My Worst Ever Interview

The Context

I’d done all the hard work; telephone interview (tick), psychometric tests (tick….anyone really get the point of those though?), first interview (big tick…I really felt I clicked with the Procurement Team and that was the feedback I got).

So, one last push…the final interview where I’d meet the Finance Director and one of the key senior stakeholders I’d be working alongside.

It was several years ago now and at the time a job I really wanted in a big reputable business based in London. But the final interview was a shocker and one that taught me a lot about myself, my boundaries and life itself.

Why So Bad?

1.?I arrived and there was the old classic of being made to wait in a glass bowl meeting room while the interviewers were both late. Quite a common experience I guess? Well here's the thing…it really shouldn’t be.

2.?When they both eventually showed up it was quickly apparent they had not themselves yet met. I get it was a large business but nothing smacks of “we've not even compared notes before meeting this candidate” than two employees who've not yet met.

3. The meeting was scheduled as 60mins in the middle of the day. I’d actually used a day holiday from my existing workplace, spent money on a return train to London (not at all cheap) and obviously several hours of prep in the week before. But the lead interviewer (already 10minutes late…it was now 1.10pm) informed me he only had 20mins as had another appointment at 1.30pm.

Honestly, this was like a punch to my stomach. To this day I don’t know why I didn’t walk out there and then but that’s in my life lessons later on.

4. The same lead interviewer then opened his laptop (he could have been checking his e-mails, the BBC homepage or a mirror image of himself for all I knew) and from behind the screen, without a single bit of eye contact, proceeded to fire big questions at me, one after another.

What was my biggest delivery over the past couple of years? Describe the most complex RFP I’d led? Seeing this as a test of my ability to be concise (the 20min clock was ticking) I tried my best to rattle through answers and give some big numbers. I’m results driven after all, no problem.

5.?It’s now 1.28pm and the “Do you have any questions for me?” while looking at his watch question arrived. I squeezed in two of the four I’d come prepared with. He then thanked me for my time and the other interviewer at least stayed behind to help answer some more (possibly feeling some degree of sympathy for me at this stage).

Just writing the above I can’t believe I didn’t walk out at precisely 1.11pm.

But here’s the thing…I was still convinced that this was the job of my dreams, that actually this was some kind of test of my resilience. I remained calm, polite, professional and sent the thank you e-mail to the in house recruitment team afterwards and awaited the inevitable call to tell me I had not been successful.

Life Lessons

1.????At the time I wasn’t happy in my existing workplace. I had focused so much personal energy on getting another ‘better job’ that I hadn’t really considered what a ‘better job’ actually meant. The salary and job title itself had been enough to convince me this was my perfect route out. Place value on your happiness first, not salary or job title.

2.??? It was only a 20 minute interaction but this interviewer made me feel small, inadequate and irrelevant. I will never allow this to happen again in any situation.

3.????It is crucial to have personal boundaries and to know when to walk away. It would have been a powerful statement if I'd have at least e-mailed the recruitment team afterwards to inform them I had withdrawn my application.

Imagine how much taller I would have felt if I’d had the self-confidence at the time to stand up and withdraw my application within the interview itself.

4.????What’s for you will not go past you. This experience was several years ago now and I’m happy with the twists and experiences my career trajectory has taken since that fateful day.

The indelible impression

Every experience, positive or negative, is part of your growth. Witnessing this, noticing it, moving on and understanding the life lessons is what’s important here.

To this day, that interview has tainted my view of that company brand. I can’t actually shop there without remembering the terrible impression they left me of their business and probably shop there less often as a result. All because of two people who didn't know how to respect a candidate. Brands can be built over decades and destroyed within seconds. Employees represent their brand.

Fortunately I’ve had many better and wholly more successful interview experiences since that day.

What’s your worst ever interview experience? Does any of the above resonate with you? What would you have done?

I’d welcome your comments.?