afterwards and sure I had wrecked it. I got the job!

Oh if you are doing an interview on teams stick a massive note in front of you reminding yourself to SLOW DOWN AND BREATHE

It was on teams.

That is such a great tip. I will use that for next time. Thank you

I'm just posting because I want to see the post where you tell us you got the job. I think you will!

I can't post about my worst interview, but the second worst was when I had some papers on my lap which they had given to me. They slid off my lap and onto the floor, so I said "Excuse me" and leant down to pick them up. I did the most enormous fart and had no idea what to say. So I blamed it on the dog. There was no dog of course.

Surprisingly I wasn't offered the job.

If anyone from the interview panel at John Lewis Oxford Street in March 1985 is on this thread, I'm so sorry.

I was the interviewer on a cold day in an office with the heating on. One applicant had extraordinarily bad breath that seemed to permeate the whole room. I could even smell it on my clothes after they'd left. To this day I can't remember what their answers were ... 😧

Could be worse. I had an applicant who, when asked his biggest weakness, said, "I fart. A LOT!" and then proved the point.

A lot of us ramble when we are super nervous. I turn into a rambling Trainwreck and can't remember half the shit I said afterwards. Pop your passport back in the drawer. You never know.. you might get the job!

I do feel for you. Years ago I applied for a job as a media news researcher that I would have done well at,I still believe.Back them it was all about being,frankly,a bit aggressive. I'm quiet and introverted but in the written part of the interview I stated that I tended to be quite pushy.
What a wally. Feedback was that they needed someone quiet and a bookish (huh,me.) Didn't get the job.

I hope you get the job of your dreams soon.

I worked in recruitment for 10 years, loved it.
Really enjoyed helping people advance their career.
Interviews can be nerve-wracking – especially if it's that “dream job”.
Like everything else, practice makes perfect. If you were going through an agency, they should give you a briefing (they have an interest in your success).
If not, ask family, friends or trusted colleagues to do a mock interview. Beyond that google it or go onto YouTube – there's a lot of material out there.
But I do feel your pain, these things can happen.
Put it down to experience and move on – months or years from now it will be nothing more than an amusing dinner party story to entertain your guests!
If I can offer one tip - put your phone on airplane mode during an interview 😎

Nooooo!

What did you do?

Ah OP, I feel your pain. I have had some hilariously horrendous interviews. I went from bombing entire interviews to just stuffing them up with a clanger at the last minute, with questions including “Do you finish early on a Friday?” and “What’s your attitude to taking holiday?” I can still remember their look of disappointment re the last one. They’d apparently loved me until then. They carried on interviewing and then called a couple of months later as no-one better had turned up… and I answered from Italy, where I was on holiday 😆 cue their hasty exit and eternal silence!

Anyway, what I wanted to say was that ultimately this was all preparation leading me to the job I was made for. By the time I found something I actually wanted, I nailed the interview, and it led to lots of good stuff and even a career change.

I also think you’d be surprised how few interviews are aced. In my experience, people are mediocre at best!

If you got the post here - what would you bring to the job?

"My glasses"...

In my most recent interview I managed to insinuate that I was in a lesbian relationship with my SIL (whilst being married to male DH, which the interviewers knew)

🙄

Managed to get the job though they were desperate

If you got the post here - what would you bring to the job?

"My glasses"...

^

Sold!

🤣🤣

I interviewed a person once that stunk of fans and was wearing an ancient cardi.
Only found out later from the agent that she had got to interview early and sat in her car with a coffee. She managed to tip the entire thing down herself. The only thing she had in the car to cover up was the cardi, that stunk of fans and wasn't hers. I wish she had just called to reschedule ( made up something about car trouble). I did say to her agent to encourage her to reapply next time we recruited but she never did.

Hope the news is good Minou.
I’ve just had a Teams interview, signal bad so kept losing connection and couldn’t see them. The final time I started laughing and it came out as a sort of deranged maniacal cackle.

not confident sitting here, hey ho, hope there’ll be another opportunity.

No news yet. I will let you know.

Good luck to you too Sloth66

The most well-paid job I ever had was preceded by an absolute horrific trainwreck of an interview. It was on MS Teams and I was late because the link didn't work/I clicked the wrong link; I was doing it on my phone actually sat in my car (long story) and forgot to switch off background setting so she asked me why I was in the car (🙈) and it was so hot the phone kept overheating and switching itself off because it said it was too hot thus continuously interrupting the interview. I honestly couldn't believe she offered me a job!

My mum once made me apply for a job working on the ferries which I didn't want as it was all evenings and weekends (my social life!) I did a deliberately bad application- a handwritten letter with pictures of pineapples and bananas drawn in the margin. They'd asked for a photo so I enclosed one of me with a spoon stuck on my chin. Astonishingly I got an interview. They were probably curious to meet this outgoing fun loving person. In reality I am quiet and introverted.

During the interview I was asked what I would do if an aggressive customer came into the booking office and I had no manager present. I said I would go and hide in the staff room until they'd gone away. (This was probably true.) Didn't get the job. Hurrah!

the school dog sniffed my crotch at an interview. Tell me I dont need to emigrate

😂

not helpful! :(

I had an interview a few weeks ago and it went horribly. It's for a content writer role and I was so nervous I literally forgot how to speak. Every time I opened my mouth all that came out was a sorta "eh" sound. Just terrible, but it was in a massive grand building and I felt totally overawed. Excused myself with hand gestures and then sent a follow up email blaming a sudden illness.

But Christ, their faces. All older, very established in their role facing down little old me. Just typing that has made my hands sweat!

I did an assessment centre once. One task was to do with allocating staff resource. I separated all the papers out and got to it.
I couldn't make head nor tail of it because crucial info was missing. But did my best. 5 mins before time was up I glanced down. The paper including the crucial info was on the floor, under the desk!