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Bouncing Back From A Bad Interview
by Nathan Newberger
This http://www.WorkTree.com career article by Nathan Newsberger gives you
some common sense advice and tips on how to overcoming a bad interview.
Nobody is perfect. Nobody lives a perfect life or always has a
perfect day. And it is absolutely possible that one of those not-so-
perfect days may happen to coincide with the day of a job interview.
Even though we do not like to admit it, we sometimes perform poorly
during job interviews. The easiest thing to do is pout, sulk,
complain, and whine, but those things don’t really help your job
hunt. What is worse, a bad reaction to a sub-par interview, may
carry over into future interviews, and make your job hunt much more
difficult. Instead, you can make the most of the situation, by
recovering quickly. These tips should help you get on your way.
Mind Your Manners
One of the worst things you could possibly do after a bad interview
is chock the whole thing up as a loss and not follow standard post-
interview procedures.
There are too many factors you cannot foresee:
- Often times, a bad interview in your mind wasn’t that bad in
reality. For all you know, it might be the best one your interviewer
has had in a long time.
- You cannot read the mind of you interviewer, you cannot be
absolutely certain about what the interviewer is looking for, and you
cannot be absolutely certain about the impression you make. So, you
cannot assume you have slim chances.
- Not getting selected for one particular position does not rule
you out of the running for future possible positions.
- One interview may not be your last interaction with a company or
an interviewer. So make the best possible impression. Be sure to:
- Be courteous and maintain composure as you leave the interview
- Send a thank you letter, note, email, or other form of
correspondence.
Make a List
Even the worst of the worst interviews can still have some value. To
really benefit from the interview-gone-bad, try the following:
- As soon as you get out of an interview you would classify
as "bad", create a list of every aspect of the interview that made
it "bad". Spend as much time as you need on the list so that you can
capture every problem; but make sure you create the list right after
the interview, so everything is fresh in your mind.
- Next, create a list of every possible solution to the problems
you just listed. This should be an ongoing process.
- Continue adding to your problems list. New interviews might
reveal new problems. Over time, you will come up with solutions to
those problems as well.
- Continue adding to your solutions list. Ideas can come to you at
anytime and you may happen to come up with better solutions to
problems you already solved.
Check It Twice
The use of lists really helps you to recognize problems and figure
out solutions to them. To truly get the most out of them, however,
the lists need to be used as constant reminders.
- Post your lists on a wall, the refrigerator door, or a mirror.
Put the lists in a spot where you will see them regularly. Let them
serve as a constant reminder of your ongoing self-improvement.
- Study your lists in between and especially right before
interviews. Your lists should be as important as any background
research you do on a company. The test of how much you learn is your
next interview.
- Take your lists with you to an interview. Immediately after the
interview, examine your lists. Note problems that reoccurred,
problems you overcame, solutions that occurred, solutions that did
not work, and any new problems that emerged. Your lists should be
ever changing.
CONCLUSION
You will not always have the interview of a lifetime. But you will
find that the more effort you put into learning from interviews, the
fewer interviews you will need before you find a job.
This article can be read online and shared with others directly at:
http://www.worktree.com/newsletter/bouncing-back-from-a-bad-interview.html
Sincerely,
Nathan Newberger,
Managing Editor
http://www.WorkTree.com
"Helping You Find More Jobs Faster"
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About The Author
Nathan Newberger is the job and career expert at http://www.WorkTree.com Nathan has over 10 years
experience in staffing and human resources. He has worked both as a recruiter and career counselor.
Mr. Newberger has been the Managing Editor at http://www.WorkTree.com for the past 5 years and his
articles have helped thousands of job seekers.
Re-Print Guidelines
Permission is granted to reproduce any of these articles but the article content CANNOT be altered and credit must be
given to the author and also an active link to http://www.WorkTree.com.
As a courtesy, please email Nathan at support@worktree.com if you decide to use any of his articles.
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