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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not wait any longer?

191 replies

AtTheZoo · 04/07/2023 10:29

Got an email yesterday asking me to come in for a job interview at 10am today.

Arrived on time. Been sat in the waiting room for 30 mins. One glass of water. Told things are running over but no apology.

Weird feeling just want to walk out. AIBU?

OP posts:
zurala · 04/07/2023 19:34

This happened to me once, and it was the NHS interestingly. They didn't communicate with her so I was sat in a kitchen area just waiting while my car parking was running out. Obviously I'd put enough on to cover my interview and a bit more, but it was so late that the only way I could make it back to the car was by having a really short interview.

I had to wander about to find someone and explain, then I went to move the car to another spot. When I came back they wanted me to go straight in so I was really flustered and of course knew they'd been with the previous applicant for ages.

They explained she had talked a lot but I felt they should have managed the time much better.

I didn't get the job, although a couple of years later it became available, I did a video interview that time and I got it.

It's crap and I was really pissed off about it. If I hadn't wanted the role so much I would have just left. Once I did get the job later, it was a really nice team to work with, so I think they were maybe too nice and didn't know how to interrupt the garrulous candidate.

I learned how to recruit better that day though! I would never do that to a candidate.

zurala · 04/07/2023 19:35

With me! Autocorrect in the first bit there.

Mikimoto · 04/07/2023 19:58

I hope you asked "What is the timekeeping situation like in your company?".

As someone else mentioned, do a Glassdoor review.

Emotionalsupportviper · 04/07/2023 21:10

GoodChat · 04/07/2023 14:40

Clinics are completely different to interviews, and if they'd have said "I'm sorry, the interviewer's clinic has run over" OP would fully understand if she was in that line of work.

It's not a comparable situation.

She didn't 'strop off'. She needed to get back for a meeting after waiting incredibly patiently well past her scheduled meeting time.

Show quote history

Things come up in clinics which can't be anticipated, and people's health, and even lives, can be at stake.

It should be rare for an interview to overun to any significant degree.

PrincessFiorimonde · 04/07/2023 21:38

They sound awful, OP.

Hope you either get a promotion and big pay rise at your current workplace, or find a brilliant job elsewhere Flowers

olympicsrock · 04/07/2023 21:45

I guess things are done differently in different environments. Interesting that @zurala had a similar experience and is also an NHS employee. This kind of situation with interviews and professional meetings such as appraisals is really common in my world Timings for everything flex and no one bats an eyelid.
I have no idea what sort of job OP was going to.

This is AIBU - I’m just voicing that I was amazed that someone would consider leaving after 30 minutes after going to all the trouble of applying for and attending an interview.

dinoice · 04/07/2023 21:45

Not precious.

A very we are so much more important than you. I hope you get it and either accept and sort them out or decline and tell them why.

hot2trotter · 04/07/2023 21:54

Why did you let her usher you back in?? I absolutely would not have!

Hawkins0001 · 04/07/2023 22:08

Some companies do eg stress tests to see how candidate's are and if they are suitable for the role

WomanStanleyWoman2 · 04/07/2023 22:18

At the risk of turning this into “My Worst Interview”…

I once went for an interview where the receptionist looked very flustered when I asked for Felicity Fishshop. She disappeared for ages, then came back with someone else who said “I’m very sorry, we did ring the agency, but Felicity is unwell and didn’t come in today. I’m sorry you’ve had a wasted journey.”

At this stage I didn’t know if they genuinely had called the agency, and it was the agency’s fault for not calling me, or if they’d forgotten about me and were trying to pass the buck. I was about to call the agency when they called me, and the recruiter said she was dreadfully sorry and had been trying me for ages (yet no missed calls), but that Felicity Fishshop was terribly and had collapsed at work, and had been taken off in an ambulance! Which seems pretty amazing given she never got to work according to her boss…

I still don’t know to this day who was lying or over/underplaying it. The worst thing was, I was unemployed and desperate for a job, so I couldn’t tell them to shove it and had to go back and do the interview another day.

Hawkins0001 · 04/07/2023 22:20

WomanStanleyWoman2 · 04/07/2023 22:18

At the risk of turning this into “My Worst Interview”…

I once went for an interview where the receptionist looked very flustered when I asked for Felicity Fishshop. She disappeared for ages, then came back with someone else who said “I’m very sorry, we did ring the agency, but Felicity is unwell and didn’t come in today. I’m sorry you’ve had a wasted journey.”

At this stage I didn’t know if they genuinely had called the agency, and it was the agency’s fault for not calling me, or if they’d forgotten about me and were trying to pass the buck. I was about to call the agency when they called me, and the recruiter said she was dreadfully sorry and had been trying me for ages (yet no missed calls), but that Felicity Fishshop was terribly and had collapsed at work, and had been taken off in an ambulance! Which seems pretty amazing given she never got to work according to her boss…

I still don’t know to this day who was lying or over/underplaying it. The worst thing was, I was unemployed and desperate for a job, so I couldn’t tell them to shove it and had to go back and do the interview another day.

Seems one cover up or another

Dibbydoos · 04/07/2023 23:01

I waited over an hour for my interview when meeting rooms got double booked. I got the job and it was a great job!

What have you got to lose?

Hullabalooza · 05/07/2023 07:22

So, what did you do?!

GoodChat · 05/07/2023 07:58

Hullabalooza · 05/07/2023 07:22

So, what did you do?!

She wrote an update

LookItsMeAgain · 05/07/2023 13:04

I think you were damned if you did and damned if you didn't do that interview. The company were terrible with their scheduling and to be honest, I would have left after 40 minutes of being kept waiting.
In your situation, I would have restated that I have other meetings/appointments to keep and if they really wanted to interview me they could reschedule at this point. I don't have the time to give them at that point.

If someone is being contacted to come in to interview, then there is something on their LinkedIn profile warranting them being contacted in the first place or in their CV. Value your time. Assign a value to that time. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing that.

Quiverer · 05/07/2023 13:49

AtTheZoo · 04/07/2023 17:28

SORRY

I was walking out the door when she came downstairs to get me. I was half out the door. She ushered me back in. Just over an hour late. V awkward. I said I had other meetings and she looked at me like I was up my own arse. I was hurried into the room. I DID THE INTERVIEW.

Safe to say I don't think they'll be offering it me. It was v surreal.

V much enjoying your comments and stories.

Glad at least one person thinks I'm being a right precious cow.

Did they offer any sort of explanation?

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