Interview Failure: Next Steps

BY MARCIA LAREAU

Interviewing is a skill that takes practice.

This is perhaps the most difficult part of the job search process. After the exhausting roller coaster of emotions that surround the interview process, receiving the bad news is particularly difficult. For help on managing the emotional trauma, consider the blog series: Unemployment: The breeding ground for rejection (February 2012).

What should you do? Here is a list for your consideration. 

When you receive the news: 

Be professional and gracious:

“Thank you for calling. I’m disappointed but I’m grateful you considered me for this position. Is there anything you can tell me that will strengthen my next interview?” (See the note below on this.)

“Thank you. I appreciate your help. If there are other opportunities with ________ (Name of Company) in the future, I hope you will contact me.”

Take time alone or with trusted friends to process the news.

You may wish to tap into your personal support network to ensure your self-belief is not affected by this outcome. Or you may choose to deal with the situation on your own. Whichever you choose just remember, the decision about this job has absolutely no bearing, influence or relevance to the next job you are interviewed for.

Do not allow this outcome to diminish your estimation of your value

We all know that decisions about who is hired and who is not are driven by a multitude of factors. And your personal quality may very well have been greater than all the other applicants even though you were not offered this particular job.

Create a communication plan: 

• Communicate the news professionally, and maintain your dignity.

• Write thank-you notes to the company contacts. Indicate something personal that you appreciated during the process. Keep it short and encourage further interaction. Include your contact information.

• Use a handwritten format for small to mid-sized companies, formal businesses (law firms, libraries, local government, etc.) Use email for large companies, corporations, and recruiters. 

Identify lessons learned and record changes for future opportunities: 

• Reconsider your dress, mannerisms, and verbiage.

• Make a note of any of the interview questions you may not have been prepared for.

Track your personal thoughts about your interview and review past thoughts in light of the current information:

• Remain positive, move to the next step in your Employment Action Plan. 

• Stay focused.

• Identify what works for you in this situation.

• Avoid “beating yourself up”. (This is a new skill that takes practice.)

• Maintain your commitment to the process.

• Monitor your thoughts and avoid negativity triggers.

Should you ask for feedback? 

Unless the source is trusted, I usually advise against this. I make exception if you are in the first five years of your career. 

If you didn’t get the position and you ask for feedback, the person will feel obligated to respond with some element that was problematic. They might be concerned that a lawsuit could follow…so they may make something up or relay false information that has no credibility, causes pain, and adds unnecessary apprehension in your next interview.

Called a Creative Thinker, Career Futurist, and a person of unusual solution, Marcia LaReau founded Forward Motion, LLC in 2007. Since that time, she has become a recognized leader in the employment industry, and Forward Motion has spread across the United States and abroad to help jobseekers find jobs that fit.

Website: http://forwardmotioncareers.com/
Blog: http://forwardmotioncareers.com/category/blog/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ForwardMotionUS