So you had a job interview and it didn’t go well. What are the next steps? Can I still do something to recover? The answer is yes you can recover from an interview that didn’t go well.
Don’t beat yourself up
The first thing you need to do is shake it off. I’ve been there myself. And many people go through the awful pain of not getting the job they really wanted. But I’ve also seen people recover and go on to find a great job ! It’s important to always remind yourself that you don’t have control over the decision that someone else will make. Let’s be real, it will have some sort of impact on you. If you didn’t get the job it’s their loss, you know what you can offer to the table. Give yourself a pat on the shoulder because give it your all by putting yourself out there despite the anxious feelings you were experiencing. Just as you are kind to others you should always be kind to yourself even when things don’t go the way you’d like.
Ask for a “personalized” feedback
Nowadays, recruiters try to limit the volume of emails and the time spent on providing feedback to each candidate. From your experience you might have probably noticed that a rejection email looks somewhat like; I am writing to let you know that we have selected the candidate whom we believe most closely matches the job requirements of the position.
This is a very standard feedback but it does not specify why you weren’t a match to the position. Initially when you applied for the position you believed that you are qualified for the job due to your work experience and knowledge of the job. After the interview , you can ask the interviewer to provide you with specific feedback in regards to your communication skills or your knowledge, skills and ability or experiences which actually determines your fit to the job. The tone of your email should be positive , friendly and interested to learn how you can develop yourself more on an interpersonal level.
Self reflection
What has personally helped me was to self reflect on the questions that were asked during the interview, and reflect on the answers that I provided. By doing this way you’ll practice answering interview questions. And by the time you know it you’ve become more confident and honest in your responses because you’ve had actual time to think beforehand about what it is you really want or looking for when you’ve applied for the job. Then in the next interview, when questions are asked, you’ll realize that you are taking less time to think less as your answers are direct and confident. It’s important to point out even though you might already know what you would like to say be mindful of not rambling on too much as this behavior often leads the interview to move astray. – You can always ask the interviewer ; Have I sufficiently answered your question?