'I blew my job interview in 2 minutes - my answer to basic question was a disaster'

Senior woman talking with HR male recruiter during job interview.
The man failed his job interview within two minutes -Credit:Getty


Every job applicant knows a single misstep during an interview can cost you the position.

We've all experienced the wracking nerves of a job interview at least once no matter how meticulously you've readied yourself for every potential question, responding eloquently and naturally can sometimes be a struggle.

Being under such high-stress situations often leads to mistakes, and sadly, a single incorrect answer can be enough for the interviewer to cross off your name, regardless of how smoothly the remainder of the session goes.

In one such case, a bloke admitted on Reddit he'd messed up his chances within two minutes of his job interview due to misunderstanding a simple question, reports the Mirror.

Sharing his encounter, he claimed when asked the standard starter: "How did you get here today?", instead of explaining his professional journey so far, he innocently replied: "By bus."

To this, he added: "I got a stone-cold stare as the realisation hit me... he meant in my career, not to the physical office. The remaining 58 minutes were just going through the motions."

Job Interview.
He's not the only one to have had a major blunder in the middle of an interview -Credit:Getty

Though it's fair to say this man didn't land the job, his tale sparked plenty of comments on Reddit, with over a thousand users relating their own interview horror stories including another who had fallen into the same trap.

The commenter revealed when asked "What's your background" during a video call, they believed the employer was interested in their decor choices instead of their career. They added: "I still haven't recovered from that."

Another recalled: "I was 18 and had applied to be a GP receptionist whilst trying to figure out what I wanted to do with life. I'd been plagued by spam calls in recent days, and I got a 'no caller ID' call and answered it with silence. There was also silence on the other end."

"After about 10 seconds I say 'So are you going to say something? What do you want? ' in an annoyed tone. Turns out it was the GP receptionist calling me to test my phone manner as a screening process. I didn't get the job! ".

But one commenter gave us all hope, as they shared a blunder that had actually helped secure their friend a job. They said: "Not me, but a friend. They got asked 'How's your grammar? ' They HEARD 'How's your grandma? '. So they answered 'She's fine, thanks...' in a very confused tone. Thankfully the interviewers laughed, and they got the job."

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