Tell me your embarrassing interview stories

[MortifiedRambler]

I had a dreadful interview earlier this week and it’s still running around in my head. Tell me yours to cheer me up!

The role was a step up, but I felt ready. I only moved into this sector 3 months ago, in a more junior post than my last (same title, more money), so I’m already worried I’ll get bored. This application was to get back to my old level, just in a bigger organisation.

The interview was awful. The very first question ('highlights from your CV')—I babbled nervously and they cut me off, which has never happened to me before. I'm generally pretty good at interviews nowadays (4 offers from my last 4 interviews - finally cracked the method, or so I thought...) so it threw me completely. Next they asked what I thought the job was, but in a tone that suggested I couldn’t possibly know. I floundered and gave nonsense answers. Embarrassingly bad.

Because I'd answered so badly, when I picked up a bit with better responses, they then didn’t believe me! One example I gave was met with 'have you really done that?'—as if I was lying and exaggerating. There was zero exaggeration, it was a pretty low-stakes example I used. Then they asked if I knew anything, anything at all about sector trends (I mean, it’s my job to know!). By then, I felt completely written off.

I tried to finish strong but it was clear I’d failed. BOOO!

Thanks for reading—cheer me up with your own interview horror stories!

To be honest, they don't seem to be like people I would want to work with... Interviewers can also choose to be encouraging when candidates are nervous, it can happen to anyone and as long as they pick themselves up it doesn't tell anything about how they'll perform in the role.

I've been into an interview last year (head hunter through LinkedIn by a recruiter), where 10 min into the conversation I had to interrupt the hiring manager to explain to them that what they were looking for were candidates with "commercial lead/manager" experience as opposed to "operational lead" experience like myself. They clearly had no clue who they needed to recruit, it was weird.

Awww they were rotten to you! They sound unprofessional tbh, no wonder you were thrown. I had similar once and it completely knocked me off my stride. They should be embarrassed.

They don’t sound very nice, so it’s probably best if you do not get the job. Job hunting and interviews are stressful enough without people being patronising.

If it helps, I actually cried at the end of my interview this week. I think I did really well until they asked me why I wanted to work for the company right at the end; then I got emotional and a few tears came out. I said, “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m getting emotional,” but they were really supportive and told me they understood. I pulled myself together in less than a minute, but I can’t help thinking they thought it was unprofessional.

I probably won’t get the job, even though it would be my dream role. :(

I went to the right company, right address, right time- but in the wrong city.

Not a job interview, but I was randomly interviewed by a big brand…
I waffled terribly and the social media reel of it is horrendous.

Telephone interview. Said hello. All organised ready to go, feeling good. Lent back on chair, it broke and I crashed to the floor. OUCH.

I said I was fine to carry on… I did. And surprisingly got the job. 😵‍💫

Got splashed by a big lorry driving through a puddle just outside the interview location. Literally turned up with water, muck & grit dribbling down me.
Got the job though. Guess I was memorable

Agree with others, doesn't sound like a great team to work for.

My worst was a complete dry - my mind went totally blank - I sat there in silence, didn't even have the wit to ask if we could return to the question later. Didn't get the job, obviously.

I've had weird ones - like being asked a very specific metrics question about a job I left 12 years before the interview - the job had no particular relevance to the one I was applying for and a photographic memory hadn't been listed as a requirement! I answered it in general terms. Didn't get that job, either.

Interview for a major airline. I was so nervous I had my legs crossed and didn’t realise how much I’d been clenching them. Stood up at the end and my leg had gone to sleep causing me to fall over. I was so embarrassed but I got the job!

Interview for Bupa. Beautiful white blouse on. Got a cappuccino from the coffee shop, lid not on properly threw it all down myself. Also burnt my nipples. Didn't get the job.

Had a nightmare of an interview - got up and walked straight Into the closet.

hung up on a teams interview when they behaved towards me just like you described OP. I decided I wasn't so desperate for a job I'd put up with that shit.

I think when something embarrassing happens in an interview (like you fall over) the best thing to do is laugh it off. Shows you have resilience 😂

Aww thanks so much everyone for both the stories, some of these have really made me chuckle thank you!!
And thank you too for everyone's support!
I'm sorry I didn't get to respond earlier, the afternoon took on a bit of an unexpected twist that took me offline.

I wish I'd hung up too actually - they might have appreciated the break as it just wasn't going my way and a waste of everyone's time. Thank goodness it was a CV & cover letter style application and not one of those dreadful application forms that take years to fill in- at least I didn't waste too much time on that.

I've had my fair share of rotten interviews over the years but more recently been lucky in a quite a run of success, so I thought all those interview squirm days were behind me. The weirdest one I had was about 15 years ago for a picture specialist role at an auctioneers (totally different to my current career) and all the time there was a painting on a stand on the table facing towards me (deliberately angled) and I kept on waiting for them to ask me to appraise it, and they just never did! Maybe I didn't get the job because I didn't ask, but even 15 years later I wonder why it was there and actually who had painted it!

The main interviewer started guffawing/chortling at something I'd said, I think it was along the tlines of I would do xyz in order to help Mr. main interviewer do what he wants to do which is make money - I meant for the COMPANY not personally but it all came out wrong. And he sat there stifling a laugh whilst I turned redder and redder. Didn't get the job but apparently they liked me but another candidate had worked with them previously and they liked her better, so I never did know if it was the guffaw what lost me it.

Wishing you all the best OP. Sometimes if just not the right fit.

For myself, early covid and had an online interview. I somehow couldn't work out how to put the camera on and whatever online app I'd used didn't have my real name on it but a pseudonym. I did get the job though!

As a manager and interviewing/recruiting staff- the ones that stick out:

• A high security level job where we photocopied ID's at interview. When admin photocopied his passport, a bag of class A drugs fell out
• Mid interview, 1 candidate kept looking at paperwork he'd brought along. He said he couldn't answer that question- because he hadn't printed off the answer! Despite re-wording the question multiple times- he has no clue.
• An internal candidate from another section. The question was along the lines of what motivates you to do good job. She said she puts her ear phones on, listens to loud music and tries to block out that she has to do work.

My first interview after a career break where I’d spent a few years as a SAHM. I was pleased with myself for landing the interview as I’d been warned that taking time out was career suicide, but I’d written a really strong application. When the day came (in person, pre-Covid) I had a raging case of nits. I’d caught them from my kids, and they were really, really persistent; I’d already done about 4 doses of Hedrin and the buggers weren’t shifting. I struggled to concentrate throughout the interview because my head was so itchy and I was paranoid that the interviewer could see them crawling around my hairline. Then I was asked who was going to look after my children while I was working, which threw me even further because I didn’t think potential employers were allowed to ask that sort of thing.

I did not got the job, but it turned out to be a bullet dodge as the company folded about 6 months later.

Onwards and upwards OP!

I'm now a senior computer programmer for a top global household name company.

I'm my first IT interview I was asked about networks and I didn't know what that was. You could see the WTAF on their faces.

Oh well. I know now ( enough anyway 😜)

I got my period unexpectedly on the morning of the interview and didn't have any pain relief on me so I asked a colleague if she had anything. God knows what she gave me but by the time I got there I was absolutely high as a kite. I couldn't focus at all, just babbled away and couldn't stop laughing.

I didn't get the job.

Great stories again everyone, thank you!! These things are so stressful the memories sure stick in your head don't they.

I don't know what the solution is but I'm pretty sure interviews are not a very good way of assessing if someone is actually going to be good at the job, the skills you need to do a good interview are not the same as what most jobs need.

I once went to a bloody awful interview. I’d been told it would last about an hour . It actually lasted 4!

They gave me 20 minutes to analyse some terribly collated data, followed by about 45 minutes discussing the data. That was the only bit that went ok.

There was then an hour interview with the recruiting manager, I almost got into an argument with him because he kept asking me about why I didn’t apply to do certain roles current company - those role didn’t exist in my current company!
He wouldn’t take my word for it! It felt like a complete interrogation, it dominated the questioning and he basically accused me of lying.

The next part was with him and some colleagues. But I was completely flustered now, I knocked the water jug over and gave some shocking answers.

Finally, there was a psychometric test. It was an hour long! The tester had a sandwich brought in to him half way through and he sat eating it while my stomach was grumbling very loudly throughout (he even commented on it.)

I’d already decided that under no circumstances did I want to work for this company, so I stopped reading the questions on the test and just put random answers. I probably came out as a psychopath or something!

In the end, I pretended to need the toilet and just left.
All of this was for a very junior admin assistant level role.

They asked about references

I flipping thought they meant references from my masters thesis which strangely I had on my handbag

Pulled them out and silence for 5 minutes

Had just got a first from Cambridge and I felt like such a fool lol

I tripped over the step going into the room, landed on my face in front of a panel of 3 interviewers. My first ever interview in 1985.

When I was looking for my training contract years ago, I had an interview at a small firm with just the managing partner. It was very conversational and I relaxed too much, we spoke about reforms and challenges in this particular area of law and when he asked what I would change I completely lost my filter and spoke at length about the need to decriminalise abortion (Northern Ireland, 14 years ago), and how the Act in E&W wasn't actually sufficient and we needed an entirely different legislative provision. I think I veered into same sex marriage but it's all a blur. You could have heard a pin drop. Training contracts were hard to get in anything other than debt at the time too, after the crash so I was being a real idiot.

A few months later I saw him in the paper representing a Pro Life group who were trying to take some bullshit case on behalf of the unborn.

This was 100 years ago when I was an RGN.

I wanted to move sideways into a very specific role that actually came under MH. The interviewers asked me what I would bring to the team in terms of my background and I talked about supporting service users to access primary care. And smear tests. I talked a lot about smear tests and after that whatever question they asked me seemed to default to the example of smear tests.

The worst thing was that I knew I was doing it and just couldn't stop.

But they clearly shared my zeal for women's health care and I was very happy in that job.