Interview Shame...

[slinkster]

I just got home after an interview. It didn't go well.

I got there about an hour early so I went to get a hot chocolate and read over my notes. I made the stupid mistake of finishing off my drink on the way to the interview and ended up spilling it all down my front. :eek:
http://www.passboards.org/images/smilies/help.gif http://www.passboards.org/images/smilies/ohwell1.gif http://www.passboards.org/images/smilies/help.gif

Fortunately my black suit absorbed the worst, but I was left with a massive visible stain on my white shirt that I just couldn't quite hide. There was a kind young man nearby who offered me a tissue which was lovely of him but I had to spend the interview trying to keep my jacket in place to cover the stain. I know at least one of the three interviewers noticed it.

Needless to say, I don't think I'll be hearing back from them any time soon. http://www.passboards.org/images/smilies/frown.gif

Anyone got any other interview horror stories to share?

[gadjo_dilo]

Who knows, maybe you impressed them with your skills or knowledge.
Maybe the stain on your suit was a sign of a head-in-the-clouds guy, and these kind of guys sometimes are genial.

[Hondo]

Unless the job involves getting a beverage from a container directly into your mouth with no side excusions, I wouldn't worry about it.

Other than that, I have no interview horror stories to relate although some that have interviewed me have probably wandered off somewhat shell shocked. When they ask an opinion question thats what they get, which isn't necessarily what they wanted to hear. I had one HR dweeb ask me when I could start...I couldn't believe it...I said " I'm un-f*cking-employed you idiot, when do you think I can start?" got up and left. 3 days later I got a call from HR. It seems that the area manager wanted to hire me, over the objections of the HR manager. I told them I was already working at another job (I really had gotten a job by then) and thanked them for their time.

[Daniel]

If it were me i'd have made a joke out of it. People like to see how you handle awkward situations and dealing with it with a smile and a joke always looks good. Plenty more fish in the sea anyway :)

[GridGirl]

A friend of mine is a manager at an engineering company. My friend had to sack this one guy on orders from above because he was both an alcoholic and useless at his job. The said guy's girlfriend when she found out threw a tantrum as you can't sack someone for being an alcoholic as its classed as being an illness. WHen the manager's above heard the girlfriend was kicking off my mate was told to re-interview him. During the interview the guy was drunk and actually wet himself. Needless to say, my mate still had to give him his job back. :s

[fizzicist]

Surely the company has a drugs and alchohol policy they could use to dismiss them?

[GridGirl]

You would of thought, I guess they just didn't want it all going public. Even if he was an alcoholic you'd still look pretty heartless sacking them rather than providing help. I asked about an expenditure code at a client I was working at the other week and it turned out the £30K in there was for a priest's three month stint in the Priory. When help costs thats much its much easier to give back the job.

[Storm]

I went for an interview a couple of weeks ago....I was there at 1130 am and they had one interview for about an hour from 1230pm...From then onwards I waited about 3 hours for another round (with a manager). Without any lunch (although they offered me a sandwich and coffee, I don't like to eat when I am just about to be called anytime) so at around 5pm finally the manager has time to interview me.....he asked me how I was and I replied "hungry and tired of waiting around" Well he kept it short and we just talked about the role I would have and stuff like that.

I got the impression I would get the job and the consultant even called me up 2 days later saying I would be getting a offer but had to wait a week or two....now 2 weeks later she called me up again saying sorry they liked you a lot but they had someone moving internally from another location to take up that post. What a waste of time then :\

[Daniel]

Kill them storm. Kill them till they are all dead :angryfire

[Dave B]

I had a guy turn up a day early for an interview once - and once we'd interviewed everybody else the next day he got the job.

Don't worry too much slinky, any professional panel will see past what was clearly an accident. If not: sod 'em, eh? :)

[slinkster]

I did make a joke about it with the person who came to collect me from reception to the interview room, but sadly she wasn't one of the interviewers. The three on the panel didn't look like the sort of people who would have found it funny, so I kept it quiet instead and tried to hide it. :(

Fortunately I do have other interviews lined up, and one application in that I really really would love to do so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for those also.

[schmenke]

Surely the company has a drugs and alchohol policy ...

Similar to my company's "zero tolerance" policy. I can't even have a beer during my lunch break :mark:

We once sacked a moron who was surfing child-porn web sites at work, during company hours. He was escorted out of the building by security.

We once hired a seemingly smart fellow who agreed to start on a Monday after he'd given his current employer two-weeks notice. We were all puzzled and a bit concerned when he didn't showed up on the Monday morning as expected. After a few phone calls our HR deptartment tracked him down at his current job - he never did give his notice :mark: . It was another month before we finally hired someone :mark:

[slinkster]

See? There's all these people getting jobs that don't sound like they're really committed to them- and here's me struggling to convince people I'm a worthy candidate! frustrating.

Maybe spilling my drink isn't all that bad though...

[OWFan19]

See? There's all these people getting jobs that don't sound like they're really committed to them- and here's me struggling to convince people I'm a worthy candidate! frustrating.

Maybe spilling my drink isn't all that bad though...

I was in the same situation as you. The best thing you can do is ignore other people. Don't worry about what they have and why you don't.

The desperate man does not get laid. Why is it when you have a girlfriend, is when other women approach you? Confidence.

Sounds to me like you have no confidence. You spilt your drink, so what. It took me over a year to get a job, I couldn't even get a job at a hardware store. Do not get down on yourself.

Go get a gym membership, you will get in shape and your body will relieve some of the stress you have. Gaining some confidence too. Network as much as you can. Simply, don't limit the potentials you have. You are a valuble asset to someone, don't give up.

[Drew]

Wow, you certainly can assume a lot from the internet. I'm with slinkie, I would be considering missing the interview, you can't show up on purpose in dirty clothes, doesn't set a great impression does it? But you never know :)

[AndySpeed]

Sorry to hear that it didn't quite go right slinkster. I would have gone in and mentioned it straight off, maybe try to joke about it rather than cover it up, which might suggest to the interviewees that you will always cover something up if it goes wrong.

These things happen to the best of us, and everyone knows it. :)

[leopard]

I had only twice job interview all of which ran beautifully. They have prepared the contract, asked my agreement once the interview finished, and gave me some cash for immediate departure since the project already waited for my presence...

[Azumanga Davo]

I've had many a poor interview (I really just don't have the technique) but here's one that even I have to say I should have slapped myself.

Went to a local courier company in a nearby industrial estate, where a form was duly shoved under my face, in a rather rude fashion I thought. I filled it out all the same then handed it in.

So the head person (a woman) said to me, "So you still with the drivers' agency?" A puzzled look fell over me, then an eventual, "Uh?" escaped from my voicebox.

"You did work for us before, you know, WHEN I LENT YOU MY MOBILE PHONE BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE ONE?"

Turns out that this company, which had me for all of a total of 4 hours in a shonky Hino previously, had not only moved premises from one end of the industrial area to the other, I realised that she was the person I directly worked for before in a supervisory role.

My memory for names and faces is just atrocious at times... :s

PS I still don't have a mobile phone... ;)