No matter how many job interviews you’ve had in your life, it doesn’t make them any less nerve-wracking. Every job search starts from a blank page where the first impression (and the last) can make it or break it. No wonder a whopping 93% of job seekers have experienced great anxiety related to job interviews, according to a recent JDP survey.
But according to one Reddit user who posted on r/LifeProTips, no one should forget that an “interview starts immediately” once you set your foot in the door.
In a viral post that amassed 45.1k upvotes and 2.4k comments, the redditor recounted how a candidate “blew his interview in the first 5 minutes after he entered the building.” And the story is absolutely illuminating. Let’s read the full incident down below, which should give you a lot to think about before you take a shot at your next job interview.
A person shared an incident of a candidate blowing his job interview in the first 5 minutes after he entered the building
Image credits: Petras Gagilas (not the actual photo)
Image credits: sawta2112
To find out what a coach in job interviews had to say about this incident, Bored Panda reached out to Dawn Moss, the founder of “Your Interview Coach” who has been helping both candidates and hiring managers through the recruitment and selection process since 2013. Dawn said that in her 12 years of experience as an in-house recruiter, she has never set up a “trick test” like this one. However, “I’ve rejected candidates because of their behavior towards people during the interview process.”
It turns out, recruiters are taking note of a candidate’s behavior even before the interview. “Has the candidate attached a cover letter? Have they taken the time to tailor their CV? What was their attitude like during the conversation? How easy was it to arrange an interview date and time?” These things can be deal-makers and breakers in whether you get a job interview and if you succeed in it.
Dawn also added that little details in a candidate’s behavior and actions tell a lot to the recruiters. “How a candidate talks to the security guards when they’re parking their car or being processed on arrival, how they talk to the receptionists, facilitators, interviewers, and so on are critical to their success.”
Ways to leave a good first impression in a job interview
The job search advisor also revealed a couple of things you should do make it in a job interview. “Take the time to review and analyze the job advert and job description in full,” she said. That means thoroughly researching the company website and their social media channel.
Another tip from Dawn is to “prepare and tailor answers to the common questions and have some specific examples to share at the interview.” You should also ask questions about the company and the position which are not just pay and benefits.
During the interview, “always listen carefully to questions and instructions, be positive, polite, and your most professional self.” Presenting your very best self also includes dressing smart and showing up on time.
Dawn assures job seekers that all this preparation will definitely be noticed. “It demonstrates to the hiring managers that the candidate is genuinely interested in the job and the company, because they’ve taken the time and made the effort,” she said.
And this is what people had to say about the incident
In the end, Dawn stressed that treating people with respect when you come to the job interview is absolutely vital. “Being genuinely friendly, approachable, and a nice person makes the day go more smoothly and people are far more willing to help you out when you need them.”
If they’re treated well and feel valued, people are much more likely to go out of their way to finish tasks and put in extra time or effort. “That includes receptionists, security guards, cleaners, and the catering staff,” Dawn concluded.
A lot of people only find self-confidence by kicking down. There's enough results showing how many people are happier if they have nothing but others have less than if they share; there's many people who aren't like that but that's the reality and that's why countries are so divided.
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The guy was stupid. Treat everyone in the company the same and be friendly with them if you don't want to get in a position where everything you ask someone else to do gets messed up, forgotten or "misplaced".
@Amelija Dumbassicus 1: If you're gonna say racist slurs, spell them correctly, and 2: Shut-up-5f...3d-png.jpg 
Even socially awkward or those with social anxiety can be polite- considering the receptionist was giving them the openings for conversation... shows she was interested in speaking to the candidate. I treat everyone the same- from the CEO to the janitor and security staff(and even ambassadors... I did meet one and ambassadorial staff at a formal event in Canada). People are people and I will treat you with consideration and respect unless you give me reason not to. PS the candidate would also have been more likely to require the assistance of the receptionist rather than the CEO who he would've been unlikely to interact with nearly as often.
My daughter has incredible anxiety, but she always manages to be polite, even though she isn't good at small talk. Anyone that speaks with her can see her anxiety and it's not mistaken for rudeness.
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I guess the person who made the last comment doesnt know the difference between Shy/Nervous and Rude. When i am nervous, you can see I am nervous, but I won't be rude while in that state.
Yep. My daughter as well. Crippling social anxiety, and yet I always get compliments on how polite she is.
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Speaking as a receptionist, we see a lot of interviewees, we can tell the difference between anxious and rude. I always take into account that they're preparing for a stressful interview and am willing to give some leeway for nervous jitters, but I can tell when someone's brushing me off because they don't think I'm worth talking to, as opposed to trying to concentrate on being prepared. (Also, pro tip: If you arrive early don't sit in your car and hotbox cigarettes, the nicotine may calm your nerves but walking in reeking and stinking up the reception area will not win you friends. You want to leave a good impression, not one I can smell from ten feet away for hours after you've left.)
To lo_fi_ho: No amount of social anxiety will ever justify being an ass! This is something that really grinds my gears. I have severe social anxiety that I went to therapy for. Yet somehow I still manage not to be a prick to people in a customer service role. Except for that one guy at Virgin. Spending 2 hours on hold then another 2 trying to explain that you need to terminate your contract because you're moving countries kind of gets to you... If you are reading this, dear Virgin Media guy, I'm sorry.
I treated everyone the same where I've worked, whether they were the CEO or the mail room guy. The CEO hated it, the mail room guy liked it.
As someone who’s been on interview panels, it’s not a “trick”; it’s pure pragmatism. We don’t want someone who’s going to be a d**k to our other employees. We don’t want someone who’s going to be a pain in the ass to manage. We want someone who’s going to show up, do their job and not start s**t. This isn’t a difficult concept. And for my fellow social anxiety sufferers, please don’t think of it as a test. It’s not about being outgoing; it’s just to get rid of assholes. You’ll benefit from that too, because social anxiety makes it extra hard to deal with asshole colleagues, so being in a company that doesn’t hire assholes will make things easier for you.
Treat everyone with respect and kindness. Even when they're being rude. Especially then. If they're just having a really bad day, maybe they're trying to unload. I know it's unfair but it's also not personal. Allow them to let steam off and everyone will feel so much better. If on the other hand they're just rude, people like that feed off fights so they provoke arguments. Don't give them the satisfaction. Kindness always wins.
I feel like this story didnt really explain what he did that was rude. Cause basically all this says is if youre super nervous and not chatty with the receptionist youre screwed.
I believe it said he was dismissive. That's usually evident.
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Hey guys, fyi, I think it is just one person who keeps making accounts and posting stuff like 'dumb stupid n-words'. If you report them to Bored Panda, the staff are actually really good at removing that person pretty quickly. The person is a garbage person, so they will make another account, but all previoius garbagey things they say get removed in the mean time. Luckily bored panda is invested in keeping things humane!
How do you go about doing that? I've searched the site and can't find anywhere to register complaints.
Load More Replies...
Arrive early to an interview appointment, so you can chat with the receptionist. Ask them about the company. You’re bound to get some valuable insight into whether you want to work there if offered the job.
I worked in a logging camp years ago. You learned right quick that you could annoy the foreman at times but you only got to annoy the cook once. Does not take much effort to be nice to people.
Having worked as a receptionist in the past, I can verify that everyone from potential job candidates to existing vendors are vetted by the receptionist. There were very few times that I wasn't asked for my impression on someone that had either interviewed for a job or made a presentation to the partners of the company.
Receptionists normally know people from every team well, know lots of specific stuff from different departments, they have normally been there a while and are on good terms with high up people in my experience. The ultimate thing though, just smile and be nice to people, it's not difficult.
I learned every employee, no matter their status, plays an important role. When I was in graduate school I was a residence hall director. I had a building of about 500 students, 20 resident assistants and about 8 custodians. I got to know all the custodians and would routinely leave thank you notes or jump in and help them if they needed assistance. I found that I could call upon them to help whenever it was necessary and they would rise to the occasion.
I think the real point of this is just to treat everyone with dignity and respect. Not just on the job, but in all aspects of life. I understand people who are nervous and have a hard time being social. That's not what happened here. What happened here was the guy was just a jerk.
As a former receptionist and later the manager of multiple receptionist desks for a real estate brokerage, there are far toooooo many people who speak to receptionists in the most condescending tone. Some are realtors being interviewed to be a part of the brokerage; who wants to appear as some hotshot and thinking that speaking to a receptionist like they are God will make them look more powerful. Little do they know that as the manager of the receptionists, I am also evaluating how they speak to myself and my team members and I give my two cents to the broker. There have been cases (like this article) where the realtor was not hired to be a part of the brokerage. There was one incident where the realtor being interviewed was extremely rude to me, I discretely informed the hiring broker of what I experienced. 10 minutes after the interview, the realtor that was being interviewed was told to come back outside and apologize to me for their attitude.
I just designed and had a bunch of these 3cm buttons made up on Zazzle:
Since links don't work here I suggest you just go to Zazzle.com and search for "BE KIND FIRST". I'm not making any money of off them, it's just an idea I want to share. BEKINDFIRS...be-png.jpg 
This is actually a really cool way of getting a first impression, seeing who you want on the team.
I agree, just be nice to everyone. When in doubt be kind. I think that's why my opinion of this interviewer has changed. I imagine them sitting back afterwards with a smug smile so proud of how they got tell this person they didn't talk to the receptionist so they failed the test. This is a lack of kindness and understanding on the interviewers part. They know nothing of what this person has going on that could be affecting their behavior. Maybe they are distracted because their about to lose their house, spouse just told them they are leaving them, they just hit a car on the way in and don't have insurance. There are any number of things that could be distracting this person and they are just getting through this because they need to, even though they are going through something at the moment. Hey interviewer, you can be kind too. Maybe ask them about it before making a judgement.
some people have resting bitch face or seem unfriendly due to nerves, yes, but clearly in this case this person was just a rude ass.
I was at a party where one of the waitresses got dizzy and had to go home. The caterer who was responsible for the drinks, was an acquaintance of mine, so I helped him out and took over for her. There were also some business people there ... but I hardly knew any of them. The following week I had an interview at a pub, for the post of assistant manager. The owner was at that same party, recognized me and immediately gave me the job. He liked the fact that I helped without hesitation, even though I was there as a guest.
One time I was scheduled to attend a meeting at 1pm in New York City, so I booked an early morning flight from Buffalo, NY. If the flights are on time, I can often be "in the office" in downtown Manhattan before the locals are. Not this day. We were delayed. And it kept getting pushed back. I went to the counter and said something along the lines of, "I have a meeting at 1pm. Am I going to make it?" She said she didn't think so. "I said, OK. Can you just refund my ticket then please." or some such thing. I was upset, yes, and I let her know that. But it's not her fault, and I let her know that I knew that. It probably wasn't even the airline's fault (could have been weather-I don't remember). I was just having a normal conversation with her. Just before I walked away she said, "And thank you for being so nice about this." I was shocked. Why wouldn't I have been? It mystified me that she felt the need to thank someone for common human decency. Just be nice, and wear a mask!
I just designed and had a bunch of these 3cm buttons made up on Zazzle to give away:
(since BP doesn't lt us post hot links I suggest you look up "Be Kind First" on their site. Also, I don't make anything off of them.) BEKINDFIRS...17-png.jpg 
Uh. Okay? And? Like this is a staple example of job interview advice, not a story or article material. Was expecting more.
It's not enough to have all the qualifications. Now you have to perky when the boss isn't looking .
It’s possible the hiring manager was just temporarily watching the desk (knowing an interviewee would be coming in) while the receptionist took a (possibly unexpected but necessary) break.
Load More Replies... 
Not really. If someone knows they're being tested on their behavior, they can change their behavior for a little bit. They need to see what they're like outside of the interview
Load More Replies... A lot of people only find self-confidence by kicking down. There's enough results showing how many people are happier if they have nothing but others have less than if they share; there's many people who aren't like that but that's the reality and that's why countries are so divided.
Load More Replies... The guy was stupid. Treat everyone in the company the same and be friendly with them if you don't want to get in a position where everything you ask someone else to do gets messed up, forgotten or "misplaced".
@Amelija Dumbassicus 1: If you're gonna say racist slurs, spell them correctly, and 2: Shut-up-5f...3d-png.jpg
Even socially awkward or those with social anxiety can be polite- considering the receptionist was giving them the openings for conversation... shows she was interested in speaking to the candidate. I treat everyone the same- from the CEO to the janitor and security staff(and even ambassadors... I did meet one and ambassadorial staff at a formal event in Canada). People are people and I will treat you with consideration and respect unless you give me reason not to. PS the candidate would also have been more likely to require the assistance of the receptionist rather than the CEO who he would've been unlikely to interact with nearly as often.
My daughter has incredible anxiety, but she always manages to be polite, even though she isn't good at small talk. Anyone that speaks with her can see her anxiety and it's not mistaken for rudeness.
Load More Replies... I guess the person who made the last comment doesnt know the difference between Shy/Nervous and Rude. When i am nervous, you can see I am nervous, but I won't be rude while in that state.
Yep. My daughter as well. Crippling social anxiety, and yet I always get compliments on how polite she is.
Load More Replies... Speaking as a receptionist, we see a lot of interviewees, we can tell the difference between anxious and rude. I always take into account that they're preparing for a stressful interview and am willing to give some leeway for nervous jitters, but I can tell when someone's brushing me off because they don't think I'm worth talking to, as opposed to trying to concentrate on being prepared. (Also, pro tip: If you arrive early don't sit in your car and hotbox cigarettes, the nicotine may calm your nerves but walking in reeking and stinking up the reception area will not win you friends. You want to leave a good impression, not one I can smell from ten feet away for hours after you've left.)
To lo_fi_ho: No amount of social anxiety will ever justify being an ass! This is something that really grinds my gears. I have severe social anxiety that I went to therapy for. Yet somehow I still manage not to be a prick to people in a customer service role. Except for that one guy at Virgin. Spending 2 hours on hold then another 2 trying to explain that you need to terminate your contract because you're moving countries kind of gets to you... If you are reading this, dear Virgin Media guy, I'm sorry.
I treated everyone the same where I've worked, whether they were the CEO or the mail room guy. The CEO hated it, the mail room guy liked it.
As someone who’s been on interview panels, it’s not a “trick”; it’s pure pragmatism. We don’t want someone who’s going to be a d**k to our other employees. We don’t want someone who’s going to be a pain in the ass to manage. We want someone who’s going to show up, do their job and not start s**t. This isn’t a difficult concept. And for my fellow social anxiety sufferers, please don’t think of it as a test. It’s not about being outgoing; it’s just to get rid of assholes. You’ll benefit from that too, because social anxiety makes it extra hard to deal with asshole colleagues, so being in a company that doesn’t hire assholes will make things easier for you.
Treat everyone with respect and kindness. Even when they're being rude. Especially then. If they're just having a really bad day, maybe they're trying to unload. I know it's unfair but it's also not personal. Allow them to let steam off and everyone will feel so much better. If on the other hand they're just rude, people like that feed off fights so they provoke arguments. Don't give them the satisfaction. Kindness always wins.
I feel like this story didnt really explain what he did that was rude. Cause basically all this says is if youre super nervous and not chatty with the receptionist youre screwed.
I believe it said he was dismissive. That's usually evident.
Load More Replies... Hey guys, fyi, I think it is just one person who keeps making accounts and posting stuff like 'dumb stupid n-words'. If you report them to Bored Panda, the staff are actually really good at removing that person pretty quickly. The person is a garbage person, so they will make another account, but all previoius garbagey things they say get removed in the mean time. Luckily bored panda is invested in keeping things humane!
How do you go about doing that? I've searched the site and can't find anywhere to register complaints.
Load More Replies... Arrive early to an interview appointment, so you can chat with the receptionist. Ask them about the company. You’re bound to get some valuable insight into whether you want to work there if offered the job.
I worked in a logging camp years ago. You learned right quick that you could annoy the foreman at times but you only got to annoy the cook once. Does not take much effort to be nice to people.
Having worked as a receptionist in the past, I can verify that everyone from potential job candidates to existing vendors are vetted by the receptionist. There were very few times that I wasn't asked for my impression on someone that had either interviewed for a job or made a presentation to the partners of the company.
Receptionists normally know people from every team well, know lots of specific stuff from different departments, they have normally been there a while and are on good terms with high up people in my experience. The ultimate thing though, just smile and be nice to people, it's not difficult.
I learned every employee, no matter their status, plays an important role. When I was in graduate school I was a residence hall director. I had a building of about 500 students, 20 resident assistants and about 8 custodians. I got to know all the custodians and would routinely leave thank you notes or jump in and help them if they needed assistance. I found that I could call upon them to help whenever it was necessary and they would rise to the occasion.
I think the real point of this is just to treat everyone with dignity and respect. Not just on the job, but in all aspects of life. I understand people who are nervous and have a hard time being social. That's not what happened here. What happened here was the guy was just a jerk.
As a former receptionist and later the manager of multiple receptionist desks for a real estate brokerage, there are far toooooo many people who speak to receptionists in the most condescending tone. Some are realtors being interviewed to be a part of the brokerage; who wants to appear as some hotshot and thinking that speaking to a receptionist like they are God will make them look more powerful. Little do they know that as the manager of the receptionists, I am also evaluating how they speak to myself and my team members and I give my two cents to the broker. There have been cases (like this article) where the realtor was not hired to be a part of the brokerage. There was one incident where the realtor being interviewed was extremely rude to me, I discretely informed the hiring broker of what I experienced. 10 minutes after the interview, the realtor that was being interviewed was told to come back outside and apologize to me for their attitude.
I just designed and had a bunch of these 3cm buttons made up on Zazzle:
Since links don't work here I suggest you just go to Zazzle.com and search for "BE KIND FIRST". I'm not making any money of off them, it's just an idea I want to share. BEKINDFIRS...be-png.jpg
This is actually a really cool way of getting a first impression, seeing who you want on the team.
I agree, just be nice to everyone. When in doubt be kind. I think that's why my opinion of this interviewer has changed. I imagine them sitting back afterwards with a smug smile so proud of how they got tell this person they didn't talk to the receptionist so they failed the test. This is a lack of kindness and understanding on the interviewers part. They know nothing of what this person has going on that could be affecting their behavior. Maybe they are distracted because their about to lose their house, spouse just told them they are leaving them, they just hit a car on the way in and don't have insurance. There are any number of things that could be distracting this person and they are just getting through this because they need to, even though they are going through something at the moment. Hey interviewer, you can be kind too. Maybe ask them about it before making a judgement.
some people have resting bitch face or seem unfriendly due to nerves, yes, but clearly in this case this person was just a rude ass.
I was at a party where one of the waitresses got dizzy and had to go home. The caterer who was responsible for the drinks, was an acquaintance of mine, so I helped him out and took over for her. There were also some business people there ... but I hardly knew any of them. The following week I had an interview at a pub, for the post of assistant manager. The owner was at that same party, recognized me and immediately gave me the job. He liked the fact that I helped without hesitation, even though I was there as a guest.
One time I was scheduled to attend a meeting at 1pm in New York City, so I booked an early morning flight from Buffalo, NY. If the flights are on time, I can often be "in the office" in downtown Manhattan before the locals are. Not this day. We were delayed. And it kept getting pushed back. I went to the counter and said something along the lines of, "I have a meeting at 1pm. Am I going to make it?" She said she didn't think so. "I said, OK. Can you just refund my ticket then please." or some such thing. I was upset, yes, and I let her know that. But it's not her fault, and I let her know that I knew that. It probably wasn't even the airline's fault (could have been weather-I don't remember). I was just having a normal conversation with her. Just before I walked away she said, "And thank you for being so nice about this." I was shocked. Why wouldn't I have been? It mystified me that she felt the need to thank someone for common human decency. Just be nice, and wear a mask!
I just designed and had a bunch of these 3cm buttons made up on Zazzle to give away:
(since BP doesn't lt us post hot links I suggest you look up "Be Kind First" on their site. Also, I don't make anything off of them.) BEKINDFIRS...17-png.jpg
Uh. Okay? And? Like this is a staple example of job interview advice, not a story or article material. Was expecting more.
It's not enough to have all the qualifications. Now you have to perky when the boss isn't looking .
It’s possible the hiring manager was just temporarily watching the desk (knowing an interviewee would be coming in) while the receptionist took a (possibly unexpected but necessary) break.
Load More Replies... Not really. If someone knows they're being tested on their behavior, they can change their behavior for a little bit. They need to see what they're like outside of the interview
Load More Replies...
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