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Original poster

Interviewer laughed at me

153 replies

Sooocold · 19/10/2023 09:40

I’ve just come from an interview this morning and I thought it was going quite well until the second to last second. It threw me off and I thought it was quite a difficult one to answer but I tried my best and came up with an answer anyway. Whilst I was speaking they were writing my answers down and I saw one of the interviewers smirk and chuckle as to himself and then he looked at the other man who was sat next to him with a big smirk on his face and to get his reaction. it really put me off to be honest and I felt silly and humiliated after that.

I feel so down now because I pushed myself to go to this interview and I felt like I tried my best. I have anxiety and I felt proud that I’d gone but I’ve left feeling like an idiot

OP posts:
greenbeansnspinach · 20/10/2023 18:58

I thought exactly the same at an interview once and went away absolutely sure I’d messed up and they thought I was a joke.
I got the job.
You just can’t tell what’s really going on, as you don’t know them and you don’t know what’s been said before your interview or by previous interviewees.

Italiangreyhound · 20/10/2023 19:00

Could be anything. Don't let them get in your head. Good luck.

sclarke624 · 20/10/2023 19:04

It's really horrible isn't it. I applied for a admin job in a school. When I came out into the secretary's office, I could hear her repeating my answer to a question to her cronies and laughing their heads off. The secretary was embarrassed. The headmistress looked ridiculous dressed in a rabbit outfit, mufty day or something. Thank god she had left a couple of years later when my daughter started there as a teacher. The two head teachers after the nasty one, were and are lovely. It stays with you and does knock your confidence.

PimpMyFridge · 20/10/2023 19:11

@sclarke624 wow - that's pretty unequivocal - how awful! And if that's their attitude you wonder how much of that trickled through to the kids who are quirky or taking time to find their feet or whatever!

MsRachelDoesItBetter · 20/10/2023 19:36

I reckon they’d do that because you’ve got the exact right answer. Sometimes there are questions hardly anyone gets and when someone does you are like hallelujah!! And probably would smile at my colleague in that instance.

in the unlikely case that they were smirking then you don’t want to work there anyway!

Rudderneck · 20/10/2023 19:42

Could be anything OP. I think I probably looked bemusedly at my colleague at an interview the other day, the answer each candidate gave to one question was so identical it just became more and more funny with each person who said it.

Pinkclouds80 · 20/10/2023 19:46

Honestly I think it’s likely that something you said really resonated with a current issue for them, or some kind of in joke. They really probably weren’t laughing at you…but if they were, then they are DICKS, and it says NOTHING about your answer (or you), and everything about them.

Ive interviewed many, many people and making someone feel like shit isn’t just nasty, it’s counter productive because you don’t get the best answers from them.

Please don’t let this knock your confidence - either they are wankers you don’t want to work for, or in your slightly anxious interview state you assumed they were mocking you when it was something else entirely. Either way, no reflection on you or your worth! Xx

Ilovecleaning · 20/10/2023 19:55

Ignore all the posts on here which are ‘explaining’ the interview’s’ reactions. It was unprofessional and rude.

PimpMyFridge · 20/10/2023 20:03

@Ilovecleaning 👌
It's tempting to want to reassure away the fact of the smirk, we all want to be helpful and sooth op, but fact is, we weren't there and it's baseless speculation what the interviewer was thinking... Though anecdotes are nice to hear, to know it's not just you who has had a horrible interview experience.
But a smirk is hardly good etiquette in an interview situation, it meaning any number of possible things... Utterly unprofessional.

howfartospar · 20/10/2023 20:09

2 options here - you'll either get the job, therefore will know you did well.

if you don't get the job, you could ask for feedback (particularly on that question)

Picturesofowls · 20/10/2023 20:31

Oh no, an interviewer laughed at me once. Actually the situation I was describing did have a funny element to it. It threw me a bit but I still go a job out of it though not the one I applied for. Its not ideal but they're human and it doesn't mean anything definitive. Same with my mil, she's a fun character and was laughed at in a job interview and got the job.

Jacesmum1977 · 20/10/2023 20:54

PriOn1 · 19/10/2023 09:47

It might have been that they liked your answer, or it may be that they were slightly unprofessional and were laughing at something they’d been discussing before you came in, which your answer reminded them of.

Whatever it was, I don’t think you should necessarily assume they were laughing at your reply. Please continue to be proud of yourself for going. Whatever they did, that is an achievement for you so don’t let them distract you from it.

This x

Wafflesandcrepes · 20/10/2023 21:25

Well I was interviewed by two guys once and one of them fell asleep in his chair. It was at the time when long mid-week lunches were still acceptable and I think he had had one drink too many. Laughing doesn’t seem so bad in comparison. Looking on the bright side: they were engaged and will remember you. All the best.

gillefc82 · 20/10/2023 21:58

The job market is pretty competitive at the moment, so getting to interview stage is a considerable achievement in itself. Please be proud of yourself!

If it was how you perceived it, and the interviewer was indeed mocking your answer I would provide some direct feedback when you are contacted with the outcome regardless of whether they offer you the job or not. And actually (should they offer you the role), the way the company handled that feedback would be a good indication of the culture and the company values in practice, not just on their website!

If one of my team were interviewing and they treated a potential new team member (which is what every interviewee is at this stage in the recruitment process) so snidely, I would find it extremely unprofessional and would either reconsider their suitability for being involved in interviews moving forward or, at the very least, would be arranging some training or coaching in interview skills so they didn’t repeat the behaviour again.

Trakand01 · 21/10/2023 11:27

Sounds to me like a ‘see Dave, I told you so’ / ‘that’s exactly what we said earlier’ moment. I really wouldn’t worry about it. If you were concerned at the time you should have asked.

You can’t overthink every single interaction other people have.

Stormyweathr · 21/10/2023 14:15

I was asked at the end of an interview about my family I can see now that I was at child bearing age and they were gauging if I was going to be having children soon. I answered with ‘I’ve got a mum who lives across the road from me’ I actually laugh to myself now about the answer I gave it was purely nerves and they actually laughed out loud. I got the job and we still laugh about it now

Jeannie88 · 21/10/2023 17:49

My immediate thought.was that it may be something you said pertained to a secret joke, so just a word or phrase that triggered them? Don't take it personally, if u get the job then maybe u can find out what it was about. Xx

LadyLolaRuben · 21/10/2023 18:11

Maybe you were spot on with your answer and it triggered a memory of something that happened to them in work.

Generally in interviews they won't laugh in front of you if somethings wrong it's too obvious and rude. Especially in a formal situation with person sat directly in front of them.

Good for you OP getting to the interview stage. Dont let the few seconds of the interview ruin an experience. Good luck with the outcome, I hope u get the job. When they contact you with the interview outcome you could ask them why they laughed as you'd like feedback

Duechristmas · 21/10/2023 21:38

An interview is purely a formality to see if you would fit, and you don't want to be working with people who smirk and laugh at you. You had a lucky escape.

T1Dmama · 22/10/2023 00:53

Any news?

Surfmanatee · 22/10/2023 14:32

Sorry to hear it’s upset you. Don’t let it put you off.
If it’s any consolation, a place I worked before there was like an ‘in joke’ when reading job applications, for when people put ‘socialising with friends’ as a hobby, and I saw a similar smirk exchange at my interview but thankfully they said along with it ‘she’ll fit right in then’. Referring to the fact that employees used to go out socialising together a lot.
Hopefully it is a similar situation to that for you. And if not, and it was intended to make you feel bad then forget them because they would be horrible to work for.
best of luck on the job search, keep going, the more you do, the easier you will find them.

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 22/10/2023 15:25

The thing is, a 'smirk' is so subjective. I bitterly remember getting told off for 'smirking' in class, when actually I'd been smiling at a friend. What you perceive as a smirk could well be just your anxiety about the interview coming through.

I guess only you can really know by considering it completely objectively. What will you do if you're offered the job?

Hmcs · 22/10/2023 18:41

About a year after I had been working in a company
I was helping go through some files and came across the notes they made from my interview

someone had written
“seems a bit ditzy”

yet somehow they employed me

I mean I wouldn’t call myself ditzy
I just think I had way more personality than anyone else working there

so I really wouldn’t worry too much about their reactions to your answers

if They think you are the best fit you’ll get the job

Original poster
Sooocold · 22/10/2023 21:28

Thank you everyone for your replies. Unfortunately I didn’t get the job and it was offered to somebody with more experience in a certain part of the job description. They did call after and thanked me for a good interview and said some of my answers were strong so that’s good. I just hope I didn’t make a fool of myself!

OP posts:
Elaina87 · 22/10/2023 21:42

Don't be, I don't think they'll have been laughing at you. Probably just trying to engage and maybe he really liked what you had said. Well done for going and if you don't get the outcome you want, use it as experience.