FML- I burst into tears in a job interview for something I really wanted
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Anonymous
| I'm the poster who was let go after 6 years via email on the Sunday afternoon of new years eve with no notice or severance. It's all still really fresh and has put me in a really stressful situation being a worked mom of two kids in daycare with a mortgage. My kids were on christmas break until last tuesday and then home for weather issues that thursday, friday, monday was MLK, then more weather closures Tuesday and Weds this week so I just have not had time to process, focus on applying places, etc. The interview was with the CEO of a well-regarded company and would be a great next step. She kept questioning me about why I wasn't employed and what happened with my last role and I just absolutely started sobbing, I could hardly get words out. She was asking if I received notice or severance which I said no and so then she was questioning if I was actually laid off or fired. I said that I had the email which states they can't thank me enough for what I have contributed to the growth of the company. But it left off so weird because I did not get to say goodbye to anyone and when I mailed my computer and phone back as requested, I haven't been reimbursed for that. So now the CEO wants to reach out to the former company and I'm just really worried how that will go even thought I know for absolute certain that I never did anything wrong. I feel so embarrassed I could not pull it together and the CEO was literally consoling me during the interview. |
Anonymous
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I'm so sorry OP. FWIW I think it was unprofessional of them to question you like that in an interview. It's not like layoffs are uncommon. It really sounds bizarre.
For the future, I hope you can find someone to practice mock interviews with. Or maybe find some sample questions online and record yourself answering. The more you do it the more composed you will be. Best of luck. |
Anonymous
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I'm sorry, OP. It sounds like a really human reaction.
I hope you get a chance to enjoy this snowy day with your children. |
Anonymous
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Good for her for reaching out to them. I hope she shames them and offers you a job.
Positive vibes for you in 2024. |
Anonymous
| Sounds very weird that she would push you so much about being unemployed for 2 weeks as though you're a liar, but then console you when you broke down. This CEO might be a sociopath. |
Anonymous
| Do I remember that your direct boss was very supportive? I would guilt trip the crap out of someone there with a "gentle" reminder that if you are employed you are not collecting unemployment. Shame them into going to bat for you. Great job getting an interview so quickly. |
Anonymous
| Op here- should I follow up via email and apologize for my emotional reaction? |
Anonymous
| Assume there will be no offer from this employer. Then you can be pleasantly surprised if there's an offer. For now, you keep applying elsewhere. Keep moving forward. Onward. |
Anonymous
Hm, I think I would, and include the contact information for your supervisor (check with them first). |
Anonymous
I bet OP hemmed and hawed and the CEO was just trying to get a direct answer? Maybe CEO was just trying to nail down timing? CEO seemed kind enough once OP had a menty B. |
Anonymous
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OP sure, follow up by email and apologize but that ship has probably sailed. There will be another one!
We ALL have bad moments like that. It sucks for you that you had two back to back and in a high stakes setting, but you can and will recover. Practice talking about this before your next interview. Get your partner or a friend to role play badgering you about it. Role playing feels awkward and silly but it’s the best tool in the toolbox for this. You have to practice talking about it until the emotional surge is manageable. As a person who struggles to control crying when I’m super stressed, I so so empathize with you. It’s absolutely horrible to go through that. It sucks, it felt bad, it hurt you, it was bad. Don’t try to feel better about it because it was terrible. But you can and will move past it. |
Anonymous
I disagree with this assessment of the CEO. The CEO sounds like a sociopath and not someone you would want to work for. If she really wanted to find out why OP no longer worked there and was the CEO of a well-regarded company, she could find out without grilling OP and continuining to do so after OP was crying and sobbing. |
Anonymous
Yes, I would follow up. But not to apologize abjectly. And then take a minute to return to the substance of the job and make clear you’re still interested. People can be nice and good things can happen. The CEO may be able to help and mentor you even if she doesn’t hire you. |
Anonymous
+1 and whatever performance evaluation data you have |
Anonymous
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Agree with PP who said you should reach out to your former employer and let them know someone will be contacting them. Steer the conversation that you appreciate everything they’ve done in the past and value your time with the company and feel proud of your accomplishments, but now you are also looking forward to the next chapter of your professional career. If you have any milestones you’re proud of, you could always gently remind them through brief allusion when you say you valued your time there etc.
Practice that phone call with a friend. Or if you don’t trust yourself, send an email (have a friend read your email first before sending). Others will have better advice, but my thought is that I would not specifically email the CEO to apologize for your emotional outburst, but if you have some substantive reason to email her, either thanking her for the interview or reiterating why you would be a great fit for the job, then you might figure out how to very briefly mention that you are sorry for the extremely uncharacteristic moment, then immediately pivot back to being excited about the chance to make substantive contributions to the company. |