What Happened During The Interview?
My worst interview experience to date resulted in me leaving the interview room shaking and leaving the building crying. I was only 22 when I applied for a middle management position at a mostly male dominated auto manufacturing plant. I felt like I was going to throw-up during the interview. At one point they asked me what I would do if a man said “what the #@! are you doing you $#@!!“
How Did the Interview Turn Out?
They finished the interview by telling me how grossly unqualified I was and how a man was way better suited for the job, but upper management required them to interview a certain number of women (or something to that effect, my head was spinning out of control by then!). The stress interview is comparable to being a live target at a shooting range! It may start with the interviewer being extremely late. Interviewers may shoot questions at you really fast without giving you time to think, and may interrupt you while you are talking. Or they may just sit silently and stare at you! They may ask you very absurd questions while being mean and rude. (I have posted this information previously on my website in an article titled "My Top 10 Worst Interviews" at http://mirandavandekuyt.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/my-top-10-worst-interviews").
Advice
- The key to surviving the stress interview is to recognize that it is a stress interview. Then it becomes a kind of game. Can you make it through the first round in the ring? Remain calm, remember it’s not personal it’s deliberate. They want to see how you will handle yourself and others in a stressful situation. Maintain eye contact and keep your answers brief, sticking to your main points. Keep smiling and be polite. If at any time you have had enough, thank them for the interview and show yourself to the door. If you do get offered the position, you will need to decide if you really want to work there!
