Sometimes, despite all the rigorous preparation you did for a job interview, something will just go wrong. Perhaps you awoke with the worst migraine imaginable or you simply couldn’t shake your nerves and blanked when the interviewer asked a crucial question.
Whatever the reason, you know your mediocre performance won’t secure you that position but let’s face facts; job interviews are hard. When you’re faced with this classic scenario the key is to be ready to pick yourself back up and get back out there. To help you do that, here are our four top tips on how to reboot after a bad interview.
Take a Breather
A bad interview can be frustrating, especially if it was for a dream job. Whilst it’s important to take a step back and collect your thoughts, don’t dwell on it for too long. It’s sometimes too easy to let the whole experience overwhelm you and before you know it, you’re remembering the interview being a lot worse than it actually was.
Find the Lessons
When you reflect on the experience, start with what went right so you can look at the negatives in a more positive light. Next, make a list of the mistakes you made during the interview and ask yourself what you would do differently next time. If you need some inspiration on how to avoid common interview (and CV) mistakes, check out our interview with RWA’s Senior Recruitment Specialist, Danielle Kelly.
Politely Ask for Feedback
Occasionally, you’re going to make mistakes that your interviewer noticed but you didn’t. If you interviewed directly with an organisation and you’re struggling to find the key lessons to learn after a bad interview, you can try asking for feedback. However, you are asking the interviewer a potentially risky and uncomfortable question. So, the best way to approach this is to give them the option to decline. As an example, the following question is a great way to do that: “If you have any feedback on my application or interview, I would love to use it to make myself a stronger candidate for the future.” Alternatively, if you applied through a recruitment agency, the recruiter will do everything they can to get feedback to you after an unsuccessful interview.
Prepare Yourself for Next Time
Once you have a list of areas for improvement, it’s time to do something about it. Start by planning what you need to do, whether it’s working on articulating your work history and examples more clearly or finding ways to calm your pre-interview nerves. Then, think about how you could improve in these areas. For example, if you are struggling with nerves or clearly explaining your accomplishments, then refer to a friend or mentor who is willing to conduct mock interviews with you to help you practice. The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll be when you’re next in a job interview.
There are countless resources out there to help you strengthen your interviewing skills, such as our guide on how to answer traditional and behavioural-based interview questions. So, keep working at it and you’ll be feeling more confident to handle the tough questions in no time.
Summary
Although you might be sufficiently prepared, you need to recognise that mistakes in job interviews will happen. The key is to know how to react and learn from them. Remember that an interview is a two-way process, so it’s important you review your mistakes and any feedback you receive to better yourself for your next interview and when you get that well-deserved job offer, take the time to thoroughly evaluate it before deciding what to do. If you need any more job searching advice or would like to know what technology jobs we currently have available, get in touch with one of our specialist Recruiters today.