Coming out of a job interview feeling like it just all went wrong is a terrible feeling. Nothing comes close. Having a bad job interview, being told you didn’t get the job, or not hearing anything at all can be demoralising. But remember success can only come about after failure. That’s how we learned to walk.
Here are some tips on what to do after a bad job interview:
- Think
After a seemingly bad job interview take some time to consider what went wrong. Maybe you didn’t manage to get your message across successfully and clearly, or didn’t answer a question as well as you think you could have, or maybe you feel that you weren’t able to connect with the interviewer. However the interview bombed – work out why. Clinically.
- Learn
After realising what went wrong you can learn what to do differently. Maybe you realise that you need to research the company more, better explain your strengths or work on providing convincing examples and stories to explain your point. If there are specific questions you messed up, prepare for them! If you went into the black hole – get coaching.
Writing a follow up thank you letter (or email) has several advantages. Not only does a follow up letter help you stand out above the rest, it also allows you to include something you may have missed out in the interview. And may give you a second chance! Stranger things have happened!
- Move on
It is possible that the interview went better than you imagined it. The important thing to do is understand what wrong, how you can improve it and look forward to the next interview. Look at job hunting like a process, not a one interview lottery. After each job interview your performance will improve and you can only get better. Dwelling on a bad job interview will do nothing.
Image courtesy of luigi diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net