Published on 12, July, 2020
I thought others might be interested in sharing their experience of job interviews.
I am in the lucky position now of not having to work but I found it very hard in the past to get a job because I found the interviews so wholly traumatic.
In fact, the last years of my working life I worked for agencies because then I didn't need an interview.
Possibly the worst: I was being interviewed as a secretary for a Church of England Cathedral. I was asked 'what part do you believe that the Church of England plays in the lives of ordinary people today?'. My reply was that I feel it is irrelevant to the majority of people, who only really find it relevant at Easter, Christmas, Weddings and Funerals.
I knew immediately that although I spoke as I felt it was completely wrong and I should have lied. Their faces dropped and I think they would have liked me to leave the room immediately.
Now I understand why I spoke as I felt in the light of my autism diagnosis. I find saying what people expect/want me to say very difficult, despite many decades of 'masking'.
Job interviews (and jobs) are a huge test of a person's social skills and their ability to dissimulate, I think.
Does anyone else have a story to share?
Hi Debbie, nice to meet you lucky that you don't have to work now. I'm very jealous lol.
I've been for a lot of job interviews and each one was a disaster from the beginning to end and surprise surprise I didn't get the job, ever. The worst one I can remember was when I applied in an office complex and I was at the interview and I started to get hot, kept biting my fingers, repeatedly brushed my hair from my eyes, ended up nearly choking on my own spit and I eventually passed out twice and then was sick in front of the receptionist.
Not a great experience and most of the interviews were just like that one. I claim now as currently unable to work.