To have quit a one way video interview

[sapphicy]

Bit of a reality check needed, I am going for a job I am really confident I’d be good at, I have already passed the written assessment and the initial interview and found them very straightforward. There is now a video interview and then a final interview.

Today I had the video interview which is one way, so a pre recorded person reads you the questions and you have to film your answer. There isn’t much info online about how to prep but I’ve got loads of STAR answers and rehearsed reading them aloud to myself.

No idea what happened really but speaking to the camera and seeing myself on the screen felt really alien and it killed my confidence and it really reflected in my voice. I froze up and couldn’t even finish the interview, questions I’d normally be good at answering became impossible, my mind went blank and my nerves and panic got the better of me and I shut the laptop and cried. I only got 3 of the questions done.

I am usually a very loud and confident person so this has totally rattled me. My current job is all about communication skills! DP is trying her best to comfort me, but usually if you fail the video interview you have to start the whole application again in a few months time and I’m totally angry at myself. I’ve emailed the recruiter to say I ran into some problems and couldn’t complete it but haven’t heard back yet.

I feel like a failure as there are 21 year olds who pass this video interview easy peasy and I’m well into my 30s and just couldn’t do it and don’t understand why. I would be so confident answering these questions face to face with someone.

Should I even try again, or just find something else where I don’t have to jump through this hoop? Sounds ridiculous but I feel like I’ll need to pay for coaching to get through this and it makes me question if it’s worth it and what is actually the issue here. Anyone else had problems with this?

I am now retired so my interview days are long gone but what happened to the candidate submitting a CV, attending an interview and then getting a letter offering the job or a rejection. I have interviewed people for jobs many times and in 99% of the time have known within minutes how suitable the candidate was. My daughter has over the years had to do the initial interview, usually in a hotel, then a presentation at their head office, then a final interview with a board, which takes weeks and even one time had to do an isometric test. They seem to make it harder and harder for applicants and it beats me why all this is so necessary.

This is why mumsnet is great. Someone coming along with practical ideas. I would never have known this.

Surely you'd be able to request an adjustment given your circumstances?

I think it sounds an inhumane way to expect people to perform that way and that you acted in a very human way.

I would claim your internet went down and practice talking to the computer and your reflection. Pretend there’s someone there.

That’s ok. I hire my own team, and I do it as a human.

I do love your moral high ground... You interview a few people and discard and limit the rest based on an old-fashioned process.

@Greenwitchart huge sympathy. My DD is dyslexic and absolutely hates the idea of a video interview: she’s fine on Teams etc but can’t do the one way thing. She asked for an adjustment at one internship she applied for - the company said that they would take needs into account. She wanted to do a regular interview via Teams or zoom because as she said, she was applying for an office job not to be a tv presenter. The company refused.

I don’t think it’s an age thing, DD is early 20s but really put off by it. She also fears that they screen the interviews using AI which makes her even more pessimistic, and disgusted with the companies that do this.