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Group interview

Mason

I have to re-apply for my own job this year, it's only a waitressing job too which is very annoying and I've been trying to psych myself up for the interview next week and just found out they've changed the format from individual interviews (which are bad enough) to 'group exercises'... Oh dear help!! Last time I was at a job (it was a freelance art job and was actually what I was wanting to do with my life) and they wanted to play 'get to know you' games, I was shaking all through the first game and could barely move and talk and when they started the second game I walked out the room and went back to my desk to carry on with work. I can't exactly do that in an interview. I even avoid apply for jobs that I know will group interview. I'm also self diagnosed so can't explain to them why it's so difficult. I can't even get myself to ring the woman back with my availability because I'm terrified of talking on the phone.

any advice on getting through a group interview? Has anyone been through one before? I don't even know what to expect! 

  • Thank you for your advice. I had the interview last week and I definitely wasn't relaxed unfortunately. I'd explained to my supervisor that I was very nervous about the group activity and she said she'd be there and wouldn't make me participate if I didn't want to. I felt a bit better about it then, then on the day she was ill and so didn't turn up and it was people I didn't know. The group activity really wasn't bad at all though, no where near as bad as advertised thankfully. But I was so nervous from the last minute changes and not having the person I expected taking my one on one interview which put me more on edge. On the first question in the one on one, I panicked, my mind went completely blank, couldn't even think how to speak and ended up in tears. Thankfully, he was nice about it and just moved onto the next question, I was alright from then onwards and we rolled back around to the first question at the end. It's not good to cry in an interview though is it. If I didn't already work there I wouldn't have a chance, but I'm hoping as they know I'm a hard worker, they'll look past it. Fingers crossed!

  • hi mason 

    From a vertran group intervewee my best advice to you is relaxation is a secret sauce to everything as if your relaxed you can think clearly and allow your mind to deal with the overwhelming stresses you will be under. My advice on how to do this can be from just a simple run to meditation. However good luck for your interview! 

  • Absolutely!! We have to constantly prove ourselves to make sure we can get our jobs back. It's riddiculous at the moment with those types of contracts. My last job was a zero hour contract and my manager was awful to me and used to say how much I irritated everyone because sometimes I don't know how to join in conversations or struggle to make eye contact with people. My friends said he was bullying me but he would always remind me that he did my rota and could take my hours away, when it got bad,a friend  intervened and reported him and next thing I knew I went from 32 hours a week down to 8 and I couldn't afford to live. It was awful because with a zero hour contract there was nothing I could do.

    At least the people at this job are nice, it makes a big difference but this whole re-applying thing doesn't make sense to me either.

  • never heard anything like that before - seems like an excuse to get rid of people if you ask me or keep them on their toes, why an interview ? surely they can judge through your work...some employers are getting away with all kinds these days, zero hour contracts, trying to get people to work as self employed so they don't have to pay holidays/sick and redundancy or do their paye,or pay for breaks, trying to pay low wages by calling it an internship etc..

  • Well I think I've sorted the problem, I was so worried about it today at work my supervisor asked me why so I just told her about my anxiety issues and she said she'll make sure she's there at my interview and won't make me join in the group activites and it won't go against my application. There's a one on one interview and a written part of it too so I'll have other ways to try and get the job back. 

    Thank you for your help though, I appreciate it. 

  • Yes I've been working there for a year now, but the contracts were seasonal and ended at the end of October and I've been working there all winter too, I'm in today in fact, but we still all have to reapply to continue working there. It's really stupid. 

    Intenseworld - Thank you for your advice, I do tend to mimic people. It's the only way I get by and make friends, hopefully I'll be able to do that, sometime I just get so nervous I can't focus on those kinds of things. I don't like talking in groups, even when they go round the group saying there names I cant listen to anyone because I'm going over and over my own name, and when it gets to me I still get stage fright and forget lol. It's terrible I don't know how I'm going to do this, I'm terrified! 

  • I don't understand, reapply for your own job ? Do you already have the job ?

  • Observe, and mimic the one(s) who appear to be doing it well.  Females on the spectrum are often good at mimicking.  I haven't been in that situation myself, any interviews I have been to have been very hit and miss, what I found was that if I realised when I got there that I didn't want the job then I interviewed really badly because I couldn't pretend and couldn't lie, so did so badly that I didn't get offered the job anyway.  Hopefully someone will come on here with more advice.