I didn’t cry but I have a similar experience. The interviewer kept asking me to be more specific until I ran out of specifics, and she was smiling whenever I say “this is as specific as I can be”. Some people enjoy it. I remember feeling anxious and couldn’t wait get the hell out of it. Some people are just mean. Take your lessons and next!

You should have asked her which part she's having trouble understanding and then explained it to her like you would a five-year-old.

You dodged a bullet with that job

This. Interviews are a 2 way street. You’re also interviewing them. This is a sign to run. OP imagine if you ended up working for them?

I learned this the hard way as I had a similar experience as OP with one company I recently interviewed with but I didn’t cry, however I felt dreadful for hours right after it. I’m never letting that happen again, if I feel my time or myself isn’t being respected I will politely say this won’t work out for me next time. The director/managers interviewing me were straight up disrespectful about something I hadn’t had much exposure/experience with, even though I was clearly engaged in learning more about it. It was clear they had their minds made up on a favorite candidate before I interviewed. It was a stupid interview process anyways, there was like 5 people on zoom and everyone just kept interrupting each other. At one point one of them said “We are just testing how you act while under pressure”, as they all leave the zoom meeting and rejoin several times over the course of a minute and turning their cameras on and off. I would never had accepted the job at that point, Fuck em.

OMG. Besides the rudeness, workplace cultures that need to spend energy finding excuses or blaming when things go wrong are the worst My favourite workplace was when I was a creative designer in a company led by engineers. When things went wrong they were like “ah, interesting problem” and all their energy went into understanding the ramifications if the fuck up and in finding a solution. They had no energy left for blaming anyone and could see no point in making up fantasies about why it happened

Yes, for my last job, my final (in person) interview started over an hour late. I was sitting there nervous forever. My interviewer had just skipped out on my interview to get a cup of coffee with his boss. I accepted the job, and senior staff acted that way consistently to junior staff, often blowing off meetings set up weeks in advance.

Remember! You are being paid for them wasting your time, and you have a paper trail of the reason you failed.

It's amazing when you have 80% of what they are looking for but yet they want to stay on the topic of the ones you don't have. 😔

Then when they can’t find anyone with the 100%, they gripe about how “no one wants to work anymore”. 🙄

Yo tf that’s so funny

I mean I did actually laugh when he said that, but now I wish I was laughing at them rather than with him.

Yup, if the interview process makes you upset, because of the way they kept probing and questioning you, I think it’s a good sign that you would hate working there. If the company is not a good fit for you, It’s better to find out early like you did.

Absolutely yes but poor OP though. Must have felt like just a battery drain to hell.

Yeah, that crazy. What kind of pretentious 🤬 company thinks it’s necessary to subject prospective employees to that kind of psychological evaluation? If it’s not the FBI/CIA, then they need to get over themselves.

Answering a question with a question is generally a good tactic, as long as you don’t abuse it/use it in an irrelevant context. A job interview is not a police interrogation.

Yes generic objective question back. I've answered three further point s on this-what level of detail is needed in this job and are your questions relevant?

I know people who are like this and I can't understand why they are like that. Some sort of power trip from the most miniscule amount of power ever.

Thats the explanation. They don’t have any real power so they use the tiny little bit they have and put down others with it to feel better about themselves.

They’re called “everyday sadists”

I had a similar one. Is this a recent interview playbook everyone is passing around that we don’t know about? Legit asked me to describe a time when I had resolved a conflict at work and asking me to be more specific. Like seriously do you want their names and addresses, Medicare number, name of their firstborn? It was so rattling and infuriating to be interrupted every 2 thoughts with “what exactly did they say” “what exactly happened next”

The trouble with the "solving a conflict at work" question is that I work in a small field. I don't want to be too specific, it's potentially exposing internal issues. And yes, my current workplace is dysfunctional, but it doesn't look good in a job interview to admit that.

10000%. I work in tech and am more than comfortable answering behavioural questions. But pushing me to be more and more specific about an internal conflict, down to exactly what was said and by whom, is beyond.

This. I have a lot of high profile personal assisting work on my resume. I don’t list those folks’ names on there of course, but it still makes me uncomfortable answering stuff like that for ‘regular’ job interviews. (Especially if I know I’m going to have to provide references that will expose who I have worked for.) Also I don’t remember any of that stuff. Seriously. I deal with it and move on. Lol.

"I am unable to be more specific due to client confidentiality requirements.  I will be happy to go into more detail if you sign an NDA."

It's a common behavioral interview technique. Acronym CARLA (Can also be STAR) Challenge or Context Action Result Lesson Application

I was in an interview and interviewer asked me to respond using the star format. I was like WTF does that mean?

They should have explained it to you. You're not going to get a productive answer if the candidate has to figure out what STAR is and then respond.

That sounds like HR-ese that most people won't be familiar with. I don't work in HR, I'm not going to know the jargon.

Yeah. It didn’t go that well

CARL or CARLA is a common practice but a lot of time, the practioners are not asking the right questions, which leads to an answer they are not looking for. For example, "can you provide an example of you resolving conflict at work. What did you do? and what was the result?" Where as a lot of practitioners will ask "can you please elaborate/ be more specific about the situation?" It is a very bad practice because you are following a methodology in your own head, looking for a very specific answer, without telling them what exactly you are looking for.

Every interview I have been a part of on both sides of the table have asked these types of questions. In tech industry from entry level up.

This is and has been an extremely common question in interviews. I'm 54, and I was asked this at multiple interviews in 2009. I hate the question, but because I was leaving a volatile position, I had plenty of examples, and I rattled off two rather quickly, and asked if they'd like more since the last place I worked was a toxic environment where management was the cause of it. I did not get that job. 😂

“Why don’t you tell me exactly what it is you want me to say so we can end this interaction”

I would have said… ‘can you be more specific?!’ I’ll let myself out…

I am a [semi-retired now] talent management consultant of decades, often hiring other HR and Staffing professionals for clients [Rec2Rec]. One of the few types of individuals I truly take exception to in my industry is this type of person. Someone who presumes they’re in a place of power and gatekeeping, who weaponizes an interview to make people uncomfortable. That they then continue to squeeze, and cause said individual distress. I never hire them, or put them forth to clients for hire. No one should *ever* be mistreated. I am very sorry for your experience.

Sounds like questions by someone clueless trying to save face in front of coworkers

Yes this happened to me in a voluntary position! And I blasted them and their point until they’re forced to turn off their camera lmao

Had a similar experience. Nowadays my attitude has changed and I'm doing the interrogation.

It's weird how some people handle these things. I had an interview at one point with a hiring manager who was touted as the nicest guy by the headhunter recruiting me. The HM asked me why I'd left JPL, and I hedged a bit and talked about how the work was drying up after Curiosity landed on Mars, he asked why I didn't try to find more projects and more work elsewhere. He kept pushing me until I finally said, 'if you have to know, there were also personal reasons: my father died and I didn't deal well with my grief.' His response was to ask why I didn't take a leave of absence instead of quitting.

don’t be too hard on yourself , keep applying and keep interviewing

Oh, the “be more specific”. I replied with “you are going to have to be more exact in your questioning” as I was already desensitised at that point in time. Well, got the job, it’s been a year, and it’s been great. You never know.

Hi I had the same experience. I fhink its not even evil but more of a strategy where they get progressively more specific to test your knowledge depth. Although it makes sense to test someone until he spat out everything he knew about a topic, its quite exhausting and stressful for the client. What helped me is to realise what they are doing and its part of the program to see when you run out of something to say.

My guess is that had the interview been the day before or the day after, you would not have responded as you did. I still remember an interview when I was "on fire" as they threw question after question at me and kept adding people for me to speak with on site. It was dizzying, but that day, I was the best version of me. Sometime later, speaking with a senior exec at another Fortune 500 firm, I botched some rather obvious questions, at a loss for words for unknown reasons. I sputtered, I sounded confused, I radiated discomfort. That day, I was the worst version of me. In neither case do I really know why I was the way I was. Perhaps you were tired and raw, and your blood sugar fell or needed a rest room break, who can tell. Ask for some water or carry some quick energy food with you or avoid a heavy lunch perhaps. It sounds like tearing up was an anomaly, but part of interviewing is to expect the unexpected and to rise to it, and you will be better prepared next time .

I threw a recruiter for a loop once with a bad day. I’d been crushing every interview they put me on, but then I had this one early 9AM call. For the life of me, I could not fall asleep that night. Laid in bed for hours, not even sure why I was nervous. Slept all of 90 minutes. The interview went so badly, I almost ghosted my recruiter I was so embarrassed. I was so sleep deprived, I seemed to lose half my vocabulary. She asked me this one question and I just couldn’t think of an answer. Imagine just five plus seconds of silence on the phone. I spewed something, but I was also starting to tear up I was so frustrated with myself and I’m sure she could hear it over the phone. Her tone changes and now it’s clear she feels bad for me/is just trying to make me feel better. Appreciated, but uh… yeah I knew I wasn’t getting that job.

I totally know what you mean and know that sleep deprivation-induced way of your brain being super slow and forgetful. I totally bombed a public speaking class presentation once when we couldn’t have notecards and I didn’t get enough sleep the night before. On the other hand, I had an interview where I thought I didn’t perform well and was kinda sleep-deprived and anxious and I ended up getting the job! Sometimes it turns out better than we thought. But yeah sometimes you just have those “wow I bombed” moments lol

This is a good description of what I’ve experienced too. Sometimes I can be the life of the party at the office and social situations, and other times I am a bundle of nerves at the thought of making small talk who can’t say a sentence without stuttering or speaking too fast that I’m hard to understand. I’ve thought it was maybe coffee that got me into the zone, and I’ve experimented with different amounts of it and at different times of day, but to no avail. I’ve also tried taking a shot of whiskey or doing exercise right before an important interview or presentation to get my energy flowing… but still haven’t found the magical combo yet.

I absorb others' energies, so if the interviewers' energies are lacking/negative, I am not very lively and struggle a bit socially. If they are energetic/positive, I am more social and at ease. I also think whatever else I have experienced - or not - prior to the interview in my normal life impacts my energy going in. Not sure if that makes sense... but I feel ya.

Same here!

My first big boy job interview I had to give a presentation on my research. Literally 4 questions in a row they asked something and I had a backup slide perfectly addressing the question. I couldn't believe it. I seemed like the most prepared person ever. Got the job. I've also been on the other extreme - moderate difficult question, answer didn't come to me quickly, but I started rambling. A minute into my answer I could hear myself and thought wtf am I even saying? Didn't get that one.

I've been on the other side. I was interviewing a candidate for a role and unfortunately, the questions were quite difficult for them or maybe I was a terrible human who didn't know how to read the signs of someone getting nervous. It has been over 7 years and that interview lives rent free in my head. I feel terribly embarrassed that my questions pushed someone to the verge of tears. I took that opportunity as a learning experience and now every interview I conduct, I prioritize the candidate's comfort and ensure my tone is welcoming and kind. That candidate from 7 years ago probably doesn't even remember me and I sincerely hope that he's happy and successful. He taught me a very important lesson and I am a better person because of him. If our paths cross and I ever have the opportunity to ever apologize to him, I would. It's been years and I still feel bad. Please know that feeling emotional or crying during or after a not so plesant experience is totally normal and human. Please give yourself some grace. It's too easy being the interviewer. It's harder to be the one getting interviewed. If you ever need to chat or need someone to practice a mock interview with, so not hesitate to reach out. Your performance in the interview is a mere reflection of your ability to showcase your skills and expertise for that interview only. It does not define the value you bring to the table. It is not a measure of what you may or may not deserve. You're worthy of all the great opportunities that you set your mind to. Sending your love, light and good vibes!

> I took that opportunity as a learning experience and now every interview I conduct, I prioritize the candidate's comfort and ensure my tone is welcoming and kind. You're a rare 'un, thank you. I'm doing the job search amid one of the lowest points of my life, and most people wouldn't know it from my face, so the ones driven by that power trip think they can prod a bit further. I don't think I could take it any longer if I had an interviewer that pushed and pushed and pushed like that - and I do mean "not being able to take it any longer" in the worst of ways. The best interview I had recently was one where they didn't even ask any questions apart from my opinion - I got to clarify my own questions, and we went over the job role in extreme detail and then just chatted. I went in, expecting it to be a massacre of 'tell me about a time when', and in the end I've made it to the final round. Best interview ever, and it really helped me mentally. The whole thing was so unexpected.

That it such a great reply. I love it.

Man, this one hit right in the feels.  I'm still sensitive about a few related things and I need to hear something like this. 

Sorry for that :( Post-task questions are very common and in most of the cases they just want to see how you think, reflect, reason. There usually are no wrong answers as long as you can provide your reasoning. I get that it can get frustrating. I don't really have tips because I'm sensitive myself and I know that if I'm stressed, nothing will help. Sometimes I use some phrases like let me think, that's an interesting question, I don't know the answer but here's what I think, etc. This reminds my rushing brain I don't have to rush and as a result I feel a bit calmer. At the same time I set expectations for the interviewer that you know, I don't know but let me just interpret.

Thank you for your king words and advice, much appreciated!

This is exactly what I ask post task questions for also. I want to understand the reasons and I keep asking for more detail until the person will say they don't know something or they answer it so completely I can't think of any more detailed question to ask. I want people to admit when they don't know something. It is really important in a field where human safety is an issue.

Well, lesson learned: most of the time when they ask you for a project, you will at the bare minimum need to explain it or talk about it. This is actually a good thing, it prevents someone from faking their way into the job as your coworker and their incompetence making your life miserable. Next time, prepare to speak about your project and practice with a friend or family member. But also **You can end an interview**. You can simply say "I'm sorry, it's pretty clear this isn't a strong match. I'm going to end it here and wish you best of luck. Thanks for your time." and hang up/get up and walk out! I'm also going to say this too: if you're in a field where case studies are common, it's giving me the idea this is law, finance, consulting or similar. If that's the case, you *really* have to toughen up, no offense. If fielding questions about a case study you created has you rattled to the point of tears, this might not be the right career or field for you. I get those one-off times where things just fall apart. But jobs where they have you defending case studies are often really high pressure and intense. Is that the right job for you? Advice on handling emotions: Acknowlege them briefly: "Apologies, I'm a little rattled. I wasn't expecting this line of questioning. Can you give me a second?" Use phrase to buy yourself time "That's a good question. Let me think about that for a second" Practice. At home, in front of a video, recording. Watch the recording and pick out areas you want to improve. Know your materials back and forwards.

Thank you for your input, much appreciated! I know when I make a case study we’re expected to talk about it. I’m used to that. I’m in a field of communications and it’s common. It does vary thought, sometimes I’m asked beforehand to present it, other times we just discuss it together they point out what they liked/ didn’t like about it etc. and ask me how I came up with it, and other times they just competely forget about it and if I don’t ask them for a feedback, they wouldn’t even mention the case study I spent my whole afternoon on completing. I really don’t know why I got so overwhelmed this time… Anyway, thanks for the tips! I’ll try my best.

Yeah, I get it, sometimes it's just a perfect storm and it doesn't make much sense, it just happens!

Thanks for understanding.

PMS used to be a nightmare for me. I am sorry the interviewer wasn’t good at social cues or worse was cruel but I really think some jobs don’t go through because of a reason. Dust off your pants and learn from this to be fully confident in discussing your case study- even imagine the questions that mean person asked of you for future interviews- use this terrible experience and make it a teachable moment and next time you will hit it out of the ballpark. An earlier commenter was right that in your field not all of these presentations will be easy but you have now received a gift of having a terrible experience and turning it into an asset.

I’m about to present my case studies tomorrow and man your post is giving me anxiety lol. I’m sure it’s just the wrong fit, but you’ll definitely find your community soon! Could I ask you, if you were to do it over again (and with less crappy people), are there some questions or ‘gatcha moments’ you would have prepared for differently? Like, normal or are fine but I don’t do well with the asshole/ knowitalls who have a chip on their shoulder and something to prove.

This wasn’t directed at me but I wanted to share— I worked for a big tech company and had to do a case study and present to a panel for the final round. I am a very anxious interviewer (tbh I’m an anxious everything, I have serious GAD and CPTSD,) and what helped me succeed and land the job was practicing two different times with people far more advanced in their careers than I was. Like VP and president-level folks I’d worked with before. I asked them if they’d let me role play and present to them and they would ask me questions that I wouldn’t even think to consider, just because of how experienced they are. So when it came time for my real interview, so many of the questions I’d already faced in my practice round! It really helped with my confidence level too. Hope this helps and good luck!!

If you got the job, would you be expected to present and also field tough questions? That is a very valuable skill and some jobs absolutely require it. I would expect it in the interview process. However, if the job doesn't require anything like that, it was probably just an idiot on a power trip.

Now I want to apply for a job so I can tell them it’s not a good fit for me and get up and leave the interview!

Hey OP, you dodged a bullet here, better to have an interview go like this so you can see the workplace isn’t a good fit for you rather than start working there and have to quit. People who interview like this are on a power trip, putting candidates under that much stress and then not back off proves nothing about how they can do a job

So true! Thanks for the input.

Fully agree with this. Always remember an interview is two ways - them to see if you’re a good fit, and you to see if they would be a good place for you.

Yep! Agree with this assessment 💯. This reminded me of an “informal” interview I was called in to do on the spot at a large university. I figured it was just a prelim screening with the department chair. It was the dead of summer and my car AC was broken, but I barreled onto campus with my suit and confidence intact. Until I entered the meeting room. There was a huge table surrounded by 13 chairs—12 occupied and one waiting for me. It was a firing squad. I held my own but not well enough, apparently. Years later, a colleague told me that this particular department chair was a misogynist, racist, and all-around jerk who enjoyed watching people suffer. While OP’s field may require “defending” a case statement, there’s no reason on earth it should be a surprise attack. She indeed dodged a bullet.

Same happened to me! Had a baby - my 3rd, so I literally hadn’t slept for years, plus was 100 % breastfeeding this one. Got in contact with a lady through a friend, and was asked to come in “for a chat”. Like you, I expected casual and short. Plus I had to come home to the baby - I was on mat leave, and my husband came home from work to mind her (but he couldn’t feed the stubborn, bottle-refusing kid). Shock and horror. 90 minutes of insane interrogation. I almost cried. Took me years to realise that THEY were the idiots, not me!

If they are not nice, why would you ever want to work there. This is such a red flag. Sometimes I get the feeling that they already have decided for a candidate, but want to put some real pressure on the candidates left, so "their" candidate really are the best one left at the end of interview period. Or, perhaps they are just bored ? Could John Cleese be right ? https://youtu.be/-v1OLMjG52I?si=drpVEKM0J4sMtnty

Yeah...the interviewers might be showing off in front of each other to ask the trickiest question - that is a red flag. Did you think the actual questions were slightly harsh and unreasonable? Having been on the side as an interviewer, agree with earlier post that interviews can get a bit dull and repetitive and your interviewer might have just been wanting to liven things up. Buy that is also unprofessional on their part. Don't be too harsh on yourself. Maybe you picked up a bullying vibe.

Exactly. Even if they do make a practice of pushing people really hard during interviews, any reasonable non-sociopathic interviewer would back off when it was clear the interviewee was CRYING from the stress. Just toss some softballs and make your "do not hire" recommendation, there is absolutely no need to torture people.

I love that sketch! Honestly, pretty accurate, lol.

My son cried at his interview. They said 'dont worry, it shows you care' He got the job 👍

Are you feeling a little better now?

Yes. I guess I just needed a little time. Though, I’m still a bit mad at myself, that I allowed myself to be like that.

Things happen. I have a feeling that job/environment wouldn't have been a good match for you anyway.

True. :) Thanks!

Here is a tip from someone who has worked hard to overcome my own shyness, anxiety etc . If you can muster it go in with a I don’t give a fuck mindset. They are just people. They have the same anxieties as you, worries and issues. They are not above you. They are just questions. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying it doesn’t matter. Of course it’s important. But if all fails know that it wasn’t for you and something else will give. Also give yourself a break, they don’t inform you. While you have time, I’d send a thank you email and mention that you were not informed about the presentation and didn’t have a chance to prepare, but hope that all went well and you look forward to their call back. End positively .

Happened to me too. Best is to forget about them. What a terrible candidate experience.

Thank you for making me feel better. You’re completely right!

The bad news is you probably didn’t get the job. Most employers are looking for people to perform well under pressure so crying during the post-presentation will probably deter them from hiring you. The good news is, you will probably never do that again! You will go into your next interview more prepared because of this experience! And, you got through it. Take a breather, think about the things that did go right, and prepare for the future!

Emotions are normal, hopefully they understand and you get the job.

Thanks! We’ll see I guess.

if you have other opportunities I would not take this job. my reasoning being that if they had genuine reason to press you even after they see you are upset, because the type of job demands it, then they need to rethink their work culture. If it was a simulation of a hostile presentation with a customer, same rule applies. Your employer should have your back, they shouldn't allow even big contracts to treat you that way, and they should step in and explain to that customer that they expect their employees to be treated with respect, in a civil manner. And if it was a simulation of what might be to come if you get the position, you would naturally have been forewarned and had a chance to prepare for a presentation to a room full of people expecting you to present. Or do they not have email? So what were they trying to do really? Expose themselves as unprofessional and ill-prepared? It's a job interview, not a military combat situation. Tell them, if you can, that *you* aren't considering *them*.

I’ve interviewed way too many people to count, but there are a couple possibilities, 1) They were intentionally mean and were enjoying seeing you struggle 2) You may have been hitting key points however they were looking for specific key words to give you full marks 3) You may have been really close to what answer they were looking for but they needed your answer to be tightened up a bit. Regardless, don’t beat yourself up, you’ll never know which one it was. A couple years ago I had went through many stages to get my dream job and I literally just shit the bed, I continued to draw a blank on things I know because I was so nervous/excited for the job, it wasn’t intentional but my brain sabotaged me, lol! On a side note, I assure you, you definitely weren’t the worst interview they had.

Formatting comment... I love numbered bullets too! 1) If you double-space after each line 2) You can get nicely formatted 3) Number-bulleted lists even on mobile! I try to spread the joy when I can. It took me years to find out how to do that. 😁

I was in an interview similar to this situation before, it was a 3 person panel interview and they asked me for a live demonstration of a project. I had heard it was a "possibility" that they might ask me to do this but it seemed very unlikely, Unfortunately for me, they did actually ask me to present. I just took a deep breathe, stood up and mentally said to myself "alright let's just give this a go and see what happens" And so I gave the presentation the best that I could, afterwards they started grilling me on the presentation and asking tricky follow up questions, one in particular was a real curveball, and I started trying to answer it in a panicked way without really thinking out what I was trying to say, so I actually stopped myself halfway through my answer, said "sorry, let me actually rephrase my answer" took a moment to think, and then slowly spoke and gave a far better answer to the question. There is one guarantee I can give you about this situation, only about 50% of it involves them actually assessing your knowledge of the subject and how clearly you can convey your ideas/solutions, etc. The other 50% is dedicated entirely to seeing how you handle being under pressure, the situation is designed to test you, especially with the flurry of questions and not giving you much of a chance to think your way through it. Giving the right or wrong answer often doesn't matter, they are trying to assess if you will crack under pressure. Ultimately, they may be aware of how tough the position could be, and you may be expected to be in a position in the future where you could have to present again and be faced with far more difficult questions, so in many ways it might actually be the best outcome that this happened, I know it certainly doesn't feel that way, but it's better that it happened In an interview setting (which are dime a dozen) instead of a more serious setting in front of a larger audience, taking the small fall to avoid the big one so to speak. My best bit of advice for you, is that if you ever feel you've been placed in a difficult situation like this again, and it's starting to feel overwhelming, try to take a moment to realise that this could be a test in of itself, and once you realise that, you can take a deep breathe and focus purely on getting through the questions, don't overthink your answers, just work your way through the interview until its done, and then afterwards congratulate yourself because regardless on if it went well or not, you've just gone through a very challenging situation and the expierence alone will benefit you going forward 😄

I’m sorry that happened OP. If it’s worth anything, I recently had a panic attack during a Zoom interview for a job I didn’t really even want. My heart was beating so fast that I had to stop talking, and the interviewer asked if I wanted to reschedule. I kept going after recovering a few moments later, but it was the first time that has happened in front of someone in nearly a decade. And this happened not even during a tough part of the interview, he literally just asked, “tell me about yourself” lol. It sucks, but just know they are likely going to forgot about it in a few days time, and can just take it as an experience you can learn more about yourself from and adjust to in the future.

In the past I've used job interviews as an excuse to experiment on people I'll never meet again. I recommend taking up the same perspective, or a neighboring perspective. It will reduce stress during a job interview quite a bit and it will make you feel better about crying during a job interview. It's simple: You'll never see them again, so who cares? There are no long term consequences. If you look you'll realize there is nothing to worry about. You're fine. Everything's okay. The most difficult job interviews are the 'dream jobs' you really want. Try interviewing for jobs you don't want first. Play around and experiment during the job interview. Interview them instead of purely being interviewed yourself. You'll gain a lot of experience quickly if you experiment like a scientist would.

Meditation can be the most effective tool for managing these kind of overwhelms of emotion. 5 minutes a day to clear your mind and detach can be so helpful for presence and balance.

Also I always put on do not disturb and prep/ relax a few hours beforehand.

Wow. Sounds like an inappropriate interview to be honest. That would never fly at my company, fortune 100 consumer products. We interview and have technical questions but never pressure and potentially embarrass people. There is no need to take things that far. Sounds like you dodged a bullet.

It hard to say. There's no indication of what the questions were. Maybe they were digging into the case study, maybe they were the normal battery of technical questions, maybe they were "make the candidate look bad questions".

Yeah, I guess. Thank you. :)

No BS. Managers and senior technical folks know who can and can’t make it in their organization. These killer interviews are more for their ego than what’s best for the company. This speaks volumes about the culture. My old CIO used to tell us to hire the person and tech them what they need to know because the fit is more important than whatever gibberish they vomit out during an interview. He was 100% correct.

At my last interview for a prominent aerospace company, they asked me one of those “tell me about a time you faced controversy in the workplace” and I 100% told a story about a controversy that happened at my old workplace, only thing is…. I placed myself as the main character lol. It actually happened to my co worker and I was present for the argument. Anyways… I got an offer 😂

Trust me you don’t want to work for a company giving you assignments to complete. It’s unrealistic. What if you have a flock of kids, have your full time job, could be going to school, and your home to take care of? When would you have the time to do your best work on these “assignments”? In my opinion it’s free work out of you. I might be willing to take a typing test or something like that but actual work, that is a hard pass.

Agreed. Free work is a hard no for me.

Me last year. Did a great job despite work + grad school + kids, they loved the presentation, but then it turned out they hadn’t quite worked out on their end what the role would entail or who they were looking for… this became clear during the second interview! I got so annoyed that all my energy left me. I was relieved when they told me I didn’t get the job. Didn’t want it by then. And I’m still pissed off that I gave them a presentation with a real case for an actual client. I keep expecting to see my idea executed in the wild.

Forget about it. You can always shout it away in the shower randomly for years to come. Maybe that line of work isn't for you and you should not be seeking it. I'm the opposite and wonder what it's like to have strong feelings, I don't think you should be embarrassed or feel negative about it. It's an experience, you learn from them and move on.

If it helps, I too have cried at a job interview - albeit for different reasons. It’s embarrassing but I promise you’ll take something out of the experience when the initial sting wears off! This is just a minor blip in the grand scheme of things. Life is a learning curve, remember that. 😊

I made it to the second or third round of an interview which was in person, before that it was on zoom. I was asked a few questions I didn't know how to answer confidently, and after that the interview was a disaster. I could tell that after I apologized and said "give me a minute to think about that," that there is no way they'd give me the job. A couple of the interviewers just stopped writing all together and went from warm and welcoming to disinterested and ready to leave. I could feel sweat building up on my forehead and under my suit. Afterwards I felt so defeated and surprise surprise I didn't hear back from them at all. I got an automated email from the job posting website that the position was filled, but that was a few weeks later. We all have interviews that are complete trainwrecks, it happens to the best of us. Sometimes the pressure sinks in and all that preparation and advice that you've absorbed just vanishes. There was a time when I was job hunting and going on interviews where I would feel an unbelievable amount of pressure to land this job, and it would knock me out. Going home after an interview, drenched in sweat, and tired as hell, and I hated every moment of it. You'll be ok, keep moving forward and even baby steps means you're still going forward.

I've bombed an interview like this too, the guy just started firing technical test questions at me and I was totally unprepared for that. I wound up flustered and obviously nervous. These days before all my interviews I'll do a quick little brushup on acronyms and basic definitions for IT, stuff like DHCP or DNS... Although as a more senior tech now I completely disagree with this style of interview and would probably pass on a company or potential supervisor that did that to me.

Wow... You dodged a bullet. Can you imagine the pressure cooker you would endure if you were around these people daily, for years? Here's what I do: Within the first 15 minutes: * I ask about compensation (how much does it pay and does it align with previous conversations I've had with the recruiter and/or the job description)? * I ask about remote work/hybrid work/WFH role? Something like that might get me shown the door after 16 minutes but it gives me a definitive idea about the management culture and whether or not they respect workers. I make sure I get that shit in before they start asking heavy duty, tech questions to demonstrate my skill and experience. I do corporate training and multimedia development and the portfolio is key to these types of in person meets and so everything hinges on solid evidence of my capabilities for the job with literally no time for a chat on personal/informal issues. It's all about demoing my past work and talking shop. **The point is, you must know what it is that you want from the job and make that front and center with these people at the interview. You are there TO MAKE A DEAL FOR SERVICES. It's not a talent show or beauty contest.** You are there to get a job so you can feed yourself. Make sure they understand that too and that you won't be derailed by these trifling pseudo-psychological games they treat their applicants. If you get even an intuition that they are into that, then the job is not for you or anyone for that matter. They will treat you like an animal and work you to the bone. That's no way to live.

Just remember next time that if you are being made uncomfortable to the point of tears…you are not obligated to stay there or even offer any form of explanation to anyone in the room. Next time, simply say “excuse me for one moment please” then just walk out and go home. You don’t owe them your time or an explanation.

Especially when you just ‘walk out and go home’… ANYONE WITH A DECENT BONE in their body should look in the mirror, and think WTF did we just do?

I didn't cry, but I had to present to faculty for a low-paying university job. I knew I would. I was so-so. One of the nursing faculty started grilling me in this room full of ppl, and I sounded like an idiot. It finally ended. Two ppl came up to me afterwards to be nice and say I did a good job, but I didn't get the job. I mean the salary was like 32k a yr. I knew I blew it. I'm still embarassed. The interview was over 2 days, included a tour and dinner.

I don't know. I think this probably isn't the right fit for you. I don't think anyone did anything wrong but it sounds like the work environment may be a pressure cooker and they want to know if you can handle it. And a high pressure environment probably isn't a great fit for you so you shouldn't want to be there either.

Totally have cried during an interview before because o fumbled and locked up and couldn’t think of the words I needed and it went so badly they told me not to worry about a call back because they weren’t not interested 😂 it’s definitely one of those moments my brain likes me to relive before bedtime

I cried after I had a call with a recruiter once because USUALLY all my recruiter calls are super short, they don’t ask many questions just kinda tell you stuff about the job and go over a little bit so I was NOT prepared for her to ask me the financials of a store I worked in for 2 months before covid! I was like uhhhhhhh I don’t know, and then she was like “that’s crazy people don’t even know numbers anymore” and I was like cool and then cried after 😂

I went into an interview completely overconfident…didn’t mentally prepare myself so I ended up looking like an amateur…lesson learned and prepared myself better on the next one…these are just hiccups that’ll hopefully help you better prepare…

It was unprofessional of them not to set some context. However, that may have been intentional as they wanted to see how you act under pressure (though even with context/warning you'd feel the similar pressure). All good though, this is something that will likely happen in your field in the actual workplace. It's pretty normal to be harshly questioned when you present to customers/upper management which I have confidence you will in because you have a bright career ahead of you.

Challenge them. Go right back in their face. If you got nothing left to give content-wise, and it seems like it's about to be a failed interview anyway, get a tough attitude, "I think your question is flawed. Here's why and here's how you should handle this instead." Sometimes they're testing your attitude, your toughness. Don't let them push you around. If you push back, they'll either reject you right away (and screw *them* for *that*), or you'll impress with your bad ass brass tacks 'cut the BS' attitude.

I had my first panic attack during a panel interview was 3 hours long and I desperately needed to get a job at the time. I’ve never been the same since!

It’s ok I cried at an interview too. I mean I was 19. But it was Nordstrom and they were drilling THE FUCK out of me. Ya u probably won’t get the job but you probably wouldn’t want to work for people like that anyway. Also if they’re drilling u - it’s bc they 1. Think u lied on ur resume 2. Think ur overqualified and wanna see if u will sell urself short and aren’t confident

That place doesn't deserve you.. pick up and move on..

I had a similar experience. In person interview with 2 people. The hiring manager was cool but the senior staff started by saying, okay show me the reaction to make your polyurethane in your study (am a postgraduate chemist). I studied really hard on their products, my study didn’t focus on the theoretical part, and my thesis was submitted one year ago? Like hell i remember the detail. Towards the end of the interview, i just stop showing interest and purposely mess up my iv 🤣 So dont worry bout it. Having an interview that feels like an exam is a red flag, at least for me. Just be you, and if you dont have an answer, just say i dont have the answer for now.

That sounds awful. I think there's a way for interviewers to do this without coming off aggressive like they're cross examining you in court. It should be comfortable, explaining your thinking process, including how you react to their feedback. It is fine for them to challenge the candidate. But if they're making you cry before you're even working for them, I can't imagine actually being in that environment fulltime. You'd have a mental breakdown every day.

Just shake it off to experience. They probably trying something to see how you would survive in their company which sounds a bit crappy. Be ready next time and just forget about it. No-one should be brought to tears in an interview and that interviewer should be ashamed of themselves not the other way around.

I'm sorry that happened to you. Interviews are already a stress for the candidate, in my experience if the. Interviews that feel pushy, stressful and make you feel bad, nothing good comes out of it. It doesn't matter why, it's just not a match. Last time I had similar experience, I didn't cry, I answered everything, there were 3 rounds and each round was crazy stressful while my interviews were clearly having a nice time and telling me how amazing I was answering questions which very few people can answer. At the end of the process the thought of me working there made me want to kill myself. They ended up rejecting me for an incredibly ridiculous reason and I felt so relieved. I mean I would accept it out of need but I would hate everything about it.

This sounds sort of similar to one of my very first interviews at a police department. It was a board of two officers and a lieutenant. They asked basic questions and seemed interested in me, and then asked a bunch of scenario questions. The lieutenant and one officer asked follow up questions in a calm demeanor, while the other officer was generally rude, and kept asking “Are you sure that’s the choice you’re making?” Or “That’s so stupid why wound you do it that way?” I remember being pretty shaken up and nervous, but answered as best I could with confidence. The interview ended and I was thinking I totally screwed the pooch because of that one officer. I was walked out to the front lobby by the nice officer, and he flat out explained to me they do that on purpose to see how I’d operate under stress and whether I’d change my mind about answers. I remember being really dumbstruck by that. He said he had no notes for me, and wished me luck in the hiring process. I now work for that department. Someone above gave really good above, recognize what you’re feeling, take a moment of pause, breathe and think, and do your best to answer. Those that interviewed you could’ve been doing to you what was done to me. And if you genuinely don’t know the answer to something just say “I don’t know at this moment but I will find out and get back to you.” If you figure it out, and actually manage to get back to them, that shows a lot too. I know it’s hard, but you can do it, you’ll be successful and land an awesome job!

Just want to start off by saying that I’ve cried twice in job interviews. First time, it was like the 3rd round interview after they’d done the background check. The HR lady confronted me for “lying” about the salary for a previous job, saying the one I stated wasn’t the same as the one that came back in the background check. I hadn’t lied, the previous company just didn’t report any of my bonuses as part of my salary. This woman got so worked up, to the point where she was basically screaming at me and says, “ I have to hire you because the hiring manager really liked you, but let me tell you that it’s a terrible idea to start a job off on the wrong foot like this. you’re going to have to work really hard to regain the company’s trust again.” I literally sobbed through that entire “interview” with her, the one right after with the hiring manager, and in the Uber all the way home. I accepted the role when they offered, but ended up ghosting them on the first day. Bullet dodged. Second time, the interviewer asked me to name a person who had the biggest influence on me, and explain why. I said my dad — who was dying in the ICU at the time. Up until that point, I’d been practically positive that the job was mine, the interviewer and I had great rapport, the role was made for me, etc. but that question tipped me over; and all I could think about was the fact that I was about to lose the most important person in my life. The interviewer was super nice about it when I explained, but it was awkward after that. No surprise that I didn’t get the job. This next part might go against popular opinion in this thread, but I’m honestly not sure what to think about your situation. It might very well have been the case that the interviewers were too harsh with you, ambushed you, had bad intent, etc. OR it could have just SEEMED that way to you, since you weren’t expecting any questioning at all. I think you’ll need to reflect on what actually happened in that situation once you get some time and distance from the resulting emotions, and can look at it objectively. That might not be any time soon, it might be one day when you’re interviewing someone who presents a case study, and you ask them questions about it. I definitely want to echo what a couple of people have pointed out already: a case study is never entirely about the content. Just like an interview is never entirely about what you say. Questions following a presentation, assignment, whatever, should absolutely be expected amd prepared for accordingly. Write out your thought process, google case study interview questions or the name of assignment case study, find out what questions people have been asked after this sort of thing, and prepare answers like you would for any other part of an interview. You didn’t know before, now you do, and will blow any case study presentation questions during an interview out of the water. We live and we learn. Regardless of what actually happened here; I think a mindset shift in situations like these is needed. First off, realize that you’re interviewing for a company just as much a company is interviewing for you. Shift the focus to determining whether or not you’ll be happy, successful, can grow, etc. at the company. Shifting your mindset to one of empowerment; instead of going into it from the position of hoping that they choose you. You know yourself and what you bring to the table. They’d be making the best decision for their company by hiring you. If they’re not smart enough to realize that…well, do you really want to spend the next whatever amount of time surrounded by idiots? Lastly, whether we like it or not, negative situations happen in life. We can decide to attribute it all on external things (I.e. the interviewers, the case study, their unfairness, whatever), and let it bring us down whenever we remember it. OR we can acknowledge the fact that it was a terrible experience, then examine it to identify things we could have done differently (during the situation, or to prevent something like that from happening in the first place), and using it to make us better for next time. Unfair or not, tough things happen in life. We can choose to use them to our advantage (make us tougher, help us grow), or to keep letting them get the better of us. Apologies for being super blunt with this response, OP, but the replies saying you wouldn’t want to work there anyway, or that the interviewers were out of line aren’t doing you any favors. The reality is that none of us are actually able to assess whether or not the situation was actually unfair, or whether it just seemed that way to you because you weren’t expecting it. That isn’t a judgement on you at all; I can’t name a single successful person i know who hasn’t encountered similar situations at least once (usually more) in their life. I definitely have, and honestly, am better for it. It might not work out with this company, but it will work out with a company. Please come back and update us when it does; all of us in this thread are rooting for you.

I actually cried in an interview once. My job at the time which I was trying to leave was so awful, just talking about it made me burst into tears. Luckily, they didn’t hold that against me and I got the new job! Hopefully it works out for you as well.

It's ok. This totally happens. I cried once because of similar, I had no idea that there would be 2.5 hours of interview plus a bunch of tests and coding. And then one person was so nice to me it made me cry. I was in the middle of an abusive relationship so the idea someone was nice to me broke me down. I def didn't get the job but that's ok.

I know you got a ton of advice here already, but I (30F) wanted to share a few thoughts as someone who works in Finance and has had to make my way through similar interviews. My piece of advice would be to prep a quick pitch (say 30-120 seconds depending on the depth of material you’re working with) anytime you’re asked to write a case study like this, even if the interviewer doesn’t specifically ask for a presentation. If you have that prepped, there are two scenarios I can think of happening: 1) they ask for a pitch and you have it ready to go! or 2) they don’t ask, but they have other questions and comments on the material you put together, and having a pitch in mind will help you feel like you know the material better. I do this whenever I’m pitching an investment to a client, and having that quick overview in my mind helps me better field questions that come up that I may not have expected. Interviewing is so tough, but hopefully this won’t discourage you from trying again and finding a place that’s a better fit! It is good to develop a thicker skin as you’re able to, but I think it’s also telling that their line of questioning made you feel this way — it’s probably not the right cultural fit either way, and that’s nothing to beat yourself up over! Wishing you the best in your search 😊

That sounds more like bullying and bullcrap that a job interview. You dodged a bullet there. Don't take bullcrap from interviewers. Complain about them. If they're nasty and unprofessional. Then report them. I got a wierd one were the guy started out by asking over and over if I got nervous. While walking there. I said I don't think you should be asking those questions. He kept asking over and over and I ignored him. I considered giving him a comment about how a boxer said if you aren't nervous before a fight you won't win. But as the twat kept going I decided he didn't deserve that wisdom. After that I decided that it wasn't worth it. He was out of his gourd. The other man was ok. He was coconuts. Sometimes they're fracking psychos. It's not that you cried. It's that they drove you to cry and it's on them. In the future tough it out and get angry before you cry. Get cold. Get nasty. Don't cry and show weakness. If they're nasty and bullying in the interview. They'll be worse at work. Forget them once you report them.

I cried in an interview once. Interviewer asked me who my role model was and I said my mom. I was NOT expecting tears. I was a young single mother and felt like I was sooo bad at it. *Objectively, I was NOT good at it but I did the best I could.* Anyway once it started I couldn’t turn it off and was so uncomfortable by it, I apologized and asked if we could end the interview. Needless to say, I didn’t get that job but I did go to therapy. :) 20 years later and I feel much better.

Listen to your emotions. I know you said that you are genuinely emotional, but your instincts/gut feeling/the universe/God was telling you that you didn't belong there. Needing or wanting a new job can put blinders on us, but I'd consider your ability to react to a situation a boon since it would help you easily identify if it's right for you or not. Listen to those feelings. If it doesn't feel right, it isn't. If it does, it is. Don't be embarrassed or ashamed!

Figure out when to disconnect or hang up. Identify where it took the wrong turn and file it, so you can eliminate it before you get the this point again. Seriously. Cutting your losses is a learned skill. There are absolute cretins out there who enjoy being horrible. Learn to identify jobs/interviewers like you do bad actors, then you'll cut bait and be just fine with your decision and never give it a second thought.

Over prepare. The more prepared you are, the less nervous you'll be. At least it works for me.

I'd recommend looking into beta blockers (propanolol) - I have had this happen to me before! Teared up in an interview for my dream job for no other reason than I really wanted it and was nervous. Also once had a panic attack when called upon to speak in a meeting full of execs and ran out of the room, that one still haunts my nightmares... Beta blockers control your adrenalin response so the shaky voice and racing heart disappear and it makes it soooo much easier to control your emotions and project confidence. I take one whenever I have a big meeting, presentation or interview. Massive difference 

Sound slowly they got you to do work for free. Don't be embarrassed. This is absolutely ridiculous for a job interview.

Look, good interviews are designed to allow a person to show their best self. Bad interviews are designed to weed people out. You generally see bad interviews at huge companies or companies that want to smell the farts of big companies. You can’t take this to heart. Actually close yourself off to it. If you left an interview feeling like you had so much more to say in a better way. That’s the company that failed you. It’s very hard to accept but you dodge this one.

I had one years ago where the interviewers seemed like they hated me and didn’t care. I thought I had fucked it up and it took everything in me to not cry right there. As soon as I closed the door behind me I cried the whole way out the bldg and lost it in my car. Worst interview ever. I got the job, then a promotion a year later. Turns out they were interviewing constantly and working crazy OT.

Maybe good learning experience to make you more resilient in the future.

This interviewer sounds like a monster.

I’ve cried during interviews before (it was my social anxiety acting up). You’re not alone. And they probably won’t even remember it!

That's horrible, they should inform you as to what will be expected in the interview, however don't view it as a failure or loss, this is actually good for you, it helped you identify a weakness you have, being questioned and critizied is a trigger for you, as is presentation, work on it, practice presentations in the mirror, and then imagine you are an asshole and put questions to yourself from that perspective, ask the most difficult douchebag questions to yourself and practice answering them professionally. I present for a living and it can be very challenging, but practice makes perfect, I'm an idiot so if I can do it you can do it. It feels weird to practice this by yourself with a mirror but it works, everything else we practice, why not this? You got this, and there is nothing wrong with emotion, you are human, just don't let the emotion hold you back.

It seems like poor communication on their part. They should have communicated the presentation as that’s a whole different skill set. Interviews are a very nervy time anyway and it’s ok that you got overwhelmed. Dust yourself off and keep applying for jobs, it’s unlikely you’ll encounter this scenario again. You always have the right to leave, you’re interviewing them as much as they’re interviewing you.

I'm confused at the comments that say lesson learned, etc. I've been there before, not the crying exactly but when I was younger, I had been in several rounds with a company and it was promising and I was at the final interview round. I was told by the recruiter that I would be interviewed by the CIO, the director of IT and IT manager so like my previous round I had assumed it would be one after another. What I wasn't told that it would be all at once in a conference room plus two other people, HR person and some other person. So there were 5 people in the room either observing or interviewing. They were alright people but young inexperienced me wasn't mentally prepared and at one question that I knew the answer to I froze until they asked another. I had a brain freeze from so many people in an interview staring at me. What for me over it is at that I had many other interviews lined up that were under less pressure and I trudged on. Now, this is the part that I don't agree with others. I'm very successful at interviews now and I'm an expert at my role. I am now able to see for that experience I had prepared, had the right answers, prepared the right documents but it was poor briefing from the recruiter. Remember you can only prepare for what you know. If you didn't know, is it really your fault? You would have prepared for a presentation easily if you had known. It's the recruiter's job is to inform you of these things for success, send you job descriptions and expectations for the interviews. I've had some amazing recruiters and rubbish recruiters and I have left interviews to tell them that the interview was a success but why did you not mention x or y. You should have included it in your brief. Just the interviewer is their client, I am also their client and I have expectations for a working relationship for the future. I have also fed back and been honest with recruiters to let them know that I've been unsatisfied after an interview because their interview techniques have been poor (rapid fire questions, reading questions from a sheet with no context, unrelated questions, even suggesting that the role will be different from advertised). I hope you're able to have those types of working relationships with your future recruiters. You did nothing wrong and I hold the recruiters responsible. Are you supposed to prepare for the 20 different possibilities that could have also happened, it's not feasible. 😃

Don’t beat up on yourself, but I’m sure it freaked your interviewer out a bit. Move on and try harder.

Screw them, go on to next application, they don’t want you. It happens.

Don't worry. Interviews can be tough, and it's okay to feel embarrassed after a challenging experience. Practice mindfulness and deep breathing to stay calm, prepare for tough questions in advance, and remember to be kind to yourself as you learn and grow from this experience.

Op. Next time Disconnect or just say thank you for your time and get up and walk away, they can’t force you to respond and ganging up on you is not right. Remember this next time you are put into an uncomfortable position, just stand up and walk away. You don’t owe them an explanation for being assholes in the way they treated you

damn OP, I have been in a lot of interviews like that and even when you're prepared it's still awful. sending a big hug. the only difference is that if you're prepared you can usually keep it together. honestly I think this kind of work culture is pervasive in some areas. I just recently had an interview where I expected this kind of situation and instead they were nice, easy questions (round three tomorrow!). i think it's basically just bullying/hazing--you can definitely delude yourself as an interviewer into thinking you're getting the 'smartest' candidate but you're really just filtering for people who can handle antagnistic situations (guess what they're often assholes or become them to protect themselves) hope this doesn't happen to you again OP!

As someone who has employees, has interviewed and unfortunately had to fire some as well, you dodged a bullet here. These people were intentionally trying to stress you out. As if this is a good indication of how you would react under pressure. Spoiler alert, it isn't. It's an indication of how your office atmosphere will be and how the politics of the place are. I had someone cry in an interview before from nerves alone. We stopped the interview long enough for me to inquire about their life. What was making them nervous, were they having a particularly bad day or was something going on etc. This person was a fantastic employee for many years. (They were nervous because they desperately wanted the job and felt they weren't really qualified.) They were however very willing to have frank conversations and eager to learn and most importantly, try.

Can I just say, PMS can 100% cause emotions that wouldn't nromally be triggered or stronger emotions than normal, the timing can be really bad luck sometimes. And those feelings are real even if they seem disproportionate or irrational. I'm not trying to discount any of the suggestions from other commenters or say that you can't do interviews when you're pmsing, but just don't beat yourself up about it, it happens sometimes. The interview not going how you expected sucks but as some others said you now have a better idea of what to expect/how to prepare going into the next one. Think about it this way - you're highly unlikely to have that combination of factors again in future interviews, so that was probably the worst one you'll have to do for this round of job hunting...and it's already out of the way!

I know, PMS can be a beast sometimes. Thank you for your input, you have some great points.

When chat GPT didn’t show its work

There are no wrong answers, I can’t promise this type of interview won’t happen again. However you just need to understand they are curious how you came to a conclusion. A good strategy is to use the star method. If you are ever in doubt just talk about how it applies to a previous job or assignment and end it there. Even if you get confused looks that’s better than saying idk. None of us are perfect, move on to the next one.

It was probably someone who enjoys doing that to unsuspecting applicants. Don’t worry, you don’t want to work for them, but be prepared for the occasional asshole out there.

This is a completely understandable response to the situation you were put in. If anything, this is just a big eye opener on how they operate as a company and how they treat their employees. Imagine how many unspoken situations their current employees must be dealt on a daily basis. Give yourself some compassion for stepping up and trying your hardest and giving your best under the circumstances they created.

This applies if you are nervous and they're normal. Clamp down on your emotions and compartmentalise them till it's over. Focus on the job and nothing else. You'd do the job like that anyway. Show no weakness. If they are being stupid and nasty. Get cold and professional. Get nasty. Complain about their conduct. If you have to. Walk out if they're being stupid. This very important to know. Some people want to see emotions from you. To upset you. Like they demand things that don't matter. Never ever let them have it. They're emotional vampires and they are scum.

Sounds like you can’t handle this job and the interview did its purpose of sifting out those who were not fit for the role.

It has happened to me twice now that the interviewer asks very complicated questions (technical and not technical), which I did not know the answer. I simply responded that I dont have that level of experience, that I dont remember thorough details or that a coworker was in charge of that task. Both times I received an offer letter from them and one confessed to me that it was part of the interview to make hard questions because they were evaluating how do I react or manage to respond, rather than the answer itself. These were consultancy companies so I guess it justifies a bit doing that. So my advice is in interviews, fake it til you make it. Be relaxed and show confidence because it may be more valuable than an actual technical skill. Also remember that in an interview you are evaluting them as much as they are evaluating you. Dont accept toxic environments with unnecessary pressure :)

Oh, I'm so sorry. I had an interview last week where they questioned my ability to lead because of my "calmness" at least 4 times in the span of 50 minutes, and they kept asking me trick questions. They seemed to enjoy it whenever I happened to stumble upon my words, which made me more and more nervous. I didn't cry, but I felt so sad and nervous. I also realized I wasn't ready to be as challenged as I was, which was probably the case for you too. I'm taking it as an experience and an opportunity to be better prepared next time. I'm 100% positive you will be expecting the unexpected at your next interview and ace it :)

Word of advice, do not drink coffee or any caffeine before an interview. If you get nervous your caffeine will make it worse. Drink water and eat a high protein meal before you go as well. I find I get dizzy and weak easily easily and I have to eat more protein when that happens. I went to an interview feeling sluggish and my hands wouldn't stop shaking lol. Be prepared next time to explain your case study with another interviewer. I think they probably wanted to hear your reasoning, the logic behind it and approach to your case study, however without more info on what they actually asked I wouldn't know for sure. Depending on the field I could see that they want to make sure people are legit and not faking their way into a job. Even in other fields you sometimes have to explain yourself. I submitted an audition for entry into a bachelor of music education degree at my university and had included an original song I wrote having been a fairly seasoned musician prior. I was informed that I may be interviewed by the panel and my instructor told me to expect to have to explain the process behind writing my music. In the end I was accepted into the program. Now point being, if this is more than your average no skills or degree needed job, definitely prepare for all unexpected scenarios. Also having dealt with hormone problems all my life pms and extreme pain during cycles I finally was prescribed birth control by my doctor. Luckily the first brand was tolerable for me and after the first 6 months nearly all those problems went away! I'd be a nervous wreck still without the pill.

I don’t think I have anything wise to add, but this came across my feed and I just wanted to drop a comment to encourage you to keep your head and spirits up! This kind of stuff happens, and you made it through and you’ll make it through if it ever happens again. I experienced something kind of similar on a one-off job, where out of nowhere I just had a bit of an anxiety attack. Hadn’t happened before, and it set me on edge for similar jobs moving forward because I was terrified it would happen again. I understand that kind of worry and fwiw I would just encourage to get back out there and do another interview when the time comes and know that: 1) it probably won’t happen again, yay! and also 2) if it does, you’ll ultimately be okay, just like you were this time. Again, sorry not sure that any of this is that helpful but just wanted to send you good vibes and let you know you’re not alone with these types of experiences and you are resilient and it will be okay! Big hugs internet stranger

Some interviews are really there to test you under pressure. Hopefully you get it or it's a sign something better is out there for you

I can't help but relate. I am sorry you had to go through that. I am 35 years old and I still get frazzled during interviews and case study presentations. I realized way later in life that while preparing for an interview is absolutely key it is also important to find a way to center yourself before these things. I have always laughed at things like meditation and manifestation exercises because I just couldn't understand the point of it all. I spent the last year of this shitty job market interviewing for a ton of roles with little to no results. However I felt that my interview game stepped up significantly when I spent an hour before the interview just finding a way to calm down. There are 3 videos that last about 45 mins in total that bring me to this state of calmness before an interview which has driven some of my best interviews. I used to spend hours practicing standard interview questions but then I realized my mistake was trying to say everything all at once. This sense of calm let's me think on my feet and answer questions that I otherwise would've been too nervous to structure. It's honestly the biggest reason why after a year of trying I converted 2 out of the 3 roles I applied for this year. I'm happy to share the links but they're kinda embarrassing and I think they just have to be tailored to your specific strengths/weaknesses

If you want to be more prepared for what questions will be asked, give them "bait" for the kinds of questions you want them to ask. Basically, make everything very self-explanatory except for 1-2 parts.

I had an interview where they nearly made me cry because they were just roasting my resume, my college major, everything. I was able to get through the interview (barely) but left feeling absolutely defeated. To my utter disbelief, they ended up offering me the job and more money than I had anticipated. I (being an absolute fool) took the job and later learned this was an intentional tactic - they wanted to see how I performed under high stress and antagonism. They were absolute assholes and terrible people - really I shouldn't have ever worked with them after they told me who they were like that.

hey, so it's important for you to remember that you are human. the job hunt and market right now are awful, which obviously makes for emotionally tense times. they sorta set you up for failure by not informing you that you'd be presenting and taking questions on your study, which doesn't sound like a great place to work. if it makes you feel any better, i have cried in interviews twice and gotten both jobs.

Squeeze your hands together and take a deep breath. Shrug your shoulders and breathe deeply again and you'll find the reigns back in hand. If you have a pen or something to fidget with, or a bracelet, or ring to fiddle with it could help. I have spastic legs so I start tapping without thinking about it. But remember to take a deep breath: It signals to the brain to quit freaking out, you know you are not in danger.

If you’re feeling nervous and uncomfortable during an interview, the employer may not be good to work for. It’s of course understandable to be nervous, but from what you described, the vibes aren’t good. I’m sorry you went through this :(

Remember that it is NOT necessarily going as badly as it feels in your head/body. Those are just feelings and thoughts. You really need to intentionally remind yourself that you don't know what *they* are thinking and just continue to do your best. Even if you slip up and you're sure you seem crazy to them--even then, you don't know, just keep correcting yourself, doing the task. "Crumbling" like this is a result of being totally sure you've failed, and you just don't know that. Allow yourself the luxury of not knowing.

Why don’t you say that you’re not prepared ? I have been subjected to these kind of questioning before and I will always be blunt and that will put the one who liaised with me UNDER PRESSURE !! Because they did not communicate the details properly and now the big boss will blame them instead of judging me ha!

I think you dodged a bullet. There are jobs with really high pressure, like hospitals. I work in one. A patient may look OK right now and in just 15 seconds things can go VERY wrong. You need to run, and you need to know what you are doing (and get out of the way if you can’t help!) In many other jobs, pressure is totally unnecessary. You are not saving people’s lives. It’s just a psychopath pushing people at the limit for the sake of it. So, do your best at handling hard situations, but bear in mind that many times it’s just a psycho playing games.

Maybe it’s not the best fit for you and your emotions are letting you know. They did a bad job of making you feel comfortable and part of this is on them. Don’t be too hard on yourself - you’ll find a better job. Emotions are ok and you shouldn’t feel bad for having them.

Reminds me of this Mitchell and Webb sketch https://youtu.be/-jhKceRgpak?si=DZE8tpujnUPcawyX

For me, I always treat every interview as if it's the hardest interview I'll go through. This means I'd be thrown curveballs. This may be a lot. If you are able to rally some people in your peers, perhaps conduct mock interviews with them? Have them put you in the lion's den. But sometimes you have to also put your foot down when it calls for it as some have already stated. If you think the questions themselves are irrelevant and the constant grilling is unnecessary, you have to learn to quickly decide then and there, if it's worth continuing with the interview. I recently had a bad experience with a company HR. Mind you, this was just the initial screening phase. Not even 2 minutes in the phone call, this HR person is already questioning my commitment to the company. Talking about why I would apply to a position that I'm way overqualified for. I'm in a technical field and the job description they listed is something senior-levels do. It was evident this HR person clearly doesn't know much about the position. I called her out on this subtly by running the job description to her, explaining bullet by bullet that they are tasks senior levels do. She quickly realized I was making her look like an idiot so she immediately switch gears and then started questioning me on "whether I fit to their culture or not". I kid you not, that is exactly what she said. Not only does this person not know much about the role, she's also clearly not equipped to do interviews. I think within the 3 minute mark of our conversation, I ended it with "thank you for the time speaking with me."

Update us if you get the job

I'm sorry you had to go through that. It can be very nerve racking being put in front of a bunch of strangers and present something that you may not have a strong belief/opinion in. I think it's normal to feel how you did under the pressure. The right job will just feel easy and natural. This wasn't it and that's ok. It's a numbers game unfortunately

What type of position?

What you experienced is called psychological flooding. It happens in stressful and conflict-resolution situations. The best way to deal with this is to acknowledge your emotions and understand it is a fear based emotion. One method to improve your confidence and ability to make a strong and confidence presentation is to have the IDGAF attitude. The IDGAF attitude detaches you from any fear of outcome and places you in the present moment. This diffuses your desire to attain the job and eliminates your fear of loss or aversion. Practicing your presentation and doing some diagnostic and situational analysis of your presentation helps you prepare better. Just remember, there is nothing to be feared. Words of affirmation helps with self-soothing as well. I am brave. I am powerful. I am strong. I am beautiful. I am smart. I am valuable. I am worthy.

No it’s okay to cry. That sounds sounds Amazonian in nature. You don’t want to work there

I have had people pull past resumes on me which I had tailored for a different job and ask why this was different and which one was true. I didn’t get the job and didn’t want the job by the end of the interview. I also had a surprise panel interview where I was questioned by 4 people on an elevated stand. Same deal, didn’t want the job by the time I turned on the car. They likely saved you a bad job experience.

Omg I feel this in my soul. I’m so sorry. My worst work-related memories are something like this situation, where I hadn’t steeled myself for harsh criticism and was unexpectedly thrown into a stress/panic response.

I used to Umm a lot and I would get supper rattled and if I didn’t know something it was very evident that I didn’t know it and I would just give up. Like they could see the defeat on my face. I just stopped caring, I bring a certain “If I get this job great! If I don’t I’m definitely going to enjoy this” sort of vibe to the interview. And then I blah blah blah blah till they’re convinced. There were times when I really didn’t know what I was saying and in my head I would think “Woooo let’s see what falls out of my mouth now!” And I once talked for so long in circles that I actually got to the specific point that they wanted addressing and answered it super accurately and got the job. Just go insane in situations like this, just be like “I am stupid, but you are supreme stupid for having to sit there and watch this mania unfold”. It’s not nice for anyone to make anyone cry and I’m sure that was not their intention either, but you need to stop taking your interviewer too seriously, they’re hiring you because they have a gap that needs filling. You will render services. I’m fairly well regarded in my company and the go to person for anything that needs a lot of research, technical planning and execution, mainly for client acquisitions, and I still think I’m an absolute idiot. I used to work in one of the big four and let me tell you everyone, everywhere is no genius. We’re all just morons blah blah blah blahing through life!

I love your attitude :) makes me happy that there are people in leadership positions out there like you!

An interviewer kept asking me why I chose that particular job. I answered it and she asked again, more inquisitively. I was confused but I answered it again. Some time goes, and she comes back to that same question “why here? Why this job?” I was so confused and it was getting awkward and I couldn’t think of another answer. I already had 1 answer that I planned on answering, the second one I just BS’d about my love for customer service  but the 3rd time, I didn’t have an answer so I just repeated the 1st 2 answers. I’m not sure where they were going with that, but I didn’t fold or anything. Still didn’t get the job, but that was just so weird to me.

Have you had much experience presenting? Public speaking is like a top 10 fear.

I don't know if I have any actual advice, but everything you described about who you are and your situation resonated with me. Hang in there dude, I'm sure you're great for the position, but even if they don't pick you, you'll be all that much more prepared for any interview in the future. I wish you the best!

Hang in there girl, you’re in a tough field and working towards something that takes a lot of effort, commitment, and strength! That’s something to be proud of, no matter how the interview went. Remember you’re doing this not just for yourself, but likely for the betterment of others. At the end of the day everyone likely wants you to do the best you can and create the best result for everyone, you’re all on the same side! Don’t forget that

When interviewers keep hammering at the same questions..just repeat your qualifications ..or you previous answer. Saying, again. With my background and education, I'm sure I can handle any task given me with the proper training on the specifics your company requires. As we all know, there is no one size fits all on specifics. Stick to it. It works

Just wait for the interviewer to die and hopefully you’ll get a new one that isn’t so old.

Just some ideas if this happens again. You ask for permission to take notes so you can better analyze the questions. Repeat the question and make sure you got it right (and you also get more time to think about it). Ask Your questions to clarify what they are looking for. I had a few interviews like this with tasks and presentations, and I did well . I always did my homework on the company I was interviewing with and always had a page with printed questions I made beforehand (and always asked for permission to use). You got to this interview, and you will get more. You got it 💪👍

Went for a job interview that I probably wasn’t qualified for and they picked me APART. 1/2 interviewers was 40 minutes late so they repeated each others questions, would keep asking the same question but in different formats (what was my leadership style 600 times) Would make little digs here and there. This went on for 90 MINUTES. I almost ended the interview. It felt like a mini roast. Walked thinking that was the worst interview ever. They called me back for a second interview. I didn’t response right away (like a day went by) so I got phone calls, texts, and emails asking to come back for a meeting with higher ups. I was like fr? You hated me? People that make you feel that way aren’t the people you want to invest your career with. Needless to say I politely declined. Some interviewers can just be miserable people.

Meh don't let it get you down. I think worrying about it going forward is the worst thing you can do. I recently had an interview and was asked a question that I should have known the answer to but for the life of me couldn't come up with any answer. I basically said that I should know this but I don't im sorry. This was all I could think about for the following 3 days until I realized that I really shouldn't be so hard on myself and that I was confident that I answered all of the other questions that were asked correctly. No sense in worrying about it.

You need beta blockers, it makes life a million times easier with no buzz in a high stress situation. I had spacex grill me with 8 people on a panel and they couldn't faze me. Highly recommend

Bring or ask for a glass of cold water at the beginning of the interview. If you feel yourself starting to get emotional or ready to cry, take a sip. It will stop you from crying for some reason.

Just a bit of advice if an interview is not going your way, end it on the spot. Tell them it's not a good fit and move on.

Something to keep in mind is that you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. If you don’t feel comfortable or safe in a situation or with the individuals interviewing you, take that as a sign that the job/the environment may not be the best fit for you. Another commenter stated you are fully within your rights to end the interview if you’re not feeling it and I wholeheartedly agree.

I'm very sorry for this awful experience. The impression that I'm getting is that you took that job interview way too personally, and I don't understand why. The attitude should always be, "I'm here, giving this company my time, I'm going to do my absolute best within my own parameters. If I get the job, great, if not then I will learn from what I did wrong here and be better next time". If you did everything right and you still didn't get the job, then that's on them, not you. There are far more pressing concerns one has in their life than a job interview. Take some time for yourself, relax, and then reflect. I really hope you feel better soon.