6 Practical Tips for Recovering from a Bad InterviewMarch 1st, 2007
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Winston Churchill
Staying positive while job hunting can be tough, especially if it’s been awhile since your last success. Looking for a new job is right up there with moving on the list of things people dread doing. Unfortunately, job hunting takes a whole lot longer than packing a truck. Landing the perfect job is largely an outcome of maintaining a great attitude. As hard as it may be, it is absolutely crucial to remain optimistic — even after the worst of interviews.
Everyone has a bad interview now and then. Even the most patient person gets frustrated after getting the run around. It is important to know how to handle these mini-travesties when they happen.
Here are some quick ways to shake it off, find the silver lining and get your job search right back on track.
1) Get it off your chest by talking about it with someone you trust. Everyone needs to vent, so indulge your emotional side for a few hours and tell the story. It’ll feel good to have rehashed it. The last thing you want is for pent up frustration to effect the next interview. Get it all out and then prepare to move on.
“Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain.”
Lily Tomlin (1939 - )
2) Admit mistakes and fix them. If you were late, if you tripped up, if you forgot to tuck in your shirt - whatever it was, seize the opportunity to learn and grow. You have the ability to change your actions and become an even better candidate the next time around.
“The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they’re necessary to reach the places we’ve chosen to go.”
Richard Bach, The Bridge Across Forever
3) How qualified were you? Now that you know what these qualifications are, you can address them. If you are missing a particular skill, figure out the best way to address it. Either be open and honest about not possessing that knowledge or go out and seek training. Do not let a few missing skills dissuade you from you’re pursuit. If you are reasonably within reach, keep striving.
4) Use your follow up to reconnect on missed opportunities or small talk. Often interviews can go well with the Q & A, but fall flat on personal rapport. If you were unable to find a small talk opportunity to connect with a potential employer on a more personal level, use your follow up to do so. Consider an email or call the following day asking a legitimate question and take that opportunity to try again.
On the other hand, remember that an interview is just as much for your sake as it is the employer. If no chemistry was present and you felt uncomfortable, ask yourself if this is really the job for you.
5) Take the opportunity to assess your interview performance. What did you say? What did you not say? How was you demeanor? Could you have been more prepared? Even after a successful interview, it is important to evaluate yourself. Adjusting your “sales pitch” on an ongoing basis will help your cause tremendously.
“Continually strive to improve yourself.”
Anthony J. D’Angelo, The College Blue Book
6) Never burn bridges. While the temptation is there to let the would-have-been-employer really know how you feel, absolutely nothing positive will come from this. Instead follow up with a letter or note, thanking them for the opportunity, regret that it did not work out at this time. Consider stating “please keep me in mind” so they know you would be interested in future opportunities. In some situations you may even be able to ask if they can recommend other companies or contacts.
“He who burns his bridges better be a dang good swimmer” - Unknown
Your job hunt is bound to be full of ups and downs alike. It’s how you recover from the bad moments that will matter in the end. Persistence and the courage to dust yourself off are characteristics of any success story. Learn, grow and smile — the right job is just around the corner.
Have an awful interview experience you would like to share? Any tips we missed? Disagree with our advice? Make your voice heard in our comments below!
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Being stood up on an interview is the worst I’ve encountered. Spend all that time preparing, and the employer doesn’t even have the decency to show up.
I wouldn’t want to work for someone like that anyhow.
March 1st, 2007 at 11:07 am
Great Advice! As stated, the biggest thing is to learn from your experience. Great post.
March 1st, 2007 at 11:33 am
Very good advice, especially the part about burning bridges. Managers who interview often change companies themselves, meaning they may show up as your boss at your next employer or they may have friends in other companies who can help or hurt you. Another thing to remember is that most interviewers try to make the experience pleasant for the sake of public relations, but a few intentionally create “stress” to see how you handle it. Just because an stress interview feels bad doesn’t mean it was bad–if you still feel that you could work with the person.
March 2nd, 2007 at 10:13 am
I once had a 2nd round interview after I told the company that I didn’t want to come in (it was out of town) unless there was something new to talk about, the first round having been quite thorough. They said it could be worth it so I went. Of course, there was nothing new.
Even though I could have avoided that annoyance, it’s important to realize that not all bad interviews are the interviewees’ fault. Surprisingly often, the interviewers are unprepared and there’s only so much you can do to counteract.
March 2nd, 2007 at 10:54 am
[…] Suppose you had a bad interview, shake it off, find the silver lining and get your job search right back on track.. […]
March 2nd, 2007 at 6:46 pm
Isn’t posting about bad interviews on the www a violation of rule #6? (the applicable new term is “dooced”..) My favorite “worsts”: (1) members of the interview committee arguing with EACH OTHER, during the interview, about what they need and want in the new hire (like watching a really horrible ping-pong game); (2) Unprepared, vague, weird.. (PLEASE… go to www.youtube.com and search for the Monty Python short video, “Very silly interview” (3) The over-enthusiastic director who verbally offers a job at or just after the interview, but later you find out the formal offer went to someone else (WEIRD? That’s now happened to me TWICE!) (4) Having the computer crash during a timed writing test, with no one else around. And no, it WASN’T part of the test…(5) When the interview goes WELL, after so much worry and pessimism, and though it scares you even to dare think of it, you KNOW all the positive signals were there. Weeks (WEEKS!) pass. And then you find out, yet aGAIN… Anyhoo. Free-lancing for now…
March 18th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
I had a HORRIBLE interview today, it was the first interview in my life. it was a group interview, there was only 2 interviwees including myself. The other person answered every question first with perfection. The person said everything i wanted to say. i had nothing left to say and practically mumbled the whole interview. GOSH! IT WAS SO EMBARRASING! i feel so BAD!
What should i do now?!!
May 5th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Had I horrible interview. My nerves got the best of me today. I haven’t interviewed in a while so I have to PRACTICE. My voice even started shaking when I spoke. Later I was able to calm down. I’ll just have to shake this one off and focus to new ones. Hopefully I can regroup in the follow up letter!
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:49 pm
It is absolutely amazing how you can be really qualified and not do well on the interview. I was well prepared, actually pretty calm about it, but just didn’t “hit it” with those on the panel who did not know me. I left out important info about myself. I agree with the quotes above that things do happen for reasons and that we need to learn and grow from each experience.
June 6th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
I had a horrible first interview. Actually, I don’t know how it went. Spoke some irrelevant stuff for sure. The result: Never heard back from them.
June 16th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
I had a very bad interview. The manager started lamenting on how she had to fire two more people (in a small department) for not making their sales quotas. I thought maybe the sales quotas were too high. After all, this was incoming phone calls from people setting up reservations for costly time shares they already owned. Couldn’t imagine why on their vacation, they would want to get a $50 coupon golf fee to attend an additonal, pressured, time share sales seminar.
I have a sucessful Public Relations background, however, she kept saying saying you need to sell me on why you want this job, and why you’ll do well, and that’s not good enough, tell me again. Psycho interviewer. Needless to say, when I was called for second interview, I opted out.
August 1st, 2007 at 9:23 am
Linda,
You touched on something that’s very important to reiterate — interviews are just as much for your sake as they are for the employer!
August 1st, 2007 at 10:12 am
My friends cousin just opened a tattoo shop last month……and offered me a spot based on the work of mine on people that we both know and work that I have done on myself………….so I stop in there with my portfolio and they were impressed……..and he says that I have the job if I can tattoo someone in front of him……….dude I messed it up ……….I could not get anything right , I could not get the gromet on the needle…..I tore the stencil…….I wiped the whole pattern off on the first wipe………then I spent 2 1/2 hours free handing this pheonix on, with this guy in my face the whole time………….and everyone was talking about me in Spanish calling me a fat white stupid whore……….and dude I messed up my friends arm (who had so kindly volenteered to be my test subject) so bad that his cousin told me he if I was a guy he would punch me in the mouth……….and then he called me a scratch……………….so………needless to say I did not get the job…..and I am so depressed I just want to throw all my tattoo stuff in the garbage ………I could really stand to hear some kind words or at least some sympathy……So I talked to everyone I knew and got it off my chest……. then I send dude a very NICE email thank ing him for the opoutunity and showing my appreciation of the advice that I had gotten from one o the other artists……..even if you have a bad experience ….it is always good to be gracious even in defeat……and send follow up thank you notes or emails……
August 10th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
I had a horrible interview today as well. I couldn’t answer “tell me more about our company like how many employees do we have?” ….umm….and from that point on I’m pretty sure he was writing NO in large red letters on my resume as he told me “you could have done more research” aahh I am so mad at myself why couldn’t I answer that question why!!!
September 18th, 2007 at 12:45 am
I had the worst interview today. The interviewer exposed his genitals to me and actually had the nerve to ask me to touch them. I would never work for a company like that.
October 1st, 2007 at 12:30 pm
I had a pretty bad interview today. I was awkward, I rambled, and was not my ‘natural’ self. At one point I saw my interviewer looking at the clock to see what time it was. If that isn’t a sign that I wasn’t captivating enough as a potential employee, I don’t know what is.
The thing is, I know why I was nervous. I want this job. Badly. Maybe my nerves got in the way. Maybe I felt that if I was sincere enough and I genuinely showed that I was passionate enough for the position they would see how much I wanted it. I’m pretty a qualified gal and know that I can do the job and do it well.
But hey, it’s all a learning experience right? I know what I need to work on for the next opportunity.
Thanks for this article, it really helps reassure me, at least I know that there are others out there who can relate.
November 6th, 2007 at 4:26 am
I’ve been interviewing for a few months now for a VP or senior level job, as that’s the level I’ve held for 12 years. I’ve had great interviews where the person I was to replace didn’t end up leaving, interviews where the company lost a client and posted a hiring freeze, on both if which my part was rock solid. I actually got a letter of recommendation from one of the people who interviewed me but couldn’t hire me. But, now I’ve just interviewed for a VP level job, the exact same title I’ve held for 12 years and I felt like my answers were not all the way on spot and I’m afraid that may have cost me. The two ladies that interviewed me were great, very honest and professional yet very personable and pleasant, but I was just not in the zone. There are a few factors, I drove just under 5 hours to get to the interview and didn’t have time to check in at the hotel and rest my brain, traffic was horrible and it seemed like half was under construction. I couldn’t leave the night before because I had to take the kids to school, it was just all in all a rough travel. I didn’t obviously say anything offensive and on a personal level the three of us had a great rapport and it was a very warm meeting. I got the tour at the end including the tour of what “would be” or “what would have been” my office if all went great. I sent the strong thank you letter the following day but is there a way I can justify getting in touch with her to try to repair the possible damage? I don’t want to seem like I’m pushy or desperate but it’s not only a great job, it’s a great company.
November 20th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
I found the perfect ‘dream’ job and sent my resume on new years eve. i was called on the 2nd and went to the interview the same day. A major storm hit, I was dressed in a suit but I looked like Lilith Fraiser from Cheers and when I said I was meticulous, was asked if I could ever be flexible. When asked if I had seen their website, I said not the new one and started sweating. I confessed that I was a cancer survivor, said the job description read like the greatest hits of my resume and when I was told I was only the first candidate and they wanted to interview more people, I said sure, you have to try on many jeans to find the right fit. Jeez. I felt like the interviewer hardly listened and I did not have much chance to talk to the other person in the room. I sent a thank you email and was told it was nice chatting with you, we are hoping to interview several other candidates in the next few weeks and will keep you updated on our progress. I asked to be brought back for a second interview and was told I had enough qualifications to make it to the next round, but in my gut, I felt unprepared and I believe it showed. What should I do at this point? Wait for them to contact me? I know I cannot force it, but this is the job for me. Or so I think. Could shoulda woulda…
January 10th, 2008 at 2:32 am