Ever got that frustrated feeling after a job interview gone wrong? Forgive yourself; it does happen even to the best people in their fields.
For job applicants, they so often find themselves unable to move on after an interview has gone wrong. It bugs you and drowns your spirit every time you remember the things you said. Just thinking of the foolish things you said makes you want to bang your head on the wall. But hey, whichever makes you look stupid.
What to Do after a Job Interview Gone Wrong
After screwing up the chance of your life, the best thing to do is not to screw up the second one by walking out with such a sourly look. No, you may not get another shot for the same company again, but at least you maintained the professional poise as you say bye-bye.
If you’re ready to move on from the embarrassing memory, then you might start trying these job interview strategies:
1. Segregate the good from the bad.
You may be as sure as hell that you blew up, but that doesn’t mean that every word and every gesture you made is bad, bad, and bad. Assessing what happened should not be an enumeration of everything that has been horrible. Make two columns: one for the things you’ve messed up and another for the things you’ve done great. In that way, you will know what to keep up in the next opportunity, and know by heart what you should avoid. Rewind what happened in your mind and this time, picture yourself talking the way you should have done it.
2. Evaluate the interviewer too.
If you really felt uneasy during the conversation, chances are, you’re not the only one with the problem. Does the hiring officer take you professionally? Aren’t there any intimidating questions or very long awkward pauses after you answered? Your employers are also humans, or you might have encountered a clueless newbie HR. Don’t completely put the blame to yourself. If you found some faults on the other side, rethink if you can deal with those if we suppose that you got hired by the company.
3. List the questions tossed to you.
Of course, you will clearly remember the details during the conversation. Now it’s your turn to remember the queries and list them. In that way, you are well prepared whenever it pops up in the future again. The biggest consolation you can have after the nightmare is that you will be able to know what to correct the next time it happens.
4. Send a thank-you letter and mention aside your apologies.
Did we say, mention aside? That’s the secret trick, make a brief apology for a thing that has obviously gone wrong during the interview, but don’t get it detailed and don’t make excuses. Simply say it, and then put everything in a positive light. Express your appreciation for their time, highlight in the letter your key strengths and lastly, tell that you will definitely appreciate if you would be given a second chance.
5. Keep in touch.
Who cares about the clumsy past? If you cut the story right after you messed up, then there will be no chance of recovering your reputation. But if you keep the communication alive with the company by e-mails and LinkedIn, they might see that you weren’t so awful and will have more time knowing about you as a professional. It’s not the end of the world when an interview has gone wrong, it only meant that you started with the wrong foot.
For more tips on how to ace or recover from an interview gone wrong, check out Resume Prime‘s blog page.
Photo by Tim Gouw from Pexels
