Interview from hell

[Desolate2nite]

Had a job interview this morning, went completely blank and looked like an idiot.
Has anyone else done this?

Yes, I know the feeling!

Yes. Normal on account of being nervous as you will forget things you've researched. It happens to everyone at some point.

I bet you get it x

Ah it will only have been a moment.

Least you were not an hour and a half later to the interview once like I was, yeah I know Bury St Edmunds I said, what I should have said was yeah, I know the town! with no idea the employer was more near Mildenhall - my out of date sat nav and me really thinking I knew the first turning to take... (but didn't) got me very lost, red faced, heated and wanting to give up! I nearly matched the red face mask I had on at the time when I reached the interview to be the butt of the jokes until I pulled it back towards the end of the interview and still ended up being a serious candidate. Then there was another time I turned up for an interview this May and it poured down on me, the poor interviewer let me sit for 15 minutes to dry off to some degree (my Valerie scene from the old virgin train ad's never truer!!)

Yes. Teaching interview....really really wanted it. They asked me how I would organise a field trip and I had no idea 🤷🏻‍♀️ done it plenty of times but I just kept banging on about hypotheses rather than the actual organisation.

FFS still hate myself for that 😭

I did that on stage once. Final dress rehearsal before the big night. Everyone was fuming and kept saying I was going to do it again in front of the paying audience (thankfully didn't). Don't know what came over me. I just... fizzled out or something.
Horrible when it happens.

Ahh don't worry about it. I've done it before, plenty of people have.

I'm sure you have a lot in life to be thankful for and more interviews will come along.

I once said "Bank of America Meryl Streep" instead of "Bank of America Merrill Lynch" in an interview with one of the best law firms in the country. It was mortifying - I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. They still hired me. If they can get past that then I think there's hope for anyone.

Well I always pronounced BNYM as Boney-M, even in interviews, because back in the day when I was quite junior, that's what we all said. I didn't realise some people seem to think this suggests I'm taking the piss out of such an illustrious organisation. Fortunately I don't work with them much, so it's more when I'm interviewing people from there.

Yes, I did that recently. I couldn't answer a couple of questions AT ALL I was so nervous and came across as a real dumbass for half the interview.

I got the job though... (admittedly, they were looking for a team of people)

Once I had an interview with a panel of 4 people, I was so nervous but bumbled my way through.

As I left the room I turned back and went to say 'thanks, goodbye' in a professional, friendly manner but instead, for reasons I can't fathom, I did indeed say 'thanks, bye' but then blew them a kiss.

I wanted to die.

Yep!

When I was 21, had an interview for a job in a fashion brand head office. I was so excited, felt like the job was made for me. Did so much preparation and research.

First thing I said when I walked in was “Oh my God I’m so nervous”. Totally blanked, couldn’t answer any of the questions I was asked. The interviewer was so lovely though and got me bottle of water when I suddenly blurted out “my mouth is so dry”.

Obviously I didn’t get the job😂Felt like a complete and utter idiot. Really knocked my confidence.

Don’t fret OP. It happens. It happens more than we think. See every interview as a learning opportunity and experience. I truly believe in what’s mean to be, will be. You will do amazingly in the next interview that is meant for you💐

One of my ex colleagues went blank in an interview, stared at the interviewer for a couple of minutes, then banged her head down on the table, shut her eyes and muttered 'It'llbeokayItl'llbeokayIt'llbeokay' before lifting her head back up and asking them to repeat the question. She got the job 😁

My first professional interview I hit my head on the reception desk getting up to meet the interviewer then went down hill from there.

Don’t worry, most of us have had a bad interview. My friend went to one and fainted and had to be helped up by one of the managers and she got the job!
She was so nervous, it was a hot day and she’s not eaten!
She did debate whether to work there after her embarrassing interview but she did and she made a joke out of it when she started.

Yes! Most of us have so don't worry about it. And the interviewer will have dealt with this numerous times as well.

I've had interviews where I've been stumped by a technical question and been out of my depth. Made a right fool of myself by babbling on about nonsense.
I also had an interview where I threw out nearly every cliche there was and said "teamwork makes the dream work". I was mortified.

Look at it this way, if you get the job then great. If you don't then at least you got the interview experience and you'll never see them again.

I went to a job interview once, shook everyone’s hand, we’re all smiling and nodding and then I walked straight into a cupboard. I don’t mean I bumped into it. I don’t mean I opened the door and realised my mistake. I mean I opened the door and walked into it and started closing the door behind me.

Oh and I got the job!

No bit I applied for a job with a publisher and was so excited out of uni, it was very odd and they told me and the other candidate that these were really practice interviews and the real ones were the following week. Crushed.

I'm sorry, must have been mortifying, but it made me laugh!

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Not during an interview but when I was young and employed and was asked to give a talk to new joiners. There were about 80 people in the room and I was so, so nervous I was on and off the toilet all morning! Hated public speaking. I'd not got far in to my talk when two of the new joiners, who had been constantly talking between themselves, started quietly laughing. In my head I was convinced they were laughing at me and I just froze. It seemed like an eternity and I realised I needed to either pull it back or walk out of the room. Fortunately I managed to start talking again, but I felt so traumatised afterwards I had to go home instead of back to work for the last hour .

Nowadays it wouldn't phase me. I'd consciously stop, look at the couple and ask them to share whatever it was they found funny with the rest of the room.

Try not to worry too much OP, it happens to more people than you realise and most interviewers will realise it's down to nerves.

I worked with someone years ago who due to professional regulations changing had to have an assessment interview, and despite having done the job for probably about 30 years he got so worked up he forgot his own name. Just completely couldn't remember. The assessor had to check with his manager because he just didn't have the faintest idea.

What an awful company to make you feel so bad about it. I remember having a terrible on stage experience, infront of an audience and the company were lovely about it to my face anyway
OP This time last year I had two interviews in a week and did a terrible job in one and was unlucky with the other. That weekend I applied for another job, got the interview and then the job. The two employers then contacted me a week later. One to say they had funding to employ another teacher and the job was mine if I wanted it. The other to ask if I wanted to have another interview for the teaching post. Obviously I said no to both as I already had a job. It's never as bad as you think it is OP and if it is there is always another role out there that suits you perfectly

Feel happier after reading these. Unfortunately I will see them again as it was an internal job 🤦‍♀️