Have you ever drank before a job interview?

I feel like it's time to crack out this anecdote again...

When I graduated from college, I went to London with friends for 6 months. Spent most of the time there doing casual work, but we had a great time.

So we were coming back to Ireland and I was looking for a 'proper' job in my industry. Spotted an advertisement, sent in my CV and got called for interview.

The only problem was they wanted to do the interview on the morning I was flying back from London. They were based out near the airport so I was thinking that it would work out perfect to go straight there when I got back into Dublin.

Of course, on our last night in London we hit the town. My earlier promises to myself to take it easy went out the window after a couple of pints. 6 hours later I'm E'd off my head in a club with my GF saying that we need to get going if we're going to make our flight. To this day I still wonder why we hadn't organised our packing before heading out - I'm putting it down to being young and stupid.

We dash back to our apartment and frantically pack our stuff. I realise I have nothing remotely appropriate to wear to the interview.

We head out to the airport, on route I stop in a cheap menswear store and, in a very flustered state, buy, what I later realise are, an incredibly ill matched shirt and trousers. They also don't match the shoes I have. Not only that, they're about 2 sizes too big and I've no belt. I should mention, that the extent of this only hits me when I get changed for the interview in the toilets of Dublin airport. My GF bursts out laughing when I emerge.

I'm also at this stage, in the jaws of the comedown from hell. I can't remember when I've last eaten, I haven't slept for 36 hours.

My sister meets me at the airport to drive me over to the interview. She bursts out laughing when she sees me too.

I walk into reception feeling like a complete spa. I kinda have to hold my trousers up by hand to stop them falling down. The secretary looks at me initially as if I'm some escaped lunatic but I explain I'm here for the interview.

There's two guys interviewing me and the first question they ask is the kind of simple question a first year on my college course would know. Obviously designed to put me at my ease.

My mind goes, quite literally, blank. I know I know the answer but I can't bring it to mind. After 30 seconds I have to say 'sorry I just can't recall that'. I can see the two of them exchanging a glance wondering 'WTF' as one of them explains the answer to me, like you would to a dimwit.

My already fragile confidence nosedives completely.

I try not to remember the rest of the interview. They keep it mercifully short. I can barely string 2words together and I just want to stand up and say 'listen, this has been a terrible mistake, can we just finish up'.

I leave, still holding up my trousers, desperately trying to preserve what little dignity remains.

'How'd it go?' my sister asks brightly when I get in the car.

'Just drive' I say.

Obviously I don't get the job, and despite working in a small industry, never bumped into the 2 guys again thank Christ.

What was the job?

I know my dad had a few vodkas before his matric Uni exams. Guess it was high pressure, strange town and all that. He got on well.

I've always hated flying so I always have a couple of them just in case. They're very small dosage.

There was a snooker player (Bill Werbeniuk) who consumed a several pints of lager before his matches and drank around a pint per frame during the matches. Apparently he had been advised by doctors to drink alcohol to counteract a tremor he had (if I recall correctly). Late in his career he also started taking beta blockers.

if the person interviewing you gets a whiff of alcohol then it defeats the purpose of going to the interview.

In your case you either stopped drinking at the right moment or could handle the amount, breath mint etc. Imagine if you went in sloshed or the interviewer smelled it off you. Hence, it would defeat the purpose.

To me as well, what does that tell you that you can't even hold off for about an hour? Better off going for the pint after if that's what you want.

Have you got some sort of mental issue or something? You're the one who made this thread and all you want to do is go on about how you had a few before an interview and it was great.

Then when others say its a bit risky what's your reply? "The fact is I got away with it" - are you 12?

Be honest now, the only reason this thread exists is because you want to tell the world you had some alcohol before an Interview and defend that choice at every opportunity. Not all your dogs are barking.

Yes, in 2006, I was not doing great at interviews, nerves were bad, so had a couple of scoops before the interview, got most questions wrong, but the manager liked the cut of my jib and took a punt on me.

It was for a four star boutique hotel in temple bar. It was a great opportunity to progress.

It was just the once. But I've no regrets