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

[TattyOldOwl]

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?

This is brilliant. They’ll remember you. I hope you get the job.

🤣🤣

Genuinely, if you’d laughed it off and shown that you don’t take yourself too seriously, I think for me it would have worked strongly in your favour. I am far more inclined to hire someone who shows their human side than some of the robots I’ve interviewed over the years.

Brilliant 😂😂

@TattyOldOwl
I'm totally 😂 here (and hope it's true).

I once fell on a dais walking to the podium in front of a hundred people, or so. I was on the floor behind the podium, I reached up and had to sort of pull myself up, hair and glasses askew. I fixed myself and noticed a look of astonishment and bemusement from the group. Then gave my report. 🤷‍♀️

(Argentina just won against Cabo Verde, 3-2)

Ahahahahahaha nooooo whyyyyyyy

Had an interview after a bout of digestive difficulties. Thought I was fine

As I sat down, I let out a fart of impressive duration

Did not get the job

I really hope you do

A side move? Nah... sounds like a downwards move to me! 🤣

Thanks for making me laugh really hard after a challenging week. I bet it was hilarious for the panel, and you shouldn't count yourself out yet!

There was a woman who posted on here a few months ago who had accidentally changed her teams settings so she had a top hat on for a serious meeting.
I don’t often laugh out loud when reading posts on line but that had me laughing for days, it was the way she’d phrased it that made it extra funny.

I went for an interview in my early twenties and when I sat down the chair made a loud farting noise.
I said “that wasn’t me” but the two men interviewing me didn’t speak and just stared at me.
I started to panic and started babbling that I promise it wasn’t me and it was the chair. Then I really made it worse by doing a loud sniff and almost shouting “see there is no smell, I promise I did NOT do a fart!”

One of the men had to clear his throat and say “shall we move on” to get me to shut up and I still cringe thinking about it.
The worst part was that as I was getting up at the end of the interview (that I made a pigs ear of) the chair made the same noise. I was about to point it out when I saw them exchange a frantic look and one of the men quickly got up and started talking about seeing me out and practically propelled me through the door 😆.

One of my best friends started working for the company a year later and I went to meet her from work one day and one of the men who interviewed me was there.
He kept looking over at me and I was praying he didn’t recognise me when he started laughing and said “oh it’s fart girl”.

I’d managed to force myself to forget about it until this thread…
I obviously didn’t get the job and was far more qualified than my friend who did but I don’t blame them because I must have cone across as an absolute nutcase!

@TattyOldOwl So it's a sideways move in the same company? I suspect they'll see the funny side and if you're a good fit, they'll overlook your "seating arrangements".

Expect to be sent on a training course on how to use a chair!😁

I remember reading on here about someone who was asked “what gets you up in the morning” and he said “well usually I need to go to the loo” except he didn’t put it that politely.

This wasn't an interview, but in my last job, office administrator, I had a manager who was fine, we were friendly, nothing more.
I used to suffer migraines regularly, and took a codeine tablet to cope with the pain, however they did make me feel pretty spaced out.
One day at work, a migraine came on so I took my tablets and waited a bit. Realised I needed to go home as it wasn't shifting.
My manager was fine about it, and walked me to the door; then he sorted of leaned forward, I now realise to open the door, but I got momentarily confused and thought he was leaning in for a kiss (why, why would I think that?), so I pecked him on the cheek and left. ...
Walked home with my head banging but crying with laughter....and concerned that I might get a call from HR....
To this day I'm not really sure what I was thinking....

This has made me laugh so much. Thank you @TattyOldOwl

(I think you will still get the job!)

This made me laugh. Do let us all know if you got the job.

Brilliant! 😂😂😂

Op, honestly I wouldn’t worry, it was a funny thing to happen, and let’s face it however serious the role, we’re all human. The fact that one of them was openly laughing I’d say is a good thing.

I actually think this may have gone in your favour because it will make you memorable 🤣 it’s not the kind of embarrassing moment where they felt uncomfortable and awkward, you made them laugh which is good. Shows that you are able to deal with stressful situations and a sudden change in circumstances!

good luck with the job OP

It wasn't an interview but I did once famously finish a meeting with my newish boss and tried to sweep out professionally, walking straight into a glass door. It made this BWONNNNG sound that reverberated around the whole open plan floor. By the time I got back to my desk I had about ten emails with laughing emojis.

Hahaha that's so funny

@Thegreatestoftheseislove the word ‘blaspheme’ made me lol 😂

I would have been the laughing panel member, I’d probably score you higher just for the entertainment factor and your JFC reaction probably have made me need to leave the room to compose myself before continuing. Assuming you are suitably qualified this could very well have tipped me into hiring you over another candidate….

I once cried in an interview. I don’t even know why, although one of the two interviewers was quite a stern woman and frightened me a bit. Perhaps I had been expecting an easy ride as I was well qualified and very keen. The other interviewer insisted we finish the interview despite my weeping protests. Marvellous.

A friend was asked during an interview what ambitions she had outside of work. She said that she really wanted to join the Mile High Club. She thought it meant that she had flown more than a mile above the ground. She couldn't understand why they looked a bit stunned.

My own embarrassing interview was my very first one after secretarial college. I was 17. All during the interview there was this awful smell and the interviewer got up and opened the window. As I was leaving I bent down to pick up my bag to see there was a huge dog turd impailed on my new white stiletto (I am an Essex girl!). I was mortified and just got up and left, leaving a trail of crap behind me. Didn't get the job.

A friend of mine farted audibly midway through an interview for Oxford University. She still got offered a place there (she was bloody clever and predicted A*s at A levels which she delivered).

She turned them down.

That’s so funny 🤣

Snort!!