Job hunting can be an incredibly stressful ordeal. Whether you're desperately seeking any position that will have you or targeting a specific promotion or dream role, navigating the application process and enduring the wait for a response can be utterly nerve-wracking - and that's even before you've secured an interview.

The interview presents an opportunity to sell yourself and demonstrate the abilities and background that make you ideal for the position, yet it remains an anxiety-inducing ordeal for most people. As one woman discovered, you could end up disappointing the employer's standards due to something you weren't aware you were being evaluated on.

In a TikTok clip, the woman - who keeps her identity private on her social media accounts - revealed she had applied for a position at a pet shop and had been invited to a group interview at the premises.

She was eventually rejected for the role, and when she requested feedback, she was informed she had failed the job interview the moment she entered the building - rendering her performance during the actual interview completely pointless.

She revealed: "It was a group interview and everyone turned up at different times. I turned up a little bit early, and there were a few people there waiting around. I went in and [they told me] they were going to start in about 20 minutes.", reports the Mirror.

"I was like, what do I do [until then]? So I just went and had a look at the animals. I had a little browse at all the animals, and then they got everyone together, and the interview started."

The woman explained that the interview process required each candidate to develop a product concept which they then had to present to the group. The procedure was time-consuming and occupied most of her evening, though she was confident she had "absolutely smashed it".

She felt her presentation had been outstanding, and coupled with her qualification in animal management, she was reasonably assured of her capabilities. However, she subsequently received an email informing her that her application had been unsuccessful.

The woman responded requesting constructive criticism, and the reply she received left her stunned. She had been rejected because she appeared "disengaged" prior to the interview commencing, whilst she was observing the animals in the shop.

She raged: "They said, 'A few of the staff members thought you were quite disengaged when you came into the building'. Before the interview started. I still can't get over that because it's like, wow, all of that time and energy that I spent doing that whole thing was pointless because you'd already ruled me out.

"Because when I came into the building, I didn't know what to do with myself, so I went and looked at the animals. I don't understand why that's a bad thing anyway. No one told me what I was supposed to do!" Commenters on the post expressed sympathy for the woman's situation. Many argued that her actions prior to the interview shouldn't be held against her, while others shared similar experiences from their own job interviews.

One individual commented: "I once got rejected because I turned up too early for a job interview. I was less than 10 minutes early."

Another remarked: "Nah, that's so judgey before they've even spoken to you! Job interviews are scary enough!".

A third person noted: "Familiarising yourself with the shop and the animals seems very engaged to me. Sounds like you dodged a bullet!".