Job hunting can become tiresome, so when Reddit user Downtown-Western3002 got a callback from a company she really liked, the woman was ecstatic. Months of continuous effort were paying off—she was getting very close to receiving an offer.
The last hurdle was a timed test task. However, despite her careful preparations, she was interrupted by her husband, who walked into the home office as the deadline was approaching. The man claimed it was no big deal because he would be there just for a second, but the sudden intrusion shattered his wife’s focus, and tensions began to rise.
Job interviews are stressful enough on their own, especially when you’re not only questioned but also tested
Image credits: Ave Calvar / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
So you can imagine the frustration this woman had when her husband interrupted hers
Image credits: SEO Galaxy / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Downtown-Western3002
The husband should pay attention to what is important to his wife
Image credits: Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The woman’s anxiety is understandable—most of us experience in this sort of situation. In fact, a job interview is even worse than going on a first date, with 93 percent saying they have felt nervous leading up to it, according to a survey by employment screening company JDP.
The respondents said the most stressful things about it are:
- not being able to answer a difficult question (41%);
- looking nervous (20%);
- not coming off as intended (16%);
- not being able to address a weakness (13%);
- getting caught in a lie (3%).
And while working (or in this case, doing a test task) from home has its benefits, unexpected interruptions are one of the possible challenges. That might explain why one report found that 41% of employees who describe themselves as highly mobile complained of stress, versus just 25% of employees who described themselves as office workers.
Moreover, constant interruptions can cause rifts in connection and trust between partners.
If the woman had indeed set the stage and explained that she needs to concentrate, it’s pretty disrespectful of the husband to ignore it.
In the comments she made when replying to people about this story, the woman said he’s generally supportive, so let’s hope they can sit down and solve this issue without it becoming a pattern.
Diane Gottsman, owner of The Protocol School of Texas, a company specializing in etiquette training for corporations, universities, and individuals believes dialogue with each other is paramount.
“We’ve gotten into the habit of being distracted,” she says. “We now have to get into the habit of focusing on getting what we need to get done, taking our breaks, and at a certain point shutting down and being present with our spouse and with our friends.”
Therefore, boundaries should be very clear. “We want to feel like what we’re doing is of value and that our spouse also values us,” adds Gottsman. “It may not seem as important, but if we’re doing it, it is important.”
She thinks it’s not unreasonable to ask your family not to start the vacuum cleaner or blend a smoothie when they know you need a quiet backdrop.
“You have to be able to talk to each other and really be honest without becoming defensive,” she explains. “It’s so important to be on the same page without becoming offended when your spouse can’t spend time with you.”
As the reactions poured in, many people said the woman did nothing wrong
And some shared their own similar stories
But a few believe the woman could’ve had a tighter grip on her emotions
