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This is becoming normal. Places will spend hours interviewing people for low paying mediocre jobs. The first time I encountered this I was thinking gee I am interviewing for a mid level chemist position not CEO after spending 4 hours meeting 6 people.
I did some further analysis of what happened and I think that a factor in what happened was the company atmosphere. I just spent 20 years in a major multi-national corporation and the "corporate culture" and games they played had really made working there much more difficult than it had to be.
When I walked into this company it just reeked of the same atmosphere of my old place. Needing six people to interview for one low level QA job is an indicator of this. It also had that "feel" to it while I was sitting in the lobby.
I should have realized that this was an issue for me before I even applied. I had only intended to take this job as a "stop gap" until I could do what I really want to do. This might have also been a factor, having the feeling I was "giving up" on my objective and "settling" for much less than my potential. It probably influenced my decision to decline the interview rather than try to push through.
I had a meeting Saturday at a small s-corp that I am doing some QuickBooks consulting work with. (Their books are a mess and I am going to help them sort it out) There were four people in the meeting, never met any of them before in person and I had no issues. It was a really different atmosphere than large corporate America (they had two office dogs and a cat) and maybe the fact I was doing exactly what I want to do with them factored in.
The only reason I am looking for a job is to survive as I develop my business. The only reason I applied for this low level QA job was that it didn't seem as if it would be too demanding. I think I will be better off sticking to opportunities related to my business plan and that is typically with small to mid-sized businesses who probably don't have the resources to throw 6 people into an interview effort.
I went in to interview with a local auto parts supplier for a low level QA job. I was anticipating one or two interviewers but as we approached the conference room the HR guy mentioned that all the QA managers would be attending. He opened the door and there were six people in there.
I started to feel uneasy and felt like I was having a panic attack so I pulled him aside and told him I was declining the interview. There was no way I would have done well in front of that many people. I have ALWAYS had problems with public speaking/presentations and then the added "interview jitters" just got to me. Had I been told in advance it was going to be a panel interview I wouldn't have even went.
I do great interviewing with one or two people where I feel like I can have a conversation, apparently not so much with a interviewing panel.
I guess from now on I will have to ask ahead of time what type of interview they are conducting. I haven't interviewed in 20 years other than a few recent ones with just one or two people.
I feel like crap right now but this is just one of my "quirks" and now I am wondering if this is common for interviews. It is bad enough being nervous about an interview but to add a group "sales" aspect to it is just too much for me.
If they were giving free stuff away I bet you would have went in there and sat all day.
It wasn't the OP's decision to have a panic attack...
It doesn't sound normal. I been faced with situations where I had to speak in front of 50 people because it was part of my job and no one told me so I did it and looked foolish while doing because I had a anxiety attack with all the sweating and shaking but never made the decision not to go through with it.
It doesn't sound normal. I been faced with situations where I had to speak in front of 50 people because it was part of my job and no one told me so I did it and looked foolish while doing because I had a anxiety attack with all the sweating and shaking but never made the decision not to go through with it.
I assure you TVandSportsGuy, it isn't normal and thats why I posted it, to get some advice on how to handle it. The good thing is that, as I posted a couple of messages up, it wasn't a huge loss. I might have tried to force myself to do it harder had it been my "dream job" but it wasn't.
I can't explain this irrational fear. I have done a lot of other stuff in my life that might have caused others to panic. One or two incidents while flying (I have a private pilots license) such as a total electric failure at night and having to land the plane, another time having to land in an extremely high and variable gusting crosswind with an approaching thunderstorm- no problem. I went through Marine corps Boot camp without a hitch, been in some very difficult/dangerous situations over the years with no fear.
It is just this one issue- not being comfortable "selling myself" to a crowd. I have real issues with it.
Have you talked about this with your doctor? A small dose of Ativan is commonly prescribed for these types of circumstances. I have some of the same issues with group speaking, never been something I could overcome. I would never do a job that involved that type of interaction.
I wouldn't recommend Ativan for that. Ativan is a very powerful downer and not only is there a risk of the interviewee sounding brain-dead, it's dangerous to drive on that stuff.
A better option is to ask for a beta blocker. Plenty of performers take that for stage fright. It stops the signs of anxiety, namely rapid heartbeat and the accompanying shakes, without making you sound like your brain is thicker than molasses in January.
OP, don't beat yourself up. Besides sounds like you dodged a bullet anyway. The best lessons we learn in life are from mistakes. Your post helped me because I suffer from nerves myself and the HELPFUL posters on here gave some options on what one should do when facing a bad case of the nerves.
If they were giving free stuff away I bet you would have went in there and sat all day.
Two completely different situations.
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The best lessons we learn in life are from mistakes. Your post helped me because I suffer from nerves myself and the HELPFUL posters on here gave some options on what one should do when facing a bad case of the nerves. 
Two completely different situations.
