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?

I once arrived a day early for an interview! They did still, kindly, interview me but I was so embarrassed I was a waffling wreck! Did not get that job but they did say I may be better suited to a different role within the same industry. To be fair they were completely correct!

Aw OP, we've all been there. Onward and upward, just chalk it up to experience.

My worst interview was one where I stupidly didn't realise it was a proper interview. I had applied for a job in a small start up company, and a guy got back to me and said could we meet in a cafe for a quick chat about the job, not for an interview just an informal chat. I thought because it was a small start up that they would just meet me to see if we got on, and then invite me for an actual interview later.

So I go to the cafe, and he starts talking like it's a real interview, only I haven't really prepared or anything. He even took out my CV and started going through my work history. At one point I even said to him 'oh, I didn't realise this was an actual interview' an he said 'no, no it's just a chat', but he was asking interview style questions that I hadn't prepared for!
The worst part was that it was in a small cafe, where people sitting around us were pretending not to listen but could clearly hear every word - so there was an audience to my mortification.

Anyway, I obviously didn't get the job, but I was glad actually because to me it seemed really unprofessional on his part.

I once, when asked about my hobbies, said ‘well I’m really into cats’

This is me! I'm normally so good at interviews.

I'm going to make myself sound even worse now, I'm a trained interviewer.

Why oh why lord. You'd think I'd should know better. But, nope.

You’ll never beat the guy my boss (female) interviewed who turned up steaming and kissed her on the way out.

You are a legend. LEG-END.

@minou123 when I was teaching maths I'd applied for a really fancy school and managed to get through. They'd scheduled a full day style interview where each candidate was rotated through different things (tours/meetings with various teachers/interviews done by pupils etc), with one of the elements being deliver a 25 min lesson. I had it all planned out for a good couple of weeks before and was really happy with it.

I was in waiting room and there was this very extravagant interviewee (who already worked for the school) stating loudly about all these wonderful things he'll be doing in his test lesson. I panicked - I'd not been teaching that long and it really did throw me (if that had happened a year later I would've just stuck to my original plan). I vaguely remembered some 'magic square' trick we'd been shown in staff training a couple of weeks earlier and thought it would be the best idea EVER to do this as a mini starter and blow them all away.

The headteacher, head of maths, the maths lead and a full class of top set year 8s got to see the exact point I realised my magic square was completely incorrect and didn't actually work despite all the will and blagging in the world, and I then couldn't find a board rubber, so had to do my entire (actually accurate and very educational) 25 min lesson with this sodding broken magic square for all to see (and for the staff at the back, ample time to recalculate). I was one of the ones that got sent home at lunch 🤣

This happened about 6 years ago and I still die a bit every single time I remember it but the good news is it will begin to fade and you'll get to a point where only a thread on a forum will take you back to it several years later 🤣 xx

"Phial of piss" 😂

I attended an interview once and only realised afterwards that my shirt had come undone (the middle button) and I had a huge gaping hole where you could see my breasts/cleavage showing through.

I go the job though 😊

I cried. Actually sat with tears running down my face. It was 20 years ago and I still retch when I think about it (so thanks for that!)

I was invited to apply, it was internal. When I walked in to the interview room the panel included a manager who hated me (the feeling was mutual) and a bloke I had never met before. He opened his mouth and his voice had all but gone. The voice he did have was very very scottish.

Every question he asked I didn't understand due to his accent/lack of voice. Every question she asked I didn't know the answer to and she bloody well knew it. She set me up.

So, at least you didn't cry.

And I didn't get the job. I left and got a better one.

Either this has happened more than once, or I was one of the people interviewing you.

In one of my first interviews, when asked what my weaknesses were I answered "well I'm allergic to mayonnaise" I can still see their faces now.

Didn't help my chances that it became apparent that there was a company with a very similar name in the niche industry, and of course I'd researched the wrong one and was waxing lyrical about how great one of their major competitors was 🙄

Thats me every interview I ever had, its astounding I ever managed to get any job but I'm doing quite well. I cringe at all of them.

I had an interview for an internal role where it became apparent pretty quickly that I had totally misunderstood the nature of the role in question, to the point that one of the interviewers - all of whom I knew - was gently trying to lead me to some answers that should have been obvious if I'd understood it right, so that was pretty cringe. But I managed to carry on working in the same place and talking to those people.

TBH, it was just as well as it turned out the manager for the role was really horrible and the person who got the role left after not too long because of her.

It’s never going to be as bad as the time my mate interviewed a lad for a job
he rocked up with his cv-on it was the fact he’d been on the Jeremy Kyle show,the fact he got a £20 primark voucher and in the interview he kept banging on (in detail) why he was on it
when asked what jobs he’d actually done he answered ‘nowt,I’ve never had a job’ (the lad was in his late 20’s)
when he got the ‘sorry you haven’t got the job but thank you for your time’ email,he got in touch with my mate and threatened to beat him up!

God I am like this in every interview, astounded that I got through to 2nd and 3rd, slightly judged them but got the job, so don't lose faith.

I'm sorry if this is bringing back horrible memories for some.

If its any consolation, your stories are making me feel much better 😁

Don't worry Mr Starmer, the press are focusing on that blurry photo of you holding a bottle of beer.

The interview will pale in to insignificance...

I can’t give details as it’s too outing, but just over 20 years ago when I was very young I interviewed for an internal position, so I knew the interviewer and was really trying to impress him. Sadly I was absolutely tongue-tied with nerves and could barely stammer out an answer to his first few questions. He was very kind and patient, and then for some unknown reason I suddenly blurted out something sensitive about his private life that I’d heard in company gossip that week. I could see my mouth saying it but was powerless to stop it. Then I basically cried through the rest of the interview.

Amazingly, I got the job. Much later he told me it was the funniest thing that he’d seen in ages.

20+ years on and I still go red every time I remember, and occasionally wake up in a cold sweat.

This is outing. I was a governor at a huge local secondary school interviewing for a PE post. We had a very young newly qualified teacher interviewing. Well I said - the feedback on your lesson was excellent can you tell me about a time things didn’t go so well…
well he said I was teaching a girls pe lesson and a girl was doing the vault and I helped her over - except my hand slipped and went inside her leotard and I grabbed her err vulva bits and that was really awkward and mortifying for me ……

my face must have said it all -and he then said I should’ve have said that really it’s best forgotten and not discussed 🤦‍♀️🤬but don’t worry it was all dealt with by the Head et.

when he didn’t get the job the Head made me ring to explain he hadn’t got the job ….he wanted feedback

its was just awful for everyone

Try not to worry!

Once, when I was much younger, I went for a job interview at a really fancy floristry school.

The lady interviewing me held out her hand to shake min, and I passed her my soaking umbrella and coat 😱🤣

I wish I could say but improved from there. It didn't!

I still cringe when I think of an interview my mother set me up for when I was 18. I had no interest in the job or company and had done no research ! The company was Carlsberg and they asked me what I knew about the company, I stupidly answered it’s probably the best beer in the world 😬 they sat there stony faced needless to say I didn’t get the job 😂

Well, this thread shows we've all been there, OP! I've had some humdingers. There was one I hadn't had time to prepare much for so only scanned the letter inviting me to interview, saw where it was and the time. I turned up and was asked for my passport as per the letter and I said "oh, I didn't realise I needed to bring it." I'd put in my application that I was good at paying attention to detail. 🙈Same interview, my answers weren't very long (prob due to lack of prep) and they were just staring at me. It was really off putting. They asked me "how do you feel about being part of the customer services department?" but I wasn't aware that the team I would be joining WAS part of the CS dept which threw me completely, and I wouldn't have known the answer they were looking for anyway, so I just waffled on and on about the importance of customer service and how it was so SO important to me. I was embarrassing.

I didn't get the job naturally, and even when I asked for feedback I fucked up. They emailed me back saying "your answers could have been more detailed." plus a couple of other points. I should have just replied "thankyou" but for some reason I replied in more detail when I was in the middle of something at work and didn't read what I wrote before I pressed send. It was only when I read back that I realised it read like I was criticising their interview methods - I really wasn't,it was just the way I'd phrased it. I applied for another similar job 6 months later at the same place and didn't even get it.

There was another one where I had to give a presentation. It was so so SO bad. It was like something from The Office. Waffle, repetition of the same phrases, huge pauses and huge amount of cringe. I die a little inside when I remember it.

I meant I didn't even get an interview.

The worst interview I ever did I was offered the job. I can’t imagine what the competition was like. I’d didn’t want the job so I didn’t care and maybe I just seemed really relaxed - or maybe they were desperate.