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Job interview Mare

4 replies

LeBelleEpoque · 15/01/2026 19:34

So bit of background. Worked in an education setting for a year, boss leaving and I have applied for her role as a manager.

Small team-4 staff, plus service users of around 80.

The interview has just felt like a shambles on my part. I was nervous, very senior staff on the panel and at a few points I was just rambling and asked them to repeat so many of the questions which were long and wordy.

I’d brought some networking information as part of my research for the role and it was like I’d brought a plate of smelly food to the table rather than recognised as a candidate taking an interest in identifying areas of development.

Got patronised by one interviewee and the questions were nothing I could have prepared for based on the job description-which didn’t indicate what would be identified at interview at all-internal job so obviously not said anything to HR.

Had to wait for an hour after the interview to be given an additional task (which I’d only been notified of in passing the day before) and that ended up been an intray prioritisation exercise. Not even the type of task I’d been told it was yesterday by HR.

At one point I was trying to make a point and could see it was coming across wrong with one of my senior managers-so I need to unpick that next week directly with her

Alll questions were quite scenario specific which I did my best to answer.

I suppose I feel a bit sensitive about it, this would have been progression and now I feel like this is just the end for that dream and maybe it’s time to just get a part time job with less pay and less responsibility!

I know it’s probably a knee jerk reaction but I just don’t think I can keep putting myself what can be debilitating anxierty for jobs like this. I was sick twice this morning and whilst I’m not devastated and weeping I am sort of wondering what next if I don’t want to stay in my current career until I retire.

Advice/support welcome.

OP posts:
Daffidale · 15/01/2026 20:35

Chin up.

maybe it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. You won’t know until you get the outcome.

if it turns out you haven’t been successful then don’t give up. You are in the perfect position to get some really constructive feedback on how you did in the interview. I would swallow my embarrassment, approach one of the senior managers, and very much in the spirit of “yes I know the interview didn’t go great” ask for feedback and advice so you can do better next time. Might someone on the team be able to give you some coaching or mentoring?

You certainly shouldn’t let this knock you down badly you step back from your current role

ReturnToRiding · 15/01/2026 20:57

Sounds like a mess of an interview from their end. It’s hard to succeed in that set up. You did your best. Don’t rule out another opportunity though.

LeBelleEpoque · 23/01/2026 18:51

Daffidale · 15/01/2026 20:35

Chin up.

maybe it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. You won’t know until you get the outcome.

if it turns out you haven’t been successful then don’t give up. You are in the perfect position to get some really constructive feedback on how you did in the interview. I would swallow my embarrassment, approach one of the senior managers, and very much in the spirit of “yes I know the interview didn’t go great” ask for feedback and advice so you can do better next time. Might someone on the team be able to give you some coaching or mentoring?

You certainly shouldn’t let this knock you down badly you step back from your current role

Hey, no got the call and definitely had no expectations of getting the job at all. I'm just saddened that I didn't do better at the interview itself.

I've asked for feedback and got it - some really thought provoking stuff and others just uneccessary tbh.

Thanks for replying and onward!

OP posts:
Daffidale · 23/01/2026 19:44

Sorry you didn’t get the role. Hopefully there’s some useful stuff in the feedback - the whole thing did sound a bit weird you may have had a “lucky escape”.

good luck with the future job hunt

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