Interview nerves can get the best of anyone, no matter how prepared you areAccording to new research of 1,200 UK workers from job site, CV-Library, four in 10 workers (40.3%) have made a huge mistake in an interview, with 8% stating that they had to walk out after things got so bad. Furthermore, the study revealed some of the worst things that people have done in an interview, which include:
- Arriving unprepared (31.7%)
- Over sharing information (16.4%)
- Arriving late (8.2%)
- Confusing job roles and employers (7.2%)
- Talking badly about a previous employer (6.9%)
- Calling the interviewer the wrong name (5.7%)
- Lying about experience (5%)
- Using a swear word (2.5%)
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, comments:
“Interview nerves can get the best of anyone, no matter how prepared you are! This often results in silly mistakes being made that wouldn’t ordinarily happen in another situation. Putting plenty of practice in beforehand with friends and family is crucial and remember to breathe, keep a calm head and rationalise your fears.
“It’s clear from our research that interview shockers are commonplace across the UK so don’t beat yourself up about it. Remember, you wouldn’t have been asked in for an interview if the company wasn’t interested in you and your CV, so believe in yourself and try not to let your nerves get the better of you.”
The research also encouraged respondents to write-in some of their biggest blunders and below, CV-Library has pulled out the best twenty interview shockers this Halloween:
Dan from Guildford said:
“I arrived for what I thought was a DRIVING job, but it was actually for a DIVING job – which I wasn’t even qualified for.”
Maria from Cardiff said:
“I called the interviewer by the wrong name and also did not properly research the company before meeting with them. I was so embarrassed I couldn’t make eye contact when I left.”
Jane from Derby said:
“I declined the offered glass of water, then proceeded to have a coughing fit that made me retch all over the table. Should have taken the damn water!”
Harry from Newcastle said:
“I once couldn’t stop farting in an interview because I was so nervous.”
Sam from Leeds said:
‘I was so nervous that I ended up giving too much detail about my employer to an interviewer who was also a major competitor to my current workplace. I then had to send a grovelling email asking them not to repeat what I had said!”
Lizzie from Southampton said:
“I actually felt so relaxed that I sat back too far on my seat and fell off the chair. I didn’t get the job.”
Chantelle from London said:
“My hair once turned green before an interview and I didn’t have time to sort it out: cue going into the interview looking like an idiot! I then proceeded to waffle on to the interviewers all about what had happened, totally forgetting where I was and who I was talking to!”
Andrew from Inverness said:
“It was January, in the North of Scotland and my car had broken down, meaning I had to travel about 50 miles by motorbike, in a suit. When I arrived for the interview I was soaking wet, freezing and unable to talk for a good thirty minutes! All I wanted to do was hug the radiator…”
Chris from Brighton said:
“I once attended an interview where halfway through the manager sacked a member of staff over the phone, instructing her associates to march the sacked staff out of the shop. Then she turned to me and asked “And what makes you so special for this job?” Guess who didn’t get that job?!”
Liam from Tunbridge Wells said:
“I swore at a bloke who opened his car door onto my car. Imagine my surprise when I walked into the interview and he was sat there. He never had a sense of humour about it either.”
Shona from Cambridge said:
“The interviewer greeted me with “who the f**k are you?” when I arrived and asked for him. Needless to say, what followed was not good.”
Joe from Bridgend said:
“I arrived early to an interview which was a long drive away, so decided to grab a bit to eat at a pub next door, as well as a shandy to calm my nerves. What I didn’t realise was my interviewer was having lunch there too (with a soft drink). His first question was “do you always drink before interviews?””
Lisa from Bournemouth said:
“Many years ago I was in an interview and asked to describe myself in 3 words…bizarrely I chose ‘crazy’ as one of them, I have no idea why I felt that that was a positive attribute but I was only 21 and probably a little nervous.”
Laura from Newport said:
“My biggest interview nightmare was when I applied for two jobs on complete different ends of the spectrum and turned up to one job interview thinking it was for the other job! I completely embarrassed myself, however the interviewer was impressed with my enthusiasm despite making a complete fool of myself!”
Rachel from Sheffield said:
“My pants falling down.”
Naomi from Glasgow said:
“I arrived at an interview and was told my interviewer was running a little late. After nearly an hour and a half, she finally came out and we began chatting. Out of nowhere she begins to cry and quickly becomes so hysterical that her nose bleeds! I was so shocked and tried to console her but she was howling. Eventually she got up and left – I was baffled.”
Luke from Winchester said:
“I was once interviewed by a woman whose blouse popped open – it was very awkward but she quickly did it back up and continued with the interview.”
Jack from Chester said:
“I tripped and fell over as I entered the interview.”‘
Natasha from Doncaster said:
“When asked why I wanted the job my mind went blank and I just giggled. I couldn’t stop and before I knew it I was crying with laughter. I had to be offered a glass of water to calm down.”
Toby from Wolverhampton said:
“I turned up really hungover to an interview and had to excuse myself to go and be sick. It was a low point in my life.”
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