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!

My first interview, no idea what I was doing as had no assistance from parents who basically just left me to it.

It was for a well known card shop and lots of people I knew, for some reason, thought it was a pretty special place to work? What were we thinking! The interviewer, a man shouted at me because I wasn't dressed appropriately and said this was an awful way to attend an interview. He told me to take my gloves off. I remember crying and being very upset afterwards. It gave me anxiety at interviews for quite a long time. It also took me quite a few years to challenge that type of behaviour but boy am I tough with it now. I'd love to go back in time and tell him to gfh.
I've had my own business for a long time so thankfully no interviews needed.
The card shop folded (no pun) a few decades ago...

One of the first interviews I had was for a reception role, I had bever done anything like it before and had never been part of a formal interview process before.

The call me in and there is a long table in the room with four panelists, water jugs etc on the table, very professional.

Facing the panelists on the other side of the table was a chair. A swivelling office type chair.

I dont know if it was nerves or the fact that it has been such a long day and I hadn't eaten but I sat down on the chair and then used my legs to push myself into a spin , I went around maybe 2 times quietly saying "wheeeeee".

I realised what I was doing and stopped all red-faced. They were staring at me like I was a psycho. I just said "Thanks for your time!" and walked out!

I still dont know whay came over me! I had to lie to my mam and tell her that I went ans it was a tough competition!

I’m crap at interviews but the worst one was at the end of the interview when it was time to say ‘thanks for the opportunity …’, instead of shaking hands and saying ‘bye’ I said ‘hello’ I think I had rehearsed greeting them in a pleasant manner and my brain just automatically reverted to that.

Thr job was b near my house so I’d see the interviewer occasionally when out and about - obviously I blanked him!!

The organisation moved miles away a year or so later so it’s good I didn’t get it in the end.

That's so funny! If I'd have been on the panel, I'd have called you back when you started to leave, just to find out more about you. I don't think I'd hold nervous chair twirling against someone if they went on to interview well. I hope you went on to get a role you liked!

I recently went for an interview for the local council, a fairly low level role. I prepped well for it, as I do every interview.

Asked lots of safeguarding questions. Answered well with relevant examples. Couple of practical tasks which again did quite well at (even pointed out something one of the interviewers hadn't considered which was apparently a big mistake).

At the end of the interview one of the interviewers said in future I should bring in notes so I don't look overconfident and perhaps consider pulling back a little so as not to make myself look to clever.

Obviously I declined when they offered me the role!!

Should have added, that they also said most of my answers were perfect there was no problem at all with them, it was simply so I don't look to over confident.

Making the assumption you are female (correct me if wrong) - I wonder if they'd have given this feedback to a man?

Imagine being in a role where you constantly have to downplay your skills and knowledge! Glad you were in a position where you didn't feel you had to accept it.

They'd clearly have been 'putting you in your place' if you'd got the role - probably the hiring manager was feeling like you may do a better job than them!

I had an internal one 3 years ago and I still utterly cringe when it enters my head. I have to face those that interviewed me on a daily work basis as they’re in my team. No one ever mentions it but I die a little inside all the time.

What can I say - the wheels came off with the nerves and I acted so thick and couldn’t answer a couple of questions 🤦🏻‍♀️ A 30 minute interview lasted 12 minutes ….. says it all.

If they work with you daily, they'll know it was nerves rather than a reflection of your ability.

I forgot this one.

I'd worked with an agency for 15yrs with glowing comments from clients. A new manager came in who wanted everyone to re-interview.

At interview, the questions were related to say a neurology brain surgeon role. I do work in healthcare, but not as a surgeon and told them during interview that I mainly gave flu vaccines! The interviewer said they didn't have any questions for my job role, and he thought brain surgery questions would be the closest- to which I let out a roaring laugh! I assumed it was some sort of joke and said how funny it all was.

The interviewer was serious though. I completed the interview but at the end he said I didn't get the job because I'd provided examples from other medical roles and not from brain surgery.

Afterwards I complained because I had already done the role for 15yrs and the questions were irrelevant. Long story short, I continued with the company for many more years and the new manager was gone within weeks.

Well I was offered a better job a few days later (and a more senior role than I applied for!!) So clearly my confidence isn't always a problem 😂

And no @Antimimisti i doubt they would give that feed back to a man!

Love this!

I had a hideous one once. It was about three hours long, and consisted of multiple different interviews one after another. One part was a short test where I was required to do a task, on paper, with no way to check supporting info - a task which would never, ever be completed in this way in the real world so I'm still baffled by why they decided to include it in the interview. I did it horribly badly, I knew I had, and made a point of mentioning that you'd never have to do something like that in the workplace. After sitting through the whole interview and being subjected to an informal lunch with one of the panel at the end, the feedback I got from the recruiter was that I hadn't been successful purely because of the stupid task!

My worst one that wasn't my fault was in one of the theatres in London- not a fancy well known one, I've forgotten which. It was for an ushers role.

There was 10 of us and we all had to try to sell those cheap London souvenirs to each other in pairs. Mine was a bus shaped biscuit tin (minus biscuits). They wanted us to do role play and make up a conversation and present it to the others.

Quite what that had to do with being an usher I'll never know because I left to go to the ladies didn't go back.

I applied for an internal role for a small
team my business was trialling. I was well
prepped with great examples and had some cue cards with me too. I walked in to a panel of 3 men in suits! Not at all what I expected. The first thing they asked me was to sell them a pen. It was a customer service role, not sales. I froze - I literally said - I’m selling this pen, it’s great value and it has black ink, would you like to buy it? They looked at me like I was a lunatic.
kind of glad I didn’t get it in end as the manager was fired for having sex with female staff in the disabled toilets! This was after he hired a team of women of a certain type.

I had my first external interview in 25 years for the civil service and this was 2 weeks ago and that didn’t go great either. Entry level position with 3 member panel and they asked one of the behaviour questions in a way that completely threw me! My example
example didn’t fit at all so had to scramble on the spot and then the strength based questions were really odd too. Not in line with what I was applying for at all. I haven’t heard back yet but not hopeful

This is so funny I woke the dog and the husband by laughing. They are in a different room.

Many years ago , super excited to get 2nd interview at up and coming tech Co. Had already met HR, and now I was actually going to meet the CEO.

Went in, bloke was lovely, then after a little chat he picks up my cv, and starts asking me questions about previous roles.

It wasn't my cv. He was mortified. He didnt even have my cv or know who i was. The agency had mixed who to call back and who not.

I got up, put my coat on and left.

4 interviewees, we sat together, while one at a time called in for panel interview, then we had to do 4 different timed tasks in a room, moving from one to another. The last part w was a presentation based on a folder of information, following half an hour to read an prep. The data was not related to the role so made no sense to me, plus I’d never done a presentation before. Again the 4 of us sat outside a room being called in one by one. I’d done ok to that point but was so nervous and panicky I could hardly speak. I almost didn’t go through with it. Didn’t get the job. Worst interview ever I was shaking

Me, going for an interview as a Marketing Assistant.
Them "what specifically makes you want to be a Computer Programmer"
Me, gobsmacked silence, then some bullshit. They might have well have said Astronaut for all I knew about the job.
I got the job.