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Original poster

Missed my NHS job interview, feeling like a failure.

102 replies

milliegeobotandyou · 11/04/2018 15:19

I was nervous so I arrived an hour early to try and get a parking spot and realised only then that I had accidentally forgotten my bank card and had no cash. I was in a very large city centre and my interview at a hospital. I tried driving around to various car parks incase you could pay by an app but I had no luck. I parked in one multi-storey that gave no indication of how you could pay, so I parked up in a tight spot and walked to find the machine and it was cash only. Same again everywhere I went. Finally I found a car park that accepted app payments, put in the code for the location and it said sorry no parking here today. I tried to ring my husband to see if he could give me my bank card number and his phone was off. I rang department & say I cant come (25 minutes before I am due) and nearly cry on the voicemail. I then start going home and my phone rings repeatedly so I pull over and one of the ladies who was interview said to come back and told me where to park that was free. I had trouble finding it and then when I did there was not a single space anywhere, I drove around and around. I then drove into a carpark then see it says staff permit only and as I realise this I lightly hit the wall and slightly scrape the front of my car. At this point I can't see for crying so I drive home and email when I arrive home to say sorry and good luck with filling the role.

I desperately wanted that job.

I haven't worked in 4 years and it was a perfect part-time job. It was also relevant to the degree I'll be studying next September.

I'm so sad and kicking myself over and over. Sad

I guess it was not meant to be.

OP posts:
Bluntness100 · 11/04/2018 16:26

Who are you accusing of being a troll? I sincerely hope it's not me,

Original poster
milliegeobotandyou · 11/04/2018 16:27
Grin
OP posts:
crisscrosscranky · 11/04/2018 16:27

@QuiteLikely5 it took me three years after passing my test to master parallel parking on a street... OP has only been driving 2 months!

QuiteLikely5 · 11/04/2018 16:31

I can’t parallel park and I passed years ago! It doesn’t stop me parking

lynmilne65 · 11/04/2018 16:32

*millie
Poor you my heart bleeds for you, first day out I managed to get car wedged across 2 barriers, never mind nearly killing the guy at the kiosk. They removed it soon after!!!!!!!!!!

Some things I will never tell* Blush

plire · 11/04/2018 16:33

@milliegeobotandyou we set aside a day last week to interview for band 3 and no one came, so that means nothing!

lunar1 · 11/04/2018 16:36

If you get another shot, don't explain what happened today. We all have days like this but potential employers don't need an image in their head of you driving round while panicking and crying. If the contact you try and keep to the basic facts.

Lightningbolt82 · 11/04/2018 16:40

What? You missed an interview because you might have a parking fine? Sometimes you have to weigh up pros and cons. You might have got the job. You might have not got the job but at least you would've had interview experience. You might not even have got a fine. You might have been able to contest the parking fine. You might have been able to pay your fine over a longer period of time. I think you must have learned a lesson from this!

PeanutbutterBuns · 11/04/2018 16:43

Yes, but if the OP can't afford a fine and doesn't get the job she's in quite a bit of trouble. Not eveyone would think to risk the fine either. I do hope yo've emailed them back Op to say you can't make that appoinment but are free any other time? Or even offer a phone interview?

flowerslemonade · 11/04/2018 16:44

Email them back and say you're really happy to hear that they've offered you another interview, that due to the distance there isn't time to make it for 4:30 but are there any other slots available in the upcoming days. Obviously don't phrase it like that but I think it's worth a shot.

EweDoEwe · 11/04/2018 16:44

Just leave it.

Wait and see if they contact you again.

Whatever you do, do not go bleating about how you couldn’t park and drove home crying, and asking for another chance, that really won’t do you any favours at all.

MoveDownSouth · 11/04/2018 16:45

Ring them and explain the situation. They should be able to offer you another interview. I am NHS btw.

GabsAlot · 11/04/2018 16:46

fine would have been about 40 quid if paid straight away just risk it next time and keep some spare change in the car

ittooshallpass · 11/04/2018 16:46

I recruit for a private healthcare company across the uk. Send me a PM I may be able to get you a role. We pride ourselves on our free parking Grin

Mummyoflittledragon · 11/04/2018 16:46

I’m sorry to hear that. On reading, I also was surprised you didn’t risk the fine. But I understand now. Fine amounts are displayed on the ticket machine. Some will give you an option to pay only half if paid within 14 days. So say £80 down to £40.

Original poster
milliegeobotandyou · 11/04/2018 16:48

The lady has emailed me back saying best wishes for my university course so I don't think I'll get another opportunity now. I'm glad I emailed again and I'm glad I tried hard before I gave up. If anything is so be learnt is that I gave it a good shot before I called it a day.

I didn't tell them any more other than that I had forgotten my bank card and had been driving around for a long time trying to find a parking space, so I maintained at least some dignity I think. I wouldn't have told them about the car as I already showed myself to be incompetent as it was.

I have been watching NHS jobs for some time now and it was more of the one-off kinds of jobs, so I doubt I'll get another opportunity at this between now and next September, which is what made it more of a kicker. It was a temporary role to cover maternity leave and 2.5 days a week.

I'll just have to put it down to not being meant to be, as it seems all of the odds were against me on this one.

OP posts:
HateSummer · 11/04/2018 16:51

Put it down to experience. I’m a good driver, but extremely nervous about new places. Tbh, I would’ve waited until I found a free space and parked there for a few hours if they pushed the time to 4.30 for you.

wizzywig · 11/04/2018 16:53

To be fair, the petrol cost for an hour each way on a daily commute wouldnt leave you with much on a band 3 wage. It may have been a blessing in disguise

Hillingdon · 11/04/2018 16:53

Honestly I think you need to take this as a lesson in life.

Put everything by the front door that you need for an important meeting or at least in the car the night before if its safe. My DS who is disorganised (and sorry you do sound a bit too!) has a £10 note hidden in the sun visor for emergencies like this.

DonutCone · 11/04/2018 16:55

How did you forget your card! Surely it was in your purse which was in a bag? Did you leave without having anything with you?

I'll be blunt and say in a million years you wouldn't have been offered the job after that anyway. It shows a complete lack of organisation to leave the house without checking you have the most basic things with you.

becki3 · 11/04/2018 16:55

@milliegeobotandyou I had such a similar experience to this! Went for an interview and couldn't find my way, at all. Went round and round in circles and got myself extremely worked up. I realised that I had not got the paperwork that they needed for the interview too, so I decided to turn around and go home.

It was such a frustrating feeling, as it was an amazing job for me too, but there is no use going into an interview sometimes when you have got yourself into such a panic.

I think that there will be an opportunity for you in the future. And studying for a degree is so tiring and time consuming that a job only adds extra stress.

DonutCone · 11/04/2018 16:56

And no the odds were not against you. That makes it sound like things happened which were outside your control. Which they were not.

Mummyoflittledragon · 11/04/2018 17:01

Actually the same thing happened to me years ago. It was a blessing in disguise. The commute would have been a disaster. The company was in the back of beyond. I arrived late having driven around in circles -pre sat nav - and was then ushered into a portacabin with 2/3 other candidates and given an iq test to complete. I hadn’t been told about the test by the recruitment agent. Well, I was so flustered I couldn’t answer half the questions. Needless to say, I didn’t even get through that and I was heartily embarrassed but looking back the recruitment consultants failed to do their job properly and it was their eff up as much as mine.

crimsonlake · 11/04/2018 17:02

Similar thing happened to me with the NHS and an interview. I explained I was unable to attend and gave the reason why, I still declined as I would have been far too rushed not in the right frame of mind. The next morning they rang me up again and asked me to attend later that day. By then I had decided the job was not for me as the commute was terrible.

AnUtterIdiot · 11/04/2018 17:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.