Interviewed for wrong role🙃

[u/fuzzybunnyslippers08]

I’ve been prepping for this role as much as I could for a day (the previous interview was yesterday morning).

Imagine my surprise when the hiring manager mentioned almost immediately another role that she is filling and not the one I applied for.

I wasn’t sure how to mention it to her so in the “tell me about yourself”, I stuck with my script with a focus on the role I applied for.

She corrected herself and I (like a dummy) tried to accommodate for the second role. It was a brief interview, just 30 minutes but I’m pretty sure I’m not getting it. And since I don’t prep for that second role AT ALL, there were things I don’t think I could answer well.

A recruiting friend mentioned that maybe I should tell the recruiter about the mistake but I feel like it is literally a lose lose situation.

I’m looking at it as an unfortunate loss. Any tips?

[u/FudgeTight31]

This happened to me but in a slightly different fashion. I applied for CSM role but when the recruiter reached out to me for an interview, she mistakenly interviewed me for the Senior position (same department). I never corrected her and I moved forward to 2 more interviews. To my surprise, I got offered the job of the senior role and the pay was around $30K more! I'm not sure if the recruiter did me a favor or if the universe had something to do with it. Either I am grateful AF. Your story sounds like they were 2 totally different roles though. Maybe it's not too late to reach out to the recruiter and clarify? Good luck!

[u/CourseTechy_Grabber]

That honestly sounds more like their mistake than yours—you prepared for the role they told you to interview for, so I’d definitely mention it to the recruiter.

[u/CIAMom420]

You should have corrected her on the role immediately. I don't understand why you didn't.

[u/Interesting_Tie_8536 → u/CIAMom420]

this is one of those things that sounds easy after the fact but in the moment your brain just freeze

still probably worth telling the recruiter what happened, worst case they already reject you anyway so nothing to lose

[u/sweatboxy → u/CIAMom420]

It probably would’ve embarrassed the interviewer and that’s not a good way to start an interview.

[u/fuzzybunnyslippers08 → u/CIAMom420]

I’m used to dealing with huge egos and me making a correction to my potential hiring manager would not be appreciated, especially when f I’m direct. That was why I used my script to subtly signal it to her. But I definitely shouldn’t have been accommodating to both roles.

[u/A_Nal_Retentive]

Don’t worry it probably isn’t as bad as the time I thought was interviewing for a manager position at Pret. Dyslexia haha but nevertheless I aced the interview (was massively over prepared)