A bad interview can certainly throw your confidence. But rest assured, all is not lost. You may well be able to salvage the situation, or at least make the best of it with our advice.
Try to write an honest account of how you think the interview went while it’s still fresh. This will allow you to offload your thoughts about the interview so you can focus on how it went.
Pinpoint what mistakes you made, and consider why you made these mistakes. It’s important to make the distinction between your mistakes, and what the interviewer could have done differently – after all they are only human. While it’s not ideal, you may be faced with less than perfect interviewers. Therefore it’s worth learning how to deal with these types of interviewers.
After the interview, you should go back to your recruiter and let them know that you don’t feel the interview went as well as it could have. It’s important that you’re honest, but also that you aren’t too negative. Be sure to highlight the lessons you have learnt. It’s worth telling your recruiter that you would appreciate another chance to meet with the interviewer and prove your suitability if this is the case. This will show initiative and determination on your part. They might also have some feedback from their client. Don’t contact the interviewer directly, instead send them a thank you note via your recruiter.
Don’t give up on your job search whilst waiting to hear back. Take some time to recharge after the interview, but bounce back and carry on looking for new roles. A bad interview experience shouldn’t knock your confidence. Best case scenario the interviewer will be understanding and see that your overall positive attributes outweigh your less than perfect interview performance. Worst case scenario, you don’t get the job – then you can treat this as an opportunity to learn.
By Alex Jones, senior regional director at Hays Office Support.
