Work Horror Stories: The Spookiest (and Funniest) Scares From My Career 🎃👻

Ah, Halloween—the time of year when we embrace the spooky, the chilling, and the downright scary. And honestly, if you’ve been working for long enough, you know that some of the spookiest stories don’t need costumes or haunted houses. Work can be downright terrifying! From out-of-scope nightmares to the horror of public speaking, here are some of the most spine-tingling moments from my career.

The Bloody Nose of ‘02 💉

Picture this: I’m strolling down the hallway, minding my business, and a coworker—caught up in a lively conversation—accidentally swings her fist my way. Wham! Right in the nose. Blood everywhere. I had a nosebleed that lasted a good 20 minutes. My poor coworker was horrified, apologizing like I’d just signed my life away in blood, but it was honestly hilarious. Lesson learned: workplace hazards aren’t always what you’d expect.

Deer in the Headlights (Literally) 🦌

There I was, at a work event in Utah, soaking in the scenery and bonding over dinner with local attendees. It was a perfect, peaceful night…until our drive back, when we hit a giant deer. The poor deer! The driver barely missed a beat, pulling over, calling highway patrol, and moving on like this was a regular Tuesday night. Meanwhile, I’m sitting there, haunted by Bambi’s ghost, wondering if I’d just witnessed a horror movie in real life. Note to self: wildlife crossings are not a myth.

Printing Disaster 👻

Early in my career, I made a classic rookie mistake on a printed mailing—an error that went out to tons of people. My boss’s boss found out, and she was like a villain in a horror movie, calling me in to discuss it. My pulse was racing, my hands were shaking…but somehow, she wasn’t mad, because I’d fixed it before she even knew. Still, I was absolutely petrified. Lesson learned: always double-check everything…unless you enjoy heart-pounding, last-minute panic attacks.

The Scope-Creep Monster Attacks! 💀

Then, there was the time a client absolutely lost it on me. The work we’d committed to was way out of scope, and we didn’t realize it until the developer (our unsung hero!) pointed it out. Cue the angry client and me, realizing I was on the front line of this battle with zero armor. Pro tip: have a crystal-clear scope…or risk getting a frightful earful!

Nightmare on Temple Street 🌆

Working at Temple University had its fair share of frights, but nothing could beat walking to my car late at night in North Philly. Picture it: a dark, sketchy parking lot, stepping over passed-out strangers, and trying to remember everything I’d ever learned from horror movies. It was a horror flick without the cameras. Spoiler alert: I survived, but those walks to the car were the ultimate test of nerves.

Stage Fright From the Depths of My Soul 🎤

One of my all-time scariest work moments was stepping onto a stage for the first time to speak. Why would I voluntarily put myself in the spotlight, where every awkward move and nervous quiver is amplified tenfold? Well, fast forward to this month, at the Digital PM Summit, where I faced that fear again after a long hiatus. Let me tell you, it was just as nerve-wracking as the first time. If that’s not horror, I don’t know what is.

Work has a funny way of throwing us into some truly terrifying situations—some serious, some ridiculous, and others just plain weird. Whether it’s accidentally getting punched, confronting an angry client, or trying not to faint on stage, each of these “horror stories” has turned into a memory (and lesson) that I carry with me.

Now, it’s your turn to share! What’s the scariest thing that’s happened to you at work? Drop your story in the comments on my LinkedIn post, and let’s keep the (more realistic, less gory) Halloween spirit alive! 🎃👻