Worst Job Interview Ever

Hello, fellow word lovers! In today's post, I would like to tell you about the worst job interview I have ever had and what I learned from it.

A few months ago, I experienced what I can only describe as the fastest response to a job application in history. I had applied for a position as an Assistant to an Editor/Translator, and not 30 minutes later, I got a call. I was shocked by the quick response, but more than anything, I was excited. We quickly set up a date for a virtual interview. Things were off to a good start!

The job interview was not exactly a typical interview, but actually a skills test, which would focus more on my technical skills (since the job required some computer wizardry). No big deal. I’m a writer and editor; I use a computer all the time. So, I figured this test would be a walk in the park for me. I just needed to brush up on a few things.

My main concern was Microsoft Excel. Who uses that every day?! Definitely not me! But I knew I needed to refresh my memory, so, I spent the evening before the interview watching YouTube video tutorials, relearning the basics of Excel. When I was done prepping, I was pretty confident I’d pass the technical test with flying colours. This was going to be a breeze.

Spoiler alert: It wasn’t.

The day of the interview arrived, and this is when the universe decided to play a cruel trick on me. First up? My laptop camera refused to cooperate. The virtual meeting was supposed to happen on Google Meet, but when I joined the meeting, my interviewer couldn’t see me. No amount of sweet-talking or button-mashing could fix my stupid camera. Panic started creeping in. Fortunately, my interviewer was kind enough to let me proceed on Skype, without video from my side, as long as I shared my computer screen with him.

I began with the first part of the test: an email writing activity. At this point, I was already spiralling into full-blown panic mode; the walls were closing in on me, I couldn't get enough air into my lungs, and most importantly, I had trouble concentrating on the task in front of me. And my confidence? Completely Gone. My brain? Disappeared to who knows where.

It was like I had amnesia. I had even forgotten how to draft a simple email. And everything I had spent the previous night reviewing? Completely forgotten. Heck, I even forgot how to use Microsoft Word—a program I live in every day! And Excel? Yeah, let’s not even go there. I was suddenly back in Computer Literacy 101, except this time, I was failing hard.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw my stupid laptop out of the window. I wanted to teleport out of there. But I couldn’t do any of that; it would probably have terrified the living lights out of the interviewer.

By the end of the test, I felt so pathetic. I had completely humiliated myself in front of someone I really admire. Basic tasks that I should’ve easily handled felt impossible. I felt like a fraud—like my entire résumé was one big fat lie (It wasn’t but try telling that to “Panic Mode Me”). In the end, my laptop and I were both hanging our heads in shame by the time the test was over.

A week passed, and as you might have guessed, I didn’t get the job. No surprises there. But by some God-given miracle, there was a silver lining; the potential employer generously offered me something even better: mentorship. Yes, he offered to mentor me for three months to teach me the ins and outs of running a freelance business. I couldn't believe it. Of course, I said yes!

Anyway, this was an unforgettable turn of events, and things had actually turned out better than I had expected. The worst interview I ever had turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Seems unbelievable, right? To this day I still find it hard to believe sometimes.

Here are a few lessons I learned from the disaster of an interview.

Lessons learned from this disaster of an interview:

1. Technology will fail you at the worst possible time. It’s just a fact of life.

2. Confidence is great, but always, always, always over-prepared for tests or interviews. It’s worth it. Remember the five p’s? Proper preparation prevents poor performance.

3. Don’t let anxiety overwhelm you. When it strikes, do some breathing exercises. Seriously. Breathe. Take a minute if you must, then return to the task.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you really need it. I had the option to ask for help during the test but didn’t take full advantage of that. Big mistake.

So, there you have it—my worst interview experience. Have you had an interview that went horribly wrong? Please tell me I’m not alone! I’d love to hear your stories.

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nataliakavale@kcopyeditingmate.com