Just had the worst job interview ever. Anyone else care to share?

[EggNogRules]

I am morto and at myself. I was in and out in 20 mins .

I am used to initiating meeting with new clients and thought I had prepared well. I was so nervous, I had to keep drinking water to stop my lips from sticking to my teeth. It was all I could think about. None of the answers I prepared were useful. I need to rewind and do over because I have better answers now (after the nick of time).

Bugger.

[LemonSherbetFancies]

Cried through nerves. This was a good few years ago but I burn with shame to this day. I just felt so nervous and anxious. They were great about it but obviously I didn't get the job.

[Animum2]

Interviews are the worst for me, I just can't

My current role I started as a temp and then they advertised it and I actually had to interview for it and was so nervous, though they told me after that it was company policy that it had to be advertised and as I had been there temping for 6 months that i would of got it anyway

I've had a few bad ones where what the job was wasn't what was in the description, my first interview after 14 years working in row was a mess and I knew I didn't get it halfway thru the interview when they kept giving each other knowing looks them they left the room for me to do some weird personality test

[Animum2]

Had a few interviews where I just didn't get the vibe and knew I wasn't going to get it

1 however was very bad, turned up and was told to go to the 4th floor so took the lift, another person joined but I didn't take any notice of them, went to the reception area and told to wait till I was called which i did and was led into a room with 2 ladies

1st lady was like hi, we just saw each other in the lift

Me did we? I didn't notice (deffo wrong thing to say)

2 ladies gave each other a look which I interpreted as not very encouraging then they asked me a load of questions and I just clammed up completely giving 1 word answers

And I didn't get the job, though it was my first interview in 14 years! Definitely learned from that

[Bishalisha]

I can now add to this thread! On the train home from an interview where the interviewer was being a bullying and patronising arsehole; so I told him that’s what he was being. I refused to walk out though and made him see it through to the end

[spinabifidamom]

If it makes you feel any better I spent several hours with DS this morning at the hospital. He somehow managed to basically catapult himself out of his wheelchair at breakfast this morning. This brings back a old memory.
Eighteen months previously I had a secret interview for a new job. I was asked all sorts of questions. At the end of the interview I politely thanked them, then I quietly left the room and on the way down the stairs I fell. The interview was held on the second floor of the building in one of the rooms. It was so embarrassing. They heard me cry out of shock.

[Tunnocks34]

I applied for a job when I was 16 at a popular clothing shop. I filled the application form in quickly, got an interview.

At the interview, they asked me about my disabilities, and what provisions I’d need. I don’t have any. Confused, I asked them what they meant. They produced my application form.

Turns out the question which said ‘do you consider yourself desirable’ (to which I ticked yes) actually read ‘do you consider yourself disabled’

To make it worse, underneath when they asked ‘please state why’ I answered ‘because my parents and friends tell me so’

I still cringe now!

[Mildmanneredmum]

I went for a job I didn't really want, but it's no excuse. The interviewer asked what I had done to prepare for the interview, and I said "Well, I bought a map on how to get here". Strangely, it only lasted five more minutes.

[gavlaaaaa]

I thought my interview for my first full time job after university went horribly the MD was really tough and didn't seem to like any answer i gave constantly rephrasing questions etc.. which was really bothersome because the first interview went so well. But it turned out i got the job as i think the other people who interviewed me originally really influenced the decision. So i guess the take from it was that everyone's impressed by different things so just because one persons not impressed by you it doesn't mean that another wont be.

[ilovemykittyy]

Worst job interview would probably be.... the time I was late and she told me to piss off... I found it highly amusing needless to say I didn't get the job, I wouldn't even class that as an interview but just thought I'd share lol

[Khaye]

Mumbling just so as not to have that akward silence in the room and ended up saying stuff that I do not remember to this day. The HR manager was pissed, she cringed on my behalf, made funny faces and the rest is history.

[GeekLove]

I think the best response to anyone asking 'why should I give you a job?' is 'why should I want to work here?'

Another one was when it transpired that they were reading my CV for the first time AT THE INTERVIEW. it was for a technician's job I was going for when I was finishing off my PhD. They got to the second page with publications on it and said 'you do realise you can't do any research here?' I hadn't expected to either but they did get defensive after that.
It generally isn't a good sign when your interviewer gets embarrassed about the job they are offering you.

[Wholovesorangesoda]

I've had two that make me cringe a bit. First one was when I was about 20, I had been working in a shop but wanted to get a job in an office and had got an interview. I had started early at work to be able to leave early to go to interview so I had been at work before 7am. The interview itself was OK but I was finding it hard to concentrate as to me at that time that was a ridiculously early start and I was pretty tired. Anyway, at the end she asked if I had any questions and I had done my interview research so knew asking questions was good...so I replied "yes" she replied "great! What questions do you have?" And I literally couldn't think of a single thing to say and had to just say "actually no, I think you have covered all I wanted to know". Cringe. Second one I had a couple of years ago and there were two interviews and I had been told that I would hear about the second interview on x date. About 10 days after this date I heard back from them asking me to go in the next day and the interviewer had a very strong accent I struggled to understand so had to keep asking for questions to be repeated. When he then asked if I had any questions I waffled out "no....sorry but I didn't realise I would have this interview till quite short notice and I haven't really had time to look into anything" why?!?! WHY?!? Unsurprisingly I didnt get it.
Actually I also had an interview with a horrible lady who seemed very disinterested in me and would say things like "explain to me why I should give you a job" which maybe isn't the worst question written down but coupled with her tone of voice and the look it was given with make it something completely different. Actually that job sounded awful and I said to the recruitment agency who sent me that I wasn't interested even if by some miracle they did want me for the role.
I have come to the conclusion I'm either utterly useless or pretty good at interviews. There isn't an inbetween at all!

[GeekLove]

Why would anyone interview anyone in McD's unless it is ACTUALLY for a position in McDonalds?!

Sounds like a dodgy backroom operation run out of a Regus facility whenever there is enough money to do so. You dodged a bullet there.

[GeekLove]

OK

There was one which was rather marginal given my speciality and I was pretty sure I was there to fill out the shortlist but there were two people interviewing me for a postdoc.
One of them asked sensible questions about how I would proceed while the other asked questions that he knew I could not answer directly - either he hadn't bothered to read my CV or had but was wilfully being a dick borne out by some of my friends who work with him that he IS in fact a dick


Another more recent one was the one in Cumbria - a 6 hour drive from where I live. Now I had already had one phone interview.
The interview was in a hotel - you needed security clearance to actually view the facility and I was in and out in 45 minutes - some of the questions were the same as in the telephone interview and there was nothing that couldn't have been done remotely.
And the feedback I got was that I was unsuccessful. No shit Sherlock!
All in all a waste of time.

[PresidentSheCock]

This has given me a real laugh!
Recently had an awful interview myself for a management position .... I actually did well; especially considering the factors but the guy was just useless.

He held the interview in MacDonald's.
He didn't have my c.v on him.
Or a list of interview questions.
He kept me for 3.5 hours. Asking all the same questions over and over. Which was even worse as he'd already asked them before on a telephone interview. And a video interview.
I'd been led to believe this was just a chat to sign paperwork and the job was mine; nope. Still an open pool.


He tried to knock down the salary by five grand! He tried to state that staff who didn't work unpaid overtime and skip breaks were unmotivated and wouldn't pass probation. When he asked me for an example of my management style and previous experience , once I'd answered he said that he didn't believe in that kind of approach. When I pointed out that was probably why he was still not retaining staff or making any profit after ten years he got very affronted.


I wish I had walked out at the very beginning of the whole farce!

In the end I waited until the end of the whole charade which when I pointed out his failings and asked him to remove me from the candidate pool as I couldn't envisage myself working for somebody so unorganized.

[tb]

2 come to mind, sorry no 3

First one was for a training contract with a firm of accountants in Warrington. I'd been made redundant - a breach of contract when under a training contract at the time - and the firm concerned just wanted to try and get me to badmouth my previous employer. I'd have loved to, but didn't.

Next one was with the European accounting centre of a major tyre manufacturer - now located in Romania due to EU grants (probably). I was asked about my level of French - then I just scraped into B1 and said it was "only" B1. The person concerned was nowhere near this level.

Final one was for a job with an accounting service co in SW France. I was kept waiting in the reception area for over 30 minutes without any apology and was just on the point of saying to the receptionist that the guy seeing me obviously had some sort of problem, so I'd go home and come back another day, when I was called in. I didn't get a single question about the job, or my previous experience. It must have been news to him that they had accountants in the UK, and he wanted to see what one looked like in the flesh. Didn't get the job.

[Teutonic]

A good few years ago, a male interviewer asked me if my DH would mind me working night shift. I was so taken aback that I replied ' would your wife mind you working night shift?'
I'm not married, he replied.
I'm not bloody surprised with that ridiculous sexist attitude, was my reply as I stomped out.
Needless to say there was no job offer forthcoming.

[Bewildered29]

I'm hopeless at job interviews. Absolutely hopeless. I go completely blank and ramble on with weak answers. I still cringe years later at my first professional interview and how I was a sweaty nervous mess.

[25bottles]

I have a interview tomorrow. I'm very nervous. This thread is funny even if it is old. ZOMBIE THREAD

[GourmetGold]

This thread has really cheered me up after just quitting my job due to bullying boss.

This wasn't a bad interview, but I was just totally unsuitable and laugh now at the guts I had applying.
I was 20 years old and wanted to earn some money to go 'inter railing' around Europe with a friend. I bought a copy of 'The Lady' magazine and saw an advert for a temporary cook/housekeeper. I called and the woman invited me for an interview at her flat in Sloane Square.
She turned out to be a real 'Lady somebody or other' who wanted someone for her house at her estate in Wales.
I was a vegetarian who wouldn't even touch meat and had hardly done any cooking and still lived with my parents! I was agreeing that I could cook all types of meals, especially meat! She told me that the Queen and Prince Philip often flew in for lunch by helicopter and would I be okay cooking for them too?! I said "yes"!!!!!

Lord knows what I was thinking!..wish I had that confidence now. Luckily I did not get the job!!!


Another time I had signed up with a recruitment agency and they sent me for an interview for a secretarial job at quite a posh organisation on the same road as The Ritz hotel in London...might have been English Heritage.
It was the mid 90s and I don't know why, but I thought a bright, multi colored tartan min skirt, sparkly top with my hair tied in bunches with gold bobble hair bands would be suitable!! (think Spice Girls!) they were very polite to me, the agency phoned me afterwards and were absolutely furious! I think they thought I'd done it as a joke...I was just a very naive and unworldly back then.

A year later I had an interview for an permanent admin job.
I'd started wearing very heavy eye make up, ridiculous amounts of eyeliner, I just didn't realise how awful it looked!
The 2 men who interviewed me were asking a lot of daft questions and seemed to be laughing at me...really uncomfortable.
I knew I wouldn't get the job and received a letter saying I hadn't been successful...addressed to 'Miss Divine' instead of my real surname. I was so mortified!! It's kind of funny, but I think it was pretty mean of them.

[Chanandlerbong9]

I had the worst interview experience ever a few months ago. Was having the worst possible day. I was tired and hungry and sleep deprived. Because of which during the interview I was unable to process anything she asked me. And to top it all my phone rang. During the interview! My confidence level hit rock bottom. I felt so giddy that I had to go out to get some air. My interview resumed after that, with another interviewer. And I was so angry and pissed at myself that I broke down crying during the interview. Though he was polite enough to offer some water and continue the interview, I had totally given up on myself and couldn't answer any further questions. Naturally, I didn't get the job. But That was the most horrific experience of my life. I still can't get over the pitiful look on his face as soon as I broke down crying. God I hope this never happens to anyone ever!

[ManicPixieDream]

.

[kagoolhandluke]

They were meant to call me today to deliver the outcome. I've heard nothing. I think I was so appalling that they have left me to come to my own conclusion

[kagoolhandluke]

Had an absolute car crash of an interview yesterday. It was an interview for a very similar role to one that I have been doing for 4 years now. Once in the interview room I sounded like I'd had a full frontal lobotomy: my mind went completely blank and I spouted vague inanities to the most basic of questions.

The best bit though:Interviewer: 'Do you use a keyboard?'
Me: Yes, I'm not a touch typist though, I'm a two fingered girl.'
Oh Lordy...I wanted to punch myself in the face.