Funny that I should find this post when I did because I went through something similar about two days ago. Thank you for posting this.

It’s pretty early in the morning but I just couldn’t resist logging in and posting a reply. Forgive me if I start rambling because my brain hasn’t started running at full power yet.

I hadn’t applied to any jobs in the past year when some of my friends/peers have already found jobs and have started working. I just felt that I should wait for the right thing to come along. So when I saw this ad on a job seeking website, I got excited and instantly applied for it. The job just felt perfect for my abilities, my background and my experience in the field. It was my first job application ever and I didn’t know what to expect.

I got an email saying that I will be contacted by phone and would have to go through a telephonic interview. And so I waited for them to call me.

When I did receive the call (I believe it was the boss himself who called me because it was a small/medium-sized start-up, exactly the kind of place that I wanted my first job to be), I got nervous. I tend to stammer when I get nervous (I’ve had speech issues ever since I was a child and because of that, I don’t usually talk on the phone much even with people I’m comfortable talking to. And that made me more nervous) and even though it has almost gone away over the years, I was too focussed on trying not to stammer than what I was supposed to talk about. So instead of telling him what my strengths are and how I could benefit his company, I went on to blabber about meaningless crap. I answered casual questions with more content (like what my hobbies are? when I was asked to talk about my family, etc.) than the professional, work-related questions. He mentioned some “red flags” in my profile that I could have easily turned around to my advantage but I sort of fixated on the fact that he saw them as negatives when they really should have been positives. I believe a lot of blank spaces and miscommunication happened as well which sort of ruined it for me. So by the time the call ended, I ended up feeling like he didn’t get to know who I was the faintest bit and the call was like a random call with a stranger, sort of like when you call customer support, a one-time call. It sucked.

After that horrible day ended, I took a step back and re-analyzed my situation. It turns out that I didn’t really want to take a job for at least the next half year and hence, was trying to avoid the job anyway. So I think it turned out in my favor after all.

For you, I think you can try the same – take a step back and from a third person’s point of view, analyze what went well and what didn’t. Try to find out why the job was your dream job so you can find more offers like the one. Also, make sure that you are absolutely ready to take the job. Lastly, failures happen so if it does happen, know that there’s another job waiting for you to take it (think practically, the job wasn’t the last job posting of its kind in the world, right? It can’t be).

Do your best and happy job hunting. 🙂

I’m glad my experience could help you Crystal. I can relate more to you problem than you can think. I have anxiety issues as well, specifically, social anxiety. When I read you post about you getting sick because of the presence of windows, I could imagine myself in your place and going through it myself if I were there.

The reason I felt the need to take the time and hence, decided not to take the job even if I get considered is because I want to work on my issues first before I can start to build my career – stuff like my confidence, self-esteem and of course, get rid of anxiety issues.

Hello, I interview people almost every day at my job and wanted to pass on a few things. First of all it is VERY common for the person I am interviewing to be nervous, whether it is a dream job – or a case where they are late on rent and need a paycheck asap. You are not alone when it comes to that, and if it helps I would MUCH rather interview someone who was very nervous, than interview someone who doesn’t seem to care. It may sound silly but ask yourself questions you think you might be asked about the position before you go to the interview (and practice answering them out loud it really helps) so there is less chance of being surprised (even just having confidence in a few answers will help you with the rest). I always like the candidates who ask “What traits make someone successful in this position?” or ” What do you enjoy about working here”. Remember you are interviewing the potential job too. There is a big difference from being overconfident and being sure that you are bringing something to the table that the employer wants to have. I would also suggest checking out the companies website, show the hiring manager that you care about the position and did some research.

Believe in yourself, and don’t be ashamed about how that interview went. If nothing else, use it as experience and it will make the next interview that much easier. Whenever you interview next, know that I am pulling for you.

Have a great day!