You log on early. Camera’s at eye level. Background says “professional”, not “laundry pile just out of frame”. You’ve researched the company, memorised the job spec and practised your answers so you sound confident but not like you swallowed a leadership podcast.

You’re ready.

Then the interview begins.

Three faces appear. No small talk. No “how’s your week been?” Just a brisk, “Let’s get started.”

And suddenly you’re not sure if you’re interviewing for a role in digital marketing or being questioned about a crime you don’t remember committing.

Interviews should challenge you. They should not feel like you need a solicitor present.

If you’re leaving interviews slightly dazed, replaying every sentence you said like it’s CCTV footage, here are a few red flags worth noticing...

The Surprise Task That Drops Like A Plot Twist

You were told it would be an initial chat. Relaxed. Informal. A chance to get to know each other.

Halfway through, someone says, “Before we finish, we’d love you to complete a quick exercise.”

Quick, of course, meaning somewhere between 60 and 90 minutes of unpaid problem solving while they “observe how you think”.

There is nothing wrong with tasks. In fact, a well designed one is brilliant. It’s practical. It’s relevant. It helps both sides.

But it should not feel like a pop quiz you didn’t revise for.

If the process is structured, they’ll tell you in advance. They’ll explain what they’re assessing and why. They’ll respect the fact you probably have a current job and a life.

Ambushes are for reality TV, not recruitment.

“Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years?”

This question persists like a motivational poster from 2009.

The honest answer for most people is, “Ideally employed and moderately sane.”

What they usually mean is, “Are you going to leave us the second something shinier appears?”

A better version of this conversation explores growth, development and ambition in a real way. It feels like planning, not like you’re signing a five year contract in invisible ink.

If you feel pressured to invent a detailed life roadmap on the spot, complete with promotions and personal milestones, it’s fine to keep it grounded.

You’re applying for a role, not mapping out your entire destiny.

The Panel Of Human Statues

Panel interviews are normal. Sensible, even.

But when you’re speaking to four people who do not smile, nod or react in any visible way, it starts to feel like you’re presenting quarterly results to a board that already looks disappointed.

You finish an answer. Silence.

You make a light joke. Nothing.

You begin to question whether your WiFi has frozen their faces.

Interviews should have some energy. A bit of back and forth. A sense that the people in front of you are, in fact, people.

If the entire dynamic feels stiff and transactional, it’s worth asking yourself whether that’s how everyday collaboration feels inside the business.

Because interviews are previews.

The Feedback That Says Absolutely Nothing

You get through multiple rounds. You prep a task. You clear your diary. You show up polished and prepared.

Then comes the email.

“We’ve decided to move forward with another candidate who was a slightly better fit.”

Better fit how? Taller? Better at Excel? Owns more neutral blazers?

No one expects a novel. But real feedback demonstrates that the decision was thoughtful. It might highlight specific experience gaps or explain what tipped the balance.

When feedback is vague, it often means the criteria were vague too. And unclear expectations rarely improve once you’re on payroll.

The “We Like To Test People Under Pressure” Energy

There’s a particular style of interviewer who believes the best way to assess capability is to apply immediate, low level psychological warfare.

Interrupting mid answer. Challenging every statement. Playing devil’s advocate like it’s a competitive sport.

Healthy probing is fine. Aggressive posturing is not.

If the tone feels combative rather than curious, imagine how disagreements are handled when real deadlines and real pressure are involved.

An interview should test your thinking, not your tolerance for awkward tension.

So What Should It Feel Like?

A good interview still stretches you. It still digs into your experience. It still explores whether you can actually do the job.

But it also feels clear, fair and human.

You know the format. You know the stages. You understand what they’re assessing. You feel like your questions are welcomed, not squeezed in at the end like an afterthought.

You leave thinking, “That was challenging, but I could genuinely work with those people.”

Not, “I need to lie down.”

The Friendly Reality Check

Nerves are normal. Overthinking your answers on the way home is normal. Wondering if you should have worded something differently is very normal.

But if an interview consistently makes you feel small, confused or slightly on trial, that’s not just nerves. That’s information.

You are not just being assessed. You are assessing them too.

The right opportunity will push you, absolutely. It will make you think, it might even make you sweat a bit.

But it will also feel like a conversation between adults, not an episode of courtroom drama, so if you walk out feeling energised rather than interrogated, that’s usually a very good sign.