Does anyone else's brain leave home at job interviews?

valos_mummy

I went through the role play thing with my OH and he kept pulling faces at me! Said when I mentioned "role play" he had something different in mind Had an interview last week, still waiting to hear, which I think went okay. More money, better location, what I want to do...I researched LOTS and prepared for all the typical interview questions and had a good idea of what I would say to show them I was the person for the job.

I only got to say these bits interspersed with what I was actually asked, which was all example questions! "Tell me of a time you did....., can you give an example of a time where ..... and what did you do?"

I loathe those questions, there's only so many things that happen in your job; most of it is run of the mill uneventful, so to bring up so many instances of where "stuff" happened and you have to remember it straight away is hell! Thankfully, I thought on my feet and got through it. It also helped that the interviewers said that if I couldn't think of a work example, something in my personal life would do.

Don't think I've had a "nightmare" interview, just lots where I've been unsuccessful!

Eliza_2

Thank you to everyone for the funny and also the useful responses to this. I was feeling a bit better about it first thing but not quite so much now. It's great to know that other people have had similar humiliations!

The advice is also helpful, thanks. Much of it I know and have put into practice, (the research, the writing questions that might be asked etc etc) it's just that faced with the interview situation somehow my brain doesn't find the researched answers, but strangely comes up with something completely different, as I said an incident from 30 yrs ago that in no way exemplified what I was being asked. This to a question I had thought about beforehand. As I said, I had predicted all but one question that over an hour I was asked so should've been fine. I did exactly as you suggest SnowyOwl, planned (and wrote out) answers to each point on the jd and person spec, and researched those I didn't know much about. It's all in my head now, but didn't come out of my mouth on the day. I also had questions for the end, just in case they didn't come up during the interview though in fact most did. Not sure about the role play with a friend, as I said, 3 'friends' knew about this interview and not one has asked me about it, though one rang up to tell me all about their day and didn't mention the interview, so I didn't as it would then make them feel bad.

As you can tell I'm feeling a bit despondent and friendless now, pretty pathetic really and if it wasn't for the fact that I'm living on around £600 a month, £400 of which is rent, I would give up job hunting altogether. I'm in my 50s, not a youngster, and feel very sad, but grateful, that a group of complete strangers (yourselves) have made me smile and feel a bit less hopeless. I will keep plugging away to try to get more work at my present part time job but at the moment it isn't likely and anyway, I wanted a change to something more useful and rewarding.

Liz

loisa

I hate those example questions too, they throw me every time!

I had an interview for a call centre role a while back. I felt like it was one of my best ever interviews, I was well prepared and in exactly the right mind frame. I thought I was calm and collected but in the feedback it came across as "quiet and "low energy". It's so difficult to find the balance and know what the interviewer is really thinking.

The worst interview I had was for a xmas retail job and it was being held at the jobcentre. I stupidly didn't check the address and went to the wrong jobcentre! I had wrongly assumed it was the city centre one when in fact it was on a random estate miles out of the city. I managed to get there somehow and would not have been all that late but I had to queue and wait ages in the jobcentre - the security guards just laughed at me! When I finally got in red faced and breathless the interviewer would not even give me the time of day and I had to walk back out with my tail between my legs.

There was definitely a lesson learned that day! It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The job would have been difficult and expensive to get to on public transport and shortly after I managed to get something similar within walking distance of my house.

Fuzzy_Duck

Every interview I'd had has been a nightmare! I have immense anxiety at the best of times (I stammer, mix up my words, avoid eye contact and much much more!) I know interviewers are supposed to be aware that people will have nerves but I surpass it. The worst one I had was a simple admin job. I had the experience and my CV was good. There were several positions available and I knew I'd pass the English test fine. But I didn't get the job because I majorly messed up the interview. It was the usual case, I was either too enthusiastic or too nervous. My mind went blank on every single question. The only one I remember answering now was the question "how do you ensure your work is accurate?" I started rambling about how at my current job we write our intials down so any mistakes we know who made them. It made no sense at all, but mind being blank and all I didn't notice. I smiled like a mad woman whilst the interviewers looked at each other and waited. And waited. Until finally one of them piped up "...right, and maybe you check your work yes?" ARGH. I think my problem was I thought the questions were far more complicated than they actually were.

In the job I'm in now I admitted I didn't even know what the job was about (my parents had made me apply and I was totally uninterested) and to top it off, walked into a toilet on my way out. I can only assume I got the job because A. I didn't know what I was letting myself in for and they considered that a good thing, and B. I was young and unexperienced and they could pay me the lowest wage. The only reason I'm still here is because I'd rather eat a shoe than willingly put myself through an interview.

foxy-roxy

thepedestrian wrote: »

Yes - I will divulge the ,THE worst interview ive had ( I still chuckle to myself when I think of the interviewers face ! ) - but not tonight as the wine is now open and I just want to watch Neighbours like a potato and veg it out !!

Come on then, surely Neighbours has finished now?:rotfl:

loisa

Fuzzy_Duck wrote: »

Every interview I'd had has been a nightmare! I have immense anxiety at the best of times (I stammer, mix up my words, avoid eye contact and much much more!) .

That sounds just like me. It's so frustrating I know I am intelligent and capable but I must come across as a complete moron! The scary thing is that nerves are not always an obvious issue before the interview, I can still fluff things up when I'm feeling completely relaxed!

I think I was born with my foot in my mouth. I remember seeing the school nurse when I was 12, it went something like:

"Have you ever tried alcohol?"
"No"
"Why not?"
"Because I don't like the taste" Duh!!!

So I have spent most of my working life in dead end temp jobs and being treated like dirt and earning nowhere near what I should be. No amount of advice and tips seem to help, I know what to do but I just can't seem to get it together on the day.

Eliza_2

foxy-roxy wrote: »

Come on then, surely Neighbours has finished now?:rotfl:

I agree, come on now thepedestrian, spill the beans!!

Eliza_2

loisa wrote: »

I think I was born with my foot in my mouth. I remember seeing the school nurse when I was 12, it went something like:

"Have you ever tried alcohol?"
"No"
"Why not?"
"Because I don't like the taste" Duh!!!
.

Oh lordy lordy (throws pinny over head rocking with laughter!) That's hysterical. Thank you!

sparklygirl71

Eliza, I can completely relate to your mind blanks in interviews. I have been a nervous wreck in interviews over the last few years.
Have you ever thought of trying NLP to overcome the nerves and anxiety? I tried it last year along with Paul Mckennas confidence CD and it has worked wonders for me. Infact if anything maybe a little too confident that I might need to reign it in a bit. In my interview last week I was relaxed and confident and able to recall past experiences but I didnt get the job. I'm not going to let it knock my confidence though, its taken too long to build it up - as you know its pretty damn tough out there so best of luck to all of you looking for jobs.

elisebutt65

I even fluff things when I'm in work - thankfully I never got interviewed for my current job - I just kind of fell into it after my teaching placement and they were desperate:rotfl:

I had my R & D interview last week which is our annual appraisal out of the blue - we're supposed to get the paperwork a week before to fill in but I got asked if I wanted to do it in my lunch break so I spluttered all over my cup of soup and just went in (still clutching my soup)

I got asked the stupidest question ever devised by anyone - What are your strengths and weakness - Aaargh!!!!:eek::eek:
My answer for strengths just popped out of my mouth - 'Flapjacks'!!:eek::eek: Why flapjacks??? 'Cos when the students start playing up I bribe them with flapjacks

Ohhhhh God!!! And now I've just been put forward to attend an external course on managing challenging behaviour

I guess the flapjacks just don't cut it!