# Healing and Wellbeing > Study, Work and Welfare >  >  What was your worst job interview?

## Bean the Mean

Maybe it was a rude interviewer, maybe you had 'exaggerated' a bit to get the interview and it blew up in your face, whatever!

I find these kinds of stories both heartbreaking, educational and (most importantly) incredibly funny.

Feel free to share your worst interview moment. We won't tell...!

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## kc1895

I have a few really terrible ones, I hope you enjoy my misery!!  

First, here is a mild one.  I interviewed at a bookstore in college where I wore a "Unionbay" t-shirt and jeans cause nobody told me you have to dress nicely even for a clerical job.  I was the only one in casual clothes.  During my interview, I mentioned job experience as it related to my chores at home and how I tried to improve my relationship with my mom.  I made the lady laugh, so I thought she was laughing with me, until I realized much later (after researching proper interview etiquettes) that she was laughing AT me.  

I also applied at the police station in college, but they did a background search on me and found out about my roommate problems and a mandatory referral to see a psychologist.  (Someone suggested that I was suicidal, although I was just really depressed at the time.)  They brought that up during the interview, and made me feel really uncomfortable.  I don't know why I still interviewed knowing they would bring these up.  I tried to make a joke to ease the tension, but everybody was dead serious.  They must've sensed my anxiety attack coming, so they stopped the interview short after 15 mins and thanked me for my time.  They closed the door right after I exited, not even leading me out, and I swore I heard laughing in the room.

When I was fresh out of college, I had one where I prepared well.  On that fateful Friday the 13th, I drove to my interview and accidentally ran over a black bird.  Bad sign!  I saw the HR person first, who was really nice and lead me to a conference room.  She introduced the position and asked me general questions.  She also mentioned that I was "very quiet", but that I would be less shy later on "like her".  I was afraid she might've picked up on my SA, so it made me feel more pressured to speak up.  She lead me to see the boss, who was very straight and to the point.  She asked me really precise questions about database knowledge.  I was so nervous, my mind went blank, so I was only able to give her some rambling comment which was not the right answer.  After the interview, the receptionist lead me out and asked if I had already recieved the job application that I was supposed to fill out.  I told her that I didn't receive one.  She looked puzzled at first, then a sad expression came across her face as she realized the boss didn't give me an application.  But she said "Good luck!"  I thanked her and walked out, sad but glad it was over.

Those were just a few of a handful of bad ones.  Did you guys think that was bad enough, or can you beat that???  :;):

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## Otherside

I once vomitted during an interview. Unsurprisingly, I did not get the job.

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## L

Ah - I haven't really done any proper interviews. 

I did one to volunteer with a mental health group but before I understood what social anxiety and before I started college. I was trying to put myself out in the world. I went completely blank, I had to talk myself up what my qualities where and prove them. When I say I went blank...there was nothing, no words....and then I found that other site. 

I am dreading any interviews for nursing jobs in the future!

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## Misssy

> I once vomitted during an interview. Unsurprisingly, I did not get the job.



Oh wow, that is tough. Awww, I think yours really is the worst!

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## Chantellabella

This is going to sound really snobby, but I've always had great job interviews and gotten the job. Until this last one. Boy was that a blow to my ego. I guess it was inevitable. I needed the humbling. Whatever it was that I did, just wasn't enough.

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## Evo1114

I haven't really had any formal interviews either.  My current job I did have to be interviewed, but I don't call it a 'formal' interview because I was a shoe-in for the job.  I knew I had it, the interview was just kind of an afterthought...a good friend from my childhood was the one interviewing and it was mostly just bullshitting back and forth with a few questions he was required to ask.

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## Evo1114

> This is going to sound really snobby, but I've always had great job interviews and gotten the job. Until this last one. Boy was that a blow to my ego. I guess it was inevitable. I needed the humbling. Whatever it was that I did, just wasn't enough.



It may not even have been anything that you did personally.  Maybe they just found somebody they liked more for whatever reason. We can't always be the best at everything all the time.  :;):

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## Ironman

> I once vomitted during an interview. Unsurprisingly, I did not get the job.



You know, this could be something you could tell someone who is fearing an interview.   This is close to a worst case scenario.

It might have been for the best, too.  Did you land a better job?

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## Ironman

> This is going to sound really snobby, but I've always had great job interviews and gotten the job. Until this last one. Boy was that a blow to my ego. I guess it was inevitable. I needed the humbling. Whatever it was that I did, just wasn't enough.







> It may not even have been anything that you did personally.  Maybe they just found somebody they liked more for whatever reason. We can't always be the best at everything all the time.



This is true.  The worse the job market is, the more picky they can get, too.  It's frustrating.  Been there!

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## WintersTale

At Best Buy. 

Not because it went badly, but because I thought I had the job, and then I got canned. I was so sure that I had gotten the job that I quit my other job, and then I was out of work.

Bad times.  ::(:

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## slytherin

My first job interview I literally gave the interviewer yes or no answers I was so nervous I couldn't say anything else. I've gotten better but I still don't do fabulously in most interviews unless it's for something very specific that I know a lot about (minimum wage job interviews generally go terrible for me, I'm not sure why).

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## srschirm

I drove 4+ hours (one-way) for an interview and never heard a word back, even after I thanked them for their time.

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## Antidote

Two bad ones. With one, the interviewer pointed out I was very 'reserved', and it went downhill from there. I panicked, felt very self-conscious and became 10 x more awkward than I had been to start with. I got a second interview by a more important person after this, we had a more comfortable rapport and she did give me the job. The other was so short because they ruled me out within 5 minutes (no joke). I was interviewed by 2 people though one did all the talking while the other sat and watched. I felt like I had dressed wrong because they looked me up and down when I walked in. Then I proceeded to put my foot in my mouth multiple times, failed to focus on my attributes and instead was dismissive about them, was inappropriately self-depreciating and inappropriately highlighted my skills that lay elsewhere. Then they asked me pragmatic questions about transport and free hours and I came across as reluctant about embracing their job opportunities. To be honest it was a shitty job that I didn't want and I was in a compromising situation. I had 0 interest in it. It showed. Not my fault.

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## sanspants

> minimum wage job interviews generally go terrible for me, I'm not sure why.



Perhaps you looked too classy to the management and they gave you the cold shoulder because they were envious  ::):  

My worst interview was the interview for the job I currently have (and have had for years). The interviewer was the head of psychology for the company and wanted to "break me." He was a jerk so I was a jerk right back, figuring I had nothing to lose and wasn't going to get the job anyway. After telling me I could leave, I said yes, I can leave whenever I want, but are you finished interviewing me? You haven't really asked much. He shook his head and told me I was hired...

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## kc1895

> Two bad ones. With one, the interviewer pointed out I was very 'reserved', and it went downhill from there. I panicked, felt very self-conscious and became 10 x more awkward than I had been to start with. I got a second interview by a more important person after this, we had a more comfortable rapport and she did give me the job. The other was so short because they ruled me out within 5 minutes (no joke). I was interviewed by 2 people though one did all the talking while the other sat and watched. I felt like I had dressed wrong because they looked me up and down when I walked in. Then I proceeded to put my foot in my mouth multiple times, failed to focus on my attributes and instead was dismissive about them, was inappropriately self-depreciating and inappropriately highlighted my skills that lay elsewhere. Then they asked me pragmatic questions about transport and free hours and I came across as reluctant about embracing their job opportunities. To be honest it was a shitty job that I didn't want and I was in a compromising situation. I had 0 interest in it. It showed. Not my fault.



Pointing out that you're shy never seems to help calm your nerves for some reason.  Its also hard to brag when you're not a boastful type.  My former boss got upset at me one time when she was introducing me to some guests as her "data expert", and I quickly muttered "oh, I'm no expert!"  She looked at me with an annoyed expression like "How dare you question my judgement!"  I learned overtime that you have to own up to your achievements and not downplay or deny the grandiose claims of potential or current employers for your professional well-being.  Its all a matter of acting.  ::):

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## VickieKitties

Probably the time I failed the Polygraph, it was for a data entry position in a prison.  They thought I did meth since I had lived in Albuquerque for some reason. Anxious people and polygraphs don't mix, I must have looked like such a liar.   :hit wall:

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## Sagan

For a General Manager position at a Walmart store by the District manager. I still feel the urge to vomit!

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