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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to ask you to make me feel better about this absolute howler of an interview? Or should I just leave the country?

196 replies

TattyOldOwl · 03/07/2026 20:57

So I had an interview today and it was over Teams in front of a panel of 3. I prepared well, and was sat in my home office at my desk on my new office chair

Anyway, before the interview, I’d been fiddling with the height adjustment of the chair as it wasn’t quite high enough for me. Finally got it sorted and all good.

so, I’m sat there and half way through an in-depth answer to a multi pronged question. I’m all animated and talking away when I suddenly feel myself descending but ever so slowly. I kind of stutter a bit as I’m SO distracted by this and I try to hold myself up by gripping my desk but it’s no use …. Literally, one moment I’m in their line of sight and then next, i gradually disappear from view as my hydraulic chair takes me all the way down as low as it will go.

I end up inches from my floor, desperately trying to scrabble myself back up and then I sort of PING back into view like a jack in a box to find one of the women on the panel literally helpless with laughter.

I just can’t. So mortified. Please tell me you’ve had worse?

OP posts:
Lolamills · 03/07/2026 20:59

As a career adviser, I can assure you that you won’t be forgotten by the panel when they’re deliberating candidates after all of the interviews and you can only hope that’s a positive thing 😂

cheezncrackers · 03/07/2026 21:01

OMG that’s hilarious! I bet you made their day. I really hope they give you the job, particularly as it sounds like you styled it out 😆

WerewolfOfLoudon · 03/07/2026 21:02

Aw bless, they will remember you at least!

Wasn't an interview but in a phyiscal work meeting same thing happened to me ... the slow descent to humiliation. Laughing about it is definitely easier than relocating to Tibet.

viques · 03/07/2026 21:02

If you gamely kept going and didn’t cry or gibber then I think it will be in your favour. Good luck. Come back and celebrate when they offer you the job.

xOlive · 03/07/2026 21:03

I’m sat here clutching my massive pregnant belly absolutely in stitches reading this 😂 thank you for sharing!

Cluelessmam · 03/07/2026 21:04

If you bought the chair off Amazon, make sure you leave a review to warn others 🤣

TattyOldOwl · 03/07/2026 21:05

It was the penultimate question but I didn’t style it out tbh. I shrieked and started laughing and then saying ‘ Jesus bloody Christ’ … and then we continued but the air of professionalism I’d had was gone I feel

oh and the job? Think serious law type role.

OP posts:
Trumptontown · 03/07/2026 21:05

Cluelessmam · 03/07/2026 21:04

If you bought the chair off Amazon, make sure you leave a review to warn others 🤣

Yes and please copy and paste exactly what you wrote on this thread into it OP 😂

Atleastitsnotsunstroke · 03/07/2026 21:06

Oh this tickles me 😂

Atleastitsnotsunstroke · 03/07/2026 21:08

Frankly I'd want a refund on this chair, it had one job 🤣

veryoldwoman · 03/07/2026 21:08

I know someone who went to an interview hung over and one of the panel came to fetch her and held her hand out to usher her in- for some reason my mate took hold of her hand - so they walked into the interview room holding hands

Clarinet1 · 03/07/2026 21:10

I’m thinking of an episode of Frasier where he goes back to private practice and a similar thing happens to him with a patient!
Seriously though, even law funny things happen.
ETA And I’m sure a sense of humour is essential!

Isitevensummer · 03/07/2026 21:14

Love it. I bet you handled it fine and it made their day.

somanychristmaslights · 03/07/2026 21:25

The best thing to do is just laugh and carry on. Shows you handle curve balls well! 😂

AlwaysPerplexed · 03/07/2026 21:26

My most awful interview? Now this is decades ago, as you can guess...

I was interviewing for a senior lecturer post in a local college and was asked what I thought about the new 'Windows' computer systems (it was the 80s). And I said - it will never catch on!

Needless to say, I didn't get the job!

ElizaMakesStew · 03/07/2026 21:28

Atleastitsnotsunstroke · 03/07/2026 21:08

Frankly I'd want a refund on this chair, it had one job 🤣

Unlike OP Wink

TattyOldOwl · 03/07/2026 21:35

@AlwaysPerplexed 😂 tbf, I’m still getting to grips with Windows

OP posts:
wanttoworkbut · 03/07/2026 21:38

I have an online interview next week - I'll be thinking about this throughout now 😄

iPreferBooks · 03/07/2026 21:38

At least it made you memorable!

Before I got my current job now I'd interviewed a few places, I was fresh out of uni. The one I remember most he was interviewing me but he didn't look at me the whole time, like literally he was asking me questions with his head at a 90 degree angle..?

Then he offered me a drink, and then I go accidently knock it over and it spilt almost near their laptop (a MacBook btw 🤦‍♀️).Anyway I didn't get that job......

Woofwoofwoff · 03/07/2026 21:42

Well I’m sure you will be remembered…

my worse interview was for a sure start centre . I was very well qualified for the position, and it was great money (think they are all just about gone now as it is)

applied in the February . The position was for about 15 hours based at the centre at the bottom of our road - perfect at the time.

however sadly I never heard back. Untill mid may , when out of the blue I got a phone call for an interview.

very excitedly I drove to their head office with my rarely used handbag (relevant later)

we were half way through the interview and I knew I was answering questions well and they liked my qualifications. Then they asked about the commute to their head office and would that be ok . Que a bit of confusion, as I had applied for the job at the bottom of my road - not at head office.

the interview panel where very adamant that they had never had a job advertised for the local site , but I knew it hundred 100% was (I wouldn’t have applied otherwise as the wage wouldn’t cover the commute 🤪)

anyway we carry on with the interview but I’m not really paying attention because I know I’m right and they are wrong , when I remembered that I had printed out the job at the job centre (remember when they printed out like big long receipts??) months ago. Adamant that I was onto a big discovery, asked the ladies to hang on just a minute and I suddenly start routing though this massive handbag full off old bits of paper (I am cringing writing this I don’t know what possessed me) while the ladies looked on. Anyway I found this great big receipt type job advert , held it up and shouted “ah ha ! I knew it “. Far too smugly passed the tatty thing over to them. 🫣

the lady tried to ask the last question of the interview, but if I’m honest I didn’t really understand it- she had asked what I would do before the start of a session .
I knew it was all going badly wrong , not least because I had answered lots and lots of information for the other questions, and this one I really couldn’t think of anything… I went with check staff where in place , and all toys and equipment where maintained- the women were just staring at me and it was obvious I was missing something…. So I started panic answering things like - check plug sockets were covered , use the facilities so I didn’t have to go in session 🫣

tbh it was time to leave at this point .

when they rang later to say unfortunately I wasn’t successful… she spoke about that last question and said they had really wanted me to demonstrate my knowledge of the eyfs , I did feel a bit relieved, knowing that I would never have made that connection if I had sat there for a year , and it wasn’t me being stupid . The question was.

ps I have been a very successful teaching assistant/ advance teaching assistant for ten years since, and actually before the start of each session I do go for a wee. So there lady 😆😆😆

roycroppersshopper · 03/07/2026 21:43

Absolute classic! You MUST return once you know the outcome, it won't have messed up your chances and they won't forget you!

JustAnotherLawyer2 · 03/07/2026 21:43

TattyOldOwl · 03/07/2026 20:57

So I had an interview today and it was over Teams in front of a panel of 3. I prepared well, and was sat in my home office at my desk on my new office chair

Anyway, before the interview, I’d been fiddling with the height adjustment of the chair as it wasn’t quite high enough for me. Finally got it sorted and all good.

so, I’m sat there and half way through an in-depth answer to a multi pronged question. I’m all animated and talking away when I suddenly feel myself descending but ever so slowly. I kind of stutter a bit as I’m SO distracted by this and I try to hold myself up by gripping my desk but it’s no use …. Literally, one moment I’m in their line of sight and then next, i gradually disappear from view as my hydraulic chair takes me all the way down as low as it will go.

I end up inches from my floor, desperately trying to scrabble myself back up and then I sort of PING back into view like a jack in a box to find one of the women on the panel literally helpless with laughter.

I just can’t. So mortified. Please tell me you’ve had worse?

Oh thank you so much for the best belly laugh I've had all week...my grandson agrees. We could barely read it we were laughing so loudly, trying to catch our breath. And then your chair popped up again!

Love it!

If I'd been interviewing you, I'd have asked if you did that kind of thing on a regular basis, as you'd cheer up the office no end. I'd offer you the job, but only if you brought that chair in with you.

lovecotswoldsliving · 03/07/2026 21:44

You have made my day.
i really hope you get the job x

INeedABrewPlease · 03/07/2026 21:48

Are you Miranda?! lol, love this story. I really do hope you get the job!!!

UseItOrLoseIt1984 · 03/07/2026 21:51

I reckon you'll definitely get the job!

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