Interview Didn’t Go Well? Here’s What You Should Be Doing

Sadly, not everything life goes the way you would want it to, and that extends to job interviews. Sometimes, no matter how much you prepared, it’s just not your day, and things don’t go well. In that situation, it’s easy to get disheartened. It’s important not to let that happen but to make the best of the situation instead.

Keep your chin up

‍First off, don’t dwell on it. Going over and over your mistakes isn’t productive and will only darken your mood. Snap out of it and focus on something else - maybe on another upcoming interview or on writing some new applications.

Rectify your mistakes

‍You should also consider damage limitation. If you’re sending a thank you email to the interview, that is a great opportunity to alter their impression of you. If there were particular questions that you struggled with, include follow up answers in your email.

Don’t make excuses for yourself

‍If you do follow up with the interviewer, don’t fill your message with lame excuses, such as “I don’t get much sleep.” It’s much better to simply admit your mistakes and show willingness to learn from them.

Learn from it

‍You can also use this experience as a learning point. Try to figure out exactly what went wrong, and think about how you can stop that from happening again. That way, some good can still come of the interview.

Note down your immediate impression

‍To help with doing that, it’s a good idea to write down all of your thoughts about the interview while they are still fresh in your mind. This will probably be somewhat raw so set it aside for a couple of days. Then, revisit it with a clear head and consider everything objectively.

Ask for feedback

‍If possible, you should also get feedback from the interviewer. They will often have a different view on things, and it can bring up aspects, both positive and negative, that you hadn’t considered. With their feedback in mind, you can create a plan of what you need to work on before heading to future interviews.

Look on the bright side

‍When you are analysing how things went, it’s just as important to look at what went well as what went wrong. On top of making you feel better, it will allow you to play to your strengths in future.

After a negative job interview experience, you might feel like it was a waste of time. If you take heed of these tips, it won’t have been. Instead, you’ll have made the best of a bad situation.

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