Interview problem

A question about : Interview problem

I think I've made a big mistake.
I have an interview tomorrow morning with an eating establishment which is literally just up the road from me, about two minutes walk. Problem is that me and my family have eaten there lots of times and I'm scared that they'll judge as they know that I'm a very insecure introverted person. I even wear a cap when I go out so that no one can see my face unless I look up at them. I'm thinking that I shouldn't have applied for this job as its way too close to home. They don't know that it's me so I'm bound to get a reaction from them when I turn up. The job centre probably know that I've applied and so will obviously expect me to go. My parents are expecting me to go too. They see it as me helping them after they've helped me so much. This is all happening after I've not had an interview for over two years and I've spent most of the last two years signed off work onto ESA. Now I'm having mini panic attacks and petrified of what sort of idiot I will look tomorrow. I'm terrified that the fight or flight instinct will kick in if things don't go well. In fact there's a real chance I will make some excuse to leave and go, just to keep my dignity. What would you do in this situation?

Best answers:

• Worst comes to worst, its experience.
  You sound nervous. You've not had an interview in two years.
  You can either not go, and gain nothing, or do what i used to do - list all the reasons why you don't actually even want the job... then treat it as practice for the job thats going to come up that you really do want.
  It means, if you don't get the job - well you've had the experience, and didn't really want it anyway.
  If you do get the job - great - you can then apply for that dream job ( when it turns up) from the stronger position of in employment, and you might find you really enjoy parts of this job anyway. heck, at least it gets you out the house and means you don't have to keep going to the job centre
• Thanks Shadow.
  It's really going to be a play-it-by-ear, spontaneous meeting and the first few minutes of it will be crucial.
• Good luck this morning. Remember that on paper, they thought you were good enough, so you need to focus on what you portray on your application rather then how you come across as a customer. Also, remember that people in their leisure time and work can appear very different.
  Finally, remember that you have absolutely nothing to lose, if you don't get offered the job, you will be no lower than you were before. It is all positive. The best outcome is that you have a job, the worse is that you have gained experience with interviewing.
• You must be careful not to overthink it, they are just interviewing people to work in their place, and they're not going to be seeing it as anywhere near the big experience you are. Just prepare your answers, put your best interview outfit on and go for it, as the others said if you look good enough on paper you'll be good enough to interview. You've got every right to go and do this interview.
  I have interviewed loads of people before and you tend to forget about them quickly as you've got other things to do deal with. The only one guy I still remember is because he was sat in reception and I thought he was a courier, I nearly died with embarrassment when I tried to give him a parcel. I can't remember what he said or did during the interview!
• Firstly, they arent going to give a rats a®se that you are in their often as a customer, if anything its an advantage as you know their products well.
  Secondly, how people act as a customer and how they act as an employee can be totally different. When I deal with insurers as a consultant to them isnt the same as when I phone up and speak to one of their call centre agents to negotiate my premium down. Similarly the barmaid in our local takes her top off 9 times out of 10 on a night when shes not working and out on the !!!! but when shes working behind the bar shes a total professional and remains fully clothed (to the disappointment of many I'm sure)
  Thirdly, its more likely the manager who's going to interview you and unless its a tiny company he's probably rarely on the front line to even recognise you anyway.
• Thanks for your posts, although I didn't read the last couple until just before I went.
  I decided to ring them and say that I think it would be a bad idea for this interview to go ahead given the pressure and anxiety I was experiencing but no one answered the phone. So I decided to go up there in person and tell them that maybe this was a bad idea, but I saw an employee who worked there sitting on the doorstep waiting to go in and asked him to take a message for me explaining the details. (The hours are not right for me anyway as they were evening and weekend shifts, which means I would have to walk through town to go home at 10:00 night every night which is not something I would feel safe with, especially after being threatened and harassed by my neighbour's ex-boyfriend a few months ago). Will I be sanctioned for this?
• As FBaby had already said, they think that you are suitable on paper to advance to the interview stage and many will not have got that far. You could even include the fact that you are frequent customer as part of your opening comment. Along the lines of "I think you're more used to seeing me on the other side of the counter". Assuming that is that those doing the interview will be management from the local branch.
  Try to relax and not worry too much. Interviews can be nerve wracking but are a necessary step if you are to get into work anywhere. If nothing else you can use this one as experience of interviews.
  As for the hours, I would be inclined to wait for the outcome of the interview and take it from there. From what you say you would have genuine reasons for turning it down if the working hours did result in having to walk across a dodgy part of town late at night.
  I am however also confused when you originally stated the job is 2 minutes down the road and later that you would have to walk across town.
• What I've learnt from this experience is not to apply for jobs which are operating unsociable hours and which are too close to home.
• Most people would jump at the chance to work that close to home!
• A sanction is likely, and sounds to be justified. This is exactly what they are for.