One Snarky Chica with Issues

Going to a job interview can be pretty stressful. And if you get nervous then it is even worse. So, the last thing you need is for a potentially embarrassing moment to crop up, right?

I think I am the queen of these moments. I have potentially embarrassing moments at the worst possible time - frequently. And if it happens at a job interview, the way you recover can actually help you win a job.

If I am going up for a job that I really want - that is when I get nervous. Like, severely nervous. I remember one job interview I was going to and I really wanted the job. I was sitting in my car outside, cause I got there early, and was trying to get calm before going in. I don’t remember exactly what I was wearing except for a white shirt. I had my resume copies in a red folder and I was drinking some water out of a bottle. Well, it was the middle of summer in Central Florida. And wouldn’t you know that the bottle was sweating, it dripped onto the folder and the folder bleed onto my white shirt. Red dripping, lonnnnng stain on my white shirt - right before an interview for a job I really wanted. And it was summer, so it was not like I had a jacket to cover it up. There was no covering it up and no time to run to a store and buy a new shirt. As luck would have it the interviewer commented on it immediately. I suspect my face turned as red as the stain. I apologized and explained what had happened (minus the nervous part) and mentioned that luckily random stains did not handicap my performance. (Yes, I go all comedian when I get nervous too.) The point is that I was not exactly qualified for the position but I got it anyways because the interviewer said she just liked me best.

Have you ever been to an interview where they offer you a drink? If you get nervous and fidget - skip that drink. You see, one time I was given a bottle of water…that I unconsciously opened and closed the entire interview. That is until I dropped the cap, which rolled down the conference room table. I jumped up to grab it- and I bet you can guess what happened next - I turned over the bottle of water. That was when the interview ended. I did not even try to recover from that one.

I have also tripped and numerous other things. I think maybe I am just a bit of a klutz. I have noticed that when I do not try to take control of the situation, that is when I do not get called back for another interview. But when I do try to take control of the situation, that is when I see good results. I think the key here is that you are showing the interviewer how you react under stressful situations. If you come out looking good, then clearly that says a lot about how you would do in a stressful situation in the workplace.

Now, make me feel better - tell me that I am not the only one that has had embarrassing moments in job interviews!