• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

I think I blew an interview- advice?

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
Last Monday, I had an interview with the local Walgreens distribution center about getting an admin assistant job. I was doing okay, but upon further reflection, two questions sunk me like the Titanic.

Why do you want to work here,

and

Have you used any databases before.

I said that I wanted to work there because of my current position and how I want to go up the ladder, and that I didn't use any databases before when I actually know my way around Lexis Nexis.

I sent a thank you note clarifying my statements, but the damage was done. My mom's disappointed in me, and now I'm a nervous wreck. This was my best shot at getting full time work, and I blew it. Is there anything I can do or say at this point in time, or am I screwed? I have a job coach who was with me at the interview, and she's going to try to rescue this, but am I just going to be a part-timer forever?
 
C

Courage

Member
Not worth clarifying post-interview. You had your chance there, and nothing will change their mind. Onto the next one.
 
T

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
This was my best shot at getting full time work, and I blew it. Is there anything I can do or say at this point in time, or am I screwed?
Click to expand...

No, this one is probably gone. Sorry but its true.

I have a job coach who was with me at the interview, and she's going to try to rescue this, but am I just going to be a part-timer forever?
Click to expand...
Absolutely not. One interview is one interview. Possibilities open up and get snapped up every day. Just keep grinding the system. Yeah it sucks. Barring major societal structural change though its how things work
 
M

MC Safety

Member
Job coach?

Don't worry about it. You can review what you think you did right and what you did wrong, but do not linger over it, and do not beat yourself up about it. The truth is there are many ways to flub an interview and lose out on a job and far fewer ways to do well and land the position.

There will be other jobs.
 
T

ThisOne

Member
Going to an interview with a job coach doesn't sound like a good idea. You'll be fine. Just practice how you should have answered those questions in front of your parents/friends/significant other and then nail it the next time you have an interview.
 
T

tbm24

Member
Seems like you might need a new job coach. Also be prepared to go on multiple interviews before you land the job you want. Took me, literally, 30 in person interviews and 98 resumes sent. That's on the low end too. It's the nature of the game though. You learn from each failed interview. Eventually you'll be at a point where interviews never scare you and you ace them.
 
Tesseract

Tesseract

Banned
ask for a napkin

this is beneath me, i apologize.

maybe you can ask for another interview; tell them you were nervous because it's your dream job.
 
D

daw840

Member
WTF? You had a "job coach" come with you on an interview?!? I'd have thrown your application in the trash for that reason alone.
 
P

PlayALLtheGames

Banned
Think it's idiotic they asked why you wanted to work there. Anyone that asks a question like that about an admin job at Walgreens knows full well they're asking for someone to bullshit them and blow smoke up their ass. What's the point? Find out who can most quickly make shit up? Is that a quality they're looking for?

Anyway, a job coach for an interview for an admin position? Is that really necessary? And probably even less necessary to bring them to the interview.
 
T

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
daw840 said:
WTF? You had a "job coach" come with you on an interview?!? I'd have thrown your application in the trash for that reason alone.
Click to expand...
Someone who's helping me with my job search. I've been stuck at this part time job for three years now and I can't pay my bills with just three days a week of work.

I just don't know when the next interview will come. I'm just bummed at this point.
 
D

Daingurse

Member
What's done is done, there is no point dwelling on the past. If you don't end up getting this job, use this interview as a learning experience so you can do better next time. No point ruminating on stuff you can't change. There will be a next-time.

PlayALLtheGames said:
Think it's idiotic they asked why you wanted to work there. Anyone that asks a question like that about an admin job at Walgreens knows full well they're asking for someone to bullshit them and blow smoke up their ass. What's the point? Find out who can most quickly make shit up? Is that a quality they're looking for?
Click to expand...

I just had an interview last week, they asked me the same thing. It just seems like an interview question.
 
T

ThisOne

Member
twinturbo2 said:
She has a good rapport with the hiring people there.
Click to expand...

Don't bring her along to anymore interviews but practice with her how you would/should answer a variety of likely interview questions. Even if she has a good rapport with the people there, it comes across as a little weird and desperate to bring her into an interview with you. Just have her be one of your references or something.
 
Sanic

Sanic

Member
twinturbo2 said:
have a job coach who was with me at the interview, and she's going to try to rescue this, but am I just going to be a part-timer forever?
Click to expand...

I've never even heard of this. Can you explain what exactly she did with/for you during the interview?
 
K

kirblar

Member
xxracerxx said:
Maybe she will get the job. Taking a coach to an interview, no matter your job outlooks, is just crazy and shouldn't be done.
Click to expand...
Apparently parents dragging themselves along to interviews is a thing nowadays. It's hilarious, because it's an almost certain "no" for the candidate.
 
D

daw840

Member
twinturbo2 said:
Someone who's helping me with my job search. I've been stuck at this part time job for three years now and I can't pay my bills with just three days a week of work.

I just don't know when the next interview will come. I'm just bummed at this point.
Click to expand...

That's all well and good to have a service to help you GET interviews. Not to come along with you and hold your hand through an interview....you may as well have brought your mommy honestly.
 
D

Daingurse

Member
Yeah I wouldn't bring anyone with you to your next interview. That coach would make a fine reference, but you should take your interview alone.
 
B

Bubble Metropolis

Member
twinturbo2 said:
My mom's disappointed in me, and now I'm a nervous wreck.
Click to expand...

This part made me laugh because of how much it reminded me of my past, and that of many of my friends. I hate that. People really do need more positive support in their lives. The most important thing in being a success, particularly in job interviews, is at least believing in yourself and presenting yourself as confident. The job interview was obviously important or you wouldn't have made this thread, and I may be expanding a bit upon how 'disappointed' she showed herself to be towards you, but being a "nervous wreck" isn't going to help you on the next interview. It's just gonna be toxic.

tl;dr Learn to believe in yourself better, dog, and don't let people tear that down.

kirblar said:
Apparently parents dragging themselves along to interviews is a thing nowadays. It's hilarious, because it's an almost certain "no" for the candidate.
Click to expand...

I'm a pretty social person, so I engaged with everyone I met in the waiting room at my first job interview out of college and I'm fairly certain I was the only one without a parent waiting outside. If that helps your confidence, go for it I guess, but being able to have confidence based solely upon yourself rather than those around you is important.
 
G

.GqueB.

Banned
twinturbo2 said:
She has a good rapport with the hiring people there.
Click to expand...

Why does she have to be in the room with you though? That really sounds like something that would disqualify you in a lot of cases. And since you seem to not get these interviews so often, I'd avoid anything that could potentially make you look bad.

To me, bringing a job coach is like farting during an interview. They'll complete the interview, and they'll be very polite but the fart is all they're going to remember and that's what they're going to tell everyone.
 
P

PlayALLtheGames

Banned
So the job coach actually sits in the interview with you???? Like, while you're being interviewed she's sitting there? I figured she came to the place with you for moral support and sat outside or something.

I didn't know that even existed. You gotta never do that again.
 
X

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
Bubble Metropolis said:
I'm a pretty social person, so I engaged with everyone I met in the waiting room at my first job interview out of college and I'm fairly certain I was the only one without a parent waiting outside. If that helps your confidence, go for it I guess, but being able to have confidence based solely upon yourself rather than those around you is important.
Click to expand...

This is fucking ridiculous. I rode my bicycle alone to my first job interview when I was a teenager.
 
P

PseudoKirby

Banned
Bubble Metropolis said:
This part made me laugh because of how much it reminded me of my past, and that of many of my friends. I hate that. People really do need more positive support in their lives. The most important thing in being a success, particularly in job interviews, is at least believing in yourself and presenting yourself as confident. The job interview was obviously important or you wouldn't have made this thread, and I may be expanding a bit upon how 'disappointed' she showed herself to be towards you, but being a "nervous wreck" isn't going to help you on the next interview. It's just gonna be toxic.

tl;dr Learn to believe in yourself better, dog, and don't let people tear that down.
Click to expand...

Its hard to explain but I understand what the OP is going through.

Importance is placed on finding a new job because of the situation, being nervous comes with how important it is to you. its SO much harder to function when you are trying so hard to change something and facing the same result every time.
 
W

Windu

never heard about the cat, apparently
Bubble Metropolis said:
I'm a pretty social person, so I engaged with everyone I met in the waiting room at my first job interview out of college and I'm fairly certain I was the only one without a parent waiting outside. If that helps your confidence, go for it I guess, but being able to have confidence based solely upon yourself rather than those around you is important.
Click to expand...
Weird, I didn't know this was a regular occurrence, and for a college graduate to have their parents with them? wtf.
 
Grinchy

Grinchy

Banned
Job coach stuff aside, I think one of the best learning experiences comes from bombing an interview. It doesn't sound like you bombed it, but making mistakes during an interview is a great way to avoid them in the future.

I had an interview once where everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. At one point my mouth was so dry that I couldn't even speak properly because my tongue was sticking to the roof of my mouth. It was so horrible and embarrassing that I go into interviews now with the attitude that it'll never be that bad again.
 
M

Maddog

Member
Don't let yourself believe it was your best opportunity for full-time work. That's a lie and you know it. There are always other opportunities.

I've been on lots of interviews and I know it's tempting to reminisce on what you could of done better but what's done is done. Write down what questions they asked you so you can prepare for your next interview but don't try to second guess yourself. And definitely don't go posting a thread on NeoGAF about screwing up another interview.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Thinking of traveling to Japan by myself. Need advice
39
2K
Billbofet replied
How do I leave my job?
2
58
3K
Warnen replied
The current job market.
14
1K
indigo-cyclops replied
Need Major Finance and Life Advice
2
71
3K
AJUMP23 replied
What are your little OCD oddities?
2
72
3K
ForAcademicPurposes replied
Top Bottom