Anyone have stories of where they felt the interview went poorly but they got the job anyway?

[NotSonicTheHedgehog]

People of Mumsnet please help me not lose hope. I had an interview today outside of the field I currently work in. I was a little shocked to even get an interview.

Anyway there was a presentation followed by questions. I felt the presentation went well but when it came to the interview questions I feel I really let myself down I was feeling quite anxious at this point and I just seemed to find myself rambling at times, possibly repeating things and not being able to find the right words to get my point across. I was able to answer all the questions so at least that’s something.

Anyway I finished the interview feeling deflated and like I’d blown it especially as I would really like the position. Does anyone have a similar experience where they were later pleasantly surprised to find they did indeed get the job?

Yea my current job actually.
First interview went fine (was with two people who were leaving so looking for their own replacement), second interview with company founder and MD went terribly. I was distracted by a massive spot that appeared on the end of my nose so was all I could see, the founder was very dismissive of my ideas and clearly didn't read all of my CV as some of his questions made no sense or were completely unrelated.

Somehow I landed the job and I'm now good friends with both founder and MD.

Yes, my current job.
I really wanted it, had other interviews lined up in case I didn't get it.
Anyway, it was all done via team calls instead of face to face.
Checked my laptop was working and connecting to teams beforehand, had prepared questions and answers, read all about the organisations values etc.
Then when I had my interview my mic in the laptop decided to stop working!
I had a type a message to apologise and say that I was going to have to rejoin via my phone (hence a mad panic to download the teams app!) I saw them just give each other a look & thought I'd blown it.
After that look my answers were awful & I ended up a bumbling mess, it was probably my worst interview ever.
2 days later I got a phone call from them and braced myself to get a rejection but instead they offered me the job!
Apparently I came across as calm under pressure, professional and really warm and friendly! I have no idea how that happened!
What I'm trying to say is, you're always going to think it was worse than they do as we're our own worse critics.
Good luck!

Oh yeah, my current job!

Literally walked down the stairs from it mentally crossing it off the list and thinking about what other applications I had out there - was shocked to hear I'd been offered the job!
Apparently the manager who interviewed me was famously the kind of person who always asks you the exact question you DON'T want them to ask.

I suck at interviews. I flunked the last three but got hired every time (the same guy has hired me three times, he’s a gluten for punishment!)
Good luck OP.

I was actually told to stop rambling and answer the question I'd been asked in the interview that secured this job.

Convinced I'd blown it and the interviewing manager wasn't known for being nice but somehow I scrapped through...and I'm still here 15 years later!

Yep me. I think sometimes interviewers are trained to keep pushing and dissecting your answers until you can't go any further. It helps them understand the depth of your knowledge, but makes you feel like you aren't doing so well.

Fingers crossed for you!

I’ve had some truly awful interviews. The worst one was for a bad job when I was 22. I went expecting it to just be me and the manager and a sit down interview and there were actually about 30 other people there. We got put into groups and we had to work together to sing and present Britney Spears “hit me baby one more time” with added weird words thrown in. It was absolutely ridiculous and I was so out of my comfort zone and genuinely would have just walked out if I hadn’t desperately needed the money (single parent and all)! Anyway, I got the job. Stayed for 3 years. It was actually a really fun place to work but yeah massively different from the office jobs I’d done before….!

*bar, not bad!

Yes, my current role. Came out, phoned DH and said I hadn't got it.

There were tasks and I knew one of them had been a disaster. Then a number of interviews but because of the task issue, was certain I didn't stand a chance which meant I was really relaxed in the various interviews.

I was genuinely shocked when I was offered the job.

@Bagelsandbrie

I’ve had some truly awful interviews. The worst one was for a bad job when I was 22. I went expecting it to just be me and the manager and a sit down interview and there were actually about 30 other people there. We got put into groups and we had to work together to sing and present Britney Spears “hit me baby one more time” with added weird words thrown in. It was absolutely ridiculous and I was so out of my comfort zone and genuinely would have just walked out if I hadn’t desperately needed the money (single parent and all)! Anyway, I got the job. Stayed for 3 years. It was actually a really fun place to work but yeah massively different from the office jobs I’d done before….!

Wow... yeah tbh I would have walked out, especially if they hadn't pre-warned me that that was what the 'interview' was going to be

Know this is an old thread but just came back year to say I never did get that job but came very close (much to my surprise) A vacancy for the same role just came up, and applied and this time I got it 😁

I had a Teams interview for my current job when I was in the throes of flu, wearing a t shirt and nothing else with two fans blowing directly at me because my temp was 39.5, pounding headache and constantly sneezing and coughing, lost my voice mid-interview and could barely squeak out my answers (which were absolutely dreadful because I was feverish and talking bollocks) so you can imagine my surprise when I got the call two days later offering me the job! My manager has since said that interviewing when I was clearly so unwell was one of the things that made her choose me as I’d demonstrated such commitment to getting it

I’ve since interviewed for a promotion and we joked beforehand that if she’d hired me in the first place in the state I was in, it was pretty much a given that I’d be promoted (I was )

Great news @NotSonicTheHedgehog, congratulations 🎊 👏

Thank you ☺️