Summary

The author recounts three significant interview blunders due to dishonesty and poor preparation, which cost them potential job offers.

Abstract

In a candid reflection, the author details their three most memorable interview failures. The first fail involved lying about proficiency in a skill, which was exposed when the interviewer unexpectedly administered a practical test without internet access. Despite two attempts and the opportunity to come clean, the author persisted in their deception, ultimately admitting the ruse after failing the test twice. The second mistake occurred when the author mixed up companies during interviews, praising a competitor instead of the actual company they were interviewing with, leading to an abrupt end to the interview. The third blunder was referring to the interviewing company by the wrong name, immediately creating an awkward atmosphere and undermining the interview's success. These experiences taught the author the importance of honesty and thorough research in the interview process.

Opinions

The author acknowledges that dishonesty about one's skills in an interview can be detrimental, especially if the interviewer verifies these skills through testing.
The author believes that being well-prepared and informed about the company you are interviewing with is crucial to making a good impression.
There is an opinion that smaller companies place more emphasis on candidates' knowledge of the company compared to larger multinational corporations.
The author suggests that while a certain level of self-promotion is necessary in interviews, it should not cross into fabrication of abilities or experiences.
The author reflects on their own experiences with a sense of humor and self-deprecation, emphasizing the lessons learned from their mistakes.

My 3 Biggest Interview Fails

Avoid these blunders to increase your chances of a job offer

Warning —Below is an honest account of some pretty cringe-worthy mistakes I made that destroyed my chances of getting a job. This was mainly down to laziness. But I was also guilty of getting tangled in a web of lies.

1. Lying about my experience and then being asked to prove it through a test

This was very early on in my career and I just wanted a job. So I lied through my teeth. We have all done it to some extent in an interview. Bigged ourselves up as an expert in a field, with the notion that we will get our foot in the door and then learn on the job.

I think the company I interviewed for had been fooled once too many times before. They did not tell me there would be a test, just an hour-long meeting. Kept it secret until about 20 mins in.

We have heard enough about your experience and you seem a good fit. But it is crucial that the person has this one skill that you have just said you are an expert in.

(I didn’t even know what the skill was).

This is a pretty basic test so you should fly through it.

You would have thought at this point I would have confessed and saved myself the embarrassment there and then. Nope. Still acted confident. My internal voice was going “ah no, it was going so well.”

The test was a type of coding and they deliberately disabled the wifi so I couldn’t look anything up. I basically sat there for half an hour scratching my head.

When the interviewer looked at the blank page, he looked back at me for an explanation. This was another perfect opportunity to apologize and admit I had lied. But what did I do instead? Blamed the computer for crashing and putting me off.

The interviewee gave me the benefit of the doubt and allowed me another 30 minutes. Again, I sat there, staring at the screen confused.

I still don’t know why I was willing to go through it again. Completely wasted the interviewer's time. And my own time.

I expected to learn a skill that takes years in 30 minutes. Was such a failure. I confessed to the interviewer that I found the test really hard. But I think he could see that from the blank computer screen…

2. Got my meetings confused and all my compliments were about a competitor

If I am ever out of work, I go absolutely mad on the job hunt. I am usually a pretty chill guy. But as soon as I am in that get a new job mode, I am a different animal.

I am like a telephone terrorist (thanks wolfy), calling every recruitment company out there, pestering them for any new roles. I cold-call managers in companies and ask them if they have a role going. Application after application.

Once you do this, your schedule builds up quickly. Before you know it you are having 3 interviews a day. In the current climate where people are embracing zoom interviews, you don't even need to leave your house or put smart pants on. It’s great.

The downside is that unless the company is prominent, the research you do about similar companies can merge into one.

The smaller companies tend to test your research into the company more. Multinationals don't care as much. Stand their peacocking arrogantly like, ‘yeah I know why you want to work for us. Who doesn’t’?

But smaller companies know you may not have heard of them initially so want to make sure you have been bothered with the research. I had been bothered with the research.

But it was research about a competitor that I had an interview for later. I listed all the great work they had done and why they are better than the competition.

But there was the realization I had got the wrong company when I listed a new product range and clients they worked for. And the interviewer interrupted and said, “that’s not us.” I think you are talking about our competitor.

Awkward silence and then a thank you for your time before getting off that call as quickly as possible.

3. Referring to the company by the wrong name

Yeah, I actually did this.

The company I was referring to was a small tech company that I had never heard of before. I knew immediately when the manager shook his head and sarcastically said you mean ‘Company Name’, not Made up Company name yeah.

It completely killed the vibe. I was tempted to just hang up there and then. I think he was too. But we both stayed ‘professional’, gritted our teeth, and got through it.

It was one of those situations where the company actually seemed really interesting and you could tell he was a decent bloke, but we both knew that I had blown it.

When he asked have you got any questions at the end, I think I asked one and then said no I learned enough. The meeting that was supposed to be an hour didn't even reach the half-hour mark. At least we both got some time back.

Is it bad that even now, after this embarrassment, I still couldn’t tell you the name of the company?

From these awkward experiences, I learned that doing your research is key and shows respect for the interviewer and yourself.

Honesty is the best policy. I feel that in interviews you do sometimes need to exaggerate a bit to get your point across. But when it comes to skills, if you don't have them don't lie about them. It will likely come back to bite you on the ass.