My first interview was not the inspiring, confidence-building moment people often talk about. It was more like a bizarre initiation ritual that no one warned me about. I went in feeling nervous but hopeful. I was just finished my ND, looking for somewhere to be managing when I found the vacancy. It was just a small store, nothing too intimidating, so I thought, “How bad could it be?” Famous last words.
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The interview itself started off fairly normal. Basic questions, polite smiles, me trying very hard not to sound like I had memorized answers off the internet (which, of course, I had). I was already counting it as a small victory that I hadn’t completely embarrassed myself.
And then… things took a turn.
At the end of the interview, the interviewer, who would potentially be my future boss, asked me to bring something over to her. Simple enough, right? I thought maybe she was testing my helpfulness or something. So I did. But as I handed it over, she looked at me and said something along the lines of expecting me to be on my knees 🙄 while giving it to her, just because she would be my boss.
I wish I could say I handled that moment with confidence and a clever response. But no, I did not. My brain basically shut down. I stood there thinking, “Is this part of the interview? Did I miss a chapter in the ‘How to Get Hired’ guide?” It was one of those moments where you question reality for a second.
Looking back now, it is so ridiculous that it’s almost funny. At the time, though, I walked out of that store thinking, “Well… that escalated quickly.” Safe to say, I didn’t get the job, and honestly, I’m not sure I wanted it after that, working with an oppressive boss is not what I want.
Since then, I’ve had other interviews, some normal, some awkward, and a few unintentionally funny ones. Like the time my voice cracked mid-sentence while trying to sound professional when I was ask what renumeration I was expecting them to offer, or when I nodded so much during an explanation that I probably looked like a human bobblehead.
But nothing quite compares to that first experience. It set the bar very low… or maybe very weird.
So yes, I have interview experience. And while I might joke that I hate interviews, they do make for great stories later. If nothing else, they teach you to expect the unexpected and maybe to mentally prepare for absolutely anything, even things that make you think, “Wait… is this actually happening?”