What do you do if you fail to impress in a job interview?
Failing to impress during a job interview can be a disheartening experience, but it's a common hurdle in one's career journey. It's crucial to approach this situation with a constructive mindset, aiming to learn and grow from the feedback or the lack of a positive response. Whether you stumbled over your answers, felt underqualified, or simply didn't click with the interviewer, remember that this isn't the end of your career path. Instead, consider it a stepping stone to better opportunities and personal development. By reflecting on the experience, seeking feedback, and refining your approach, you can turn an initial setback into a valuable learning moment that propels you forward.
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Brian DanielCelebrity Headhunter • Former PA to Billionaires & Royals • Career Coach • LinkedIn Top Voice • Founder & Entrepreneur…
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Melissa Figueroa, Ph.D, CPRW, CICCareer Coach | Resume Writer | Interview Coach 🏅 I empower you through your job search by teaching you how to stand…
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Phillip PowellI help people find the job they want. Best Resume. Enhanced Interview skills. Power-up Job Searches. Networking for…
Reflecting honestly on your interview performance is the first step towards improvement. Take some time to review the questions asked and your responses. Were there moments where you could have been more prepared or provided a stronger answer? Self-reflection will help you identify areas for growth and prepare you better for future interviews. It's essential to be objective in this process and recognize both your strengths and areas where you fell short, as this will form the foundation for your ongoing professional development.
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Nolan Church
Co-Founder and CEO @FairComp + @Continuum; HR Heretics Podcast Host
It's not what happens, it's how you respond. Most of us have the self-awareness to know if an interview didn't go well. It happens to everyone! Send the interviewer a follow-up email that reflects on where you fell short and what you would do differently next time. Self-reflection and vulnerability are rare traits. Lean into them when things don't go well.
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Gaurav Sharma
Employibility Skills Trainer || MBA (HR & BA) || BE (CS) |
Facing post-interview disappointment is tough. Here's a guide to bounce back: 1.Analyze: Reflect on the interview. Identify faltered areas to understand what went wrong. 2. Realize: Setbacks are part of learning. Learn from the experience for growth. 3.Adapt: Adjust your approach. Practice responses, refine skills, seek feedback. 4. Recharge: Take time to rejuvenate. Engage in uplifting activities for resilience. 5. Persist: Don't give up. Keep applying, refining, and networking for success.
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Amos Tay
Identifying Supply Chain top talents @ Hatch Asia Consulting | Supply Chain Media Rep @ Value Chain Asia
Two Big “C” to contemplate: 1. Continuation: Identify the practices and approaches that have proven effective and beneficial in your previous interview. 2. Cessation: Reflect critically on the actions and strategies that have not yielded the desired outcomes. The process of interviewing can often feel akin to a competitive race, not only against other candidates but, significantly, against oneself. Engaging with a professional coach could offer valuable insights and guidance, thereby enhancing your interview skills and strategies. This step could be instrumental in achieving a breakthrough in situations where previous efforts have not led to success.
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Vishal Sharma √
Assistant general manager@Indian institute of printing & packaging technology(IIPPT COLLEGE) ✨Marketing ✨Outreach ✨Admissions ✨Business development ✨Strong PR ✨Author ✨Ed tech ✨career counsellor ✨Admission coordinator✨
If you fail to impress in a job interview, use it as a learning opportunity. Reflect on what went wrong and areas for improvement. Seek feedback from the interviewer if possible to understand areas needing development. Work on enhancing your communication skills, confidence, and knowledge for future interviews. Practice mock interviews with friends or professionals to refine your responses and body language. Research the company and role thoroughly to demonstrate genuine interest and preparedness. Showcase your unique strengths and experiences effectively. Stay resilient, learn from setbacks, and keep striving for improvement in each interview experience.
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Levi Lourenço
Quer alcançar seus objetivos? Pontos fortes. Quer ser um profissional melhor? Inteligência emocional. Quer se libertar de um trabalho infeliz e fazer boas escolhas em sua carreira? Autoconhecimento. Vamos juntos?
Desde que conheci o CliftonStrenghts, passei a fazer o seguinte exercício com meus clientes: me fale de você, como se estivesse numa entrevista, usando apenas seus pontos fortes (top 5 do assessment). Neste exercício acontecem algumas mudanças importantes: não falamos daquilo que não somos, não prometemos algo que não podemos cumprir, aprendemos a falar honestamente sobre nós mesmos, aprendemos a falar facilmente de nossos pontos fortes, aprendemos a criar um discurso honesto, baseado naquilo que que verdadeiramente somos, e não baseado na preocupação do que se "deve" falar na entrevista, com "como" se deve falar, para parecermos melhor do que somos - seja a respeito de nós como profissionais, seja a respeito de uma hard ou soft skill.
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Theodoros Sotiropoulos
🔺Career Counselor🔺AC Certified Coach 🔺 🔹Resume Writing/Review 🔹Soft Skills Training🔹 🔹Interview Coaching🔹 LinkedIn Review🔹 🔺Communications & Partnerships Associate 🔺Youth Basketball Coach
Self-reflection is a product of thinking and considering additional information about what happened within the interview process. Feedback from mentors and experienced colleagues can be really beneficial. Get prepared and learn to acknowledge many aspects of yourself.
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Kannen Parmanum
Senior IT Strategic Recruiter (IT Solutions and Delivery Projects) / Career Advocate/Content writer (Blog)
The key to handling failure in a job interview is to be honest, reflective and demonstrate how you learned and grew from the experience. Some tips : 1. Choose a specific example of a time you failed, but avoid examples that paint you in an overly negative light. Focus on a failure that highlights important qualities like self-awareness, willingness to learn and resilience. 2. Explain what happened, what you learned, and how you applied those lessons to improve. 3. Practice your response ahead of time through mock interviews with friends or career advisors. This will help you deliver it confidently.
After an unsuccessful interview, don't hesitate to ask the interviewer for feedback. While not all will provide it, many are willing to give constructive criticism that can be invaluable for your growth. When requesting feedback, be polite and express your genuine desire to improve. This not only shows professionalism but also that you are proactive about your career development. The insights you gain here can guide your preparation for future interviews and help you understand what employers in your field are looking for.
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Brian Daniel
Celebrity Headhunter • Former PA to Billionaires & Royals • Career Coach • LinkedIn Top Voice • Founder & Entrepreneur • Luxe B2B Consultant • Lifestyle & Travel Expert
I'm not a big fan of "feedback" -- AT ALL. In my opinion, feedback is counterproductive for the following reasons: -- They are never going to tell you the real reason they didn't choose you -- They may "manufacture" reasons they didn't choose you, so you may end up "washing away" something that makes you special because you're trying to change to make people happy -- You may not be a fit for the company culture, which is a blessing in disguise. It's better to not move forward with the interview process than to invest too much time and energy
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Theodoros Sotiropoulos
🔺Career Counselor🔺AC Certified Coach 🔺 🔹Resume Writing/Review 🔹Soft Skills Training🔹 🔹Interview Coaching🔹 LinkedIn Review🔹 🔺Communications & Partnerships Associate 🔺Youth Basketball Coach
Feedback from experienced and trustworthy people of yours can provide a realistic perspective. Of course, it depends on the criteria we set as default standards for choosing the people around us. Feedback from such people can provide us with insights for future interviews. So, be honest with your people and you will receive right information.
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Shiv Shankar
Salesforce Practice Head at Alt Digital Technology || Application Architect || 11X Salesforce Certified || Trailblazer Mentor || Badminton Player
Failing to impress in a job interview can be disheartening, but it's essential to handle the situation professionally and positively. 1.Ask Feedback - Ask Feedback from Interviewer if you got an opportunity, This feedback can be valuable for understanding where you fell short and how you can improve in the future. 2. Learn from Experience - Treat the interview as a learning experience. Consider what you could have done differently or better. Don't let one unsuccessful interview discourage you. Sometimes Job hunting can be a challenging process, and setbacks are a normal part of the journey So, Stay positive and calm and work on the feedback received.
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Lesa Edwards, MPA, CJSS, MRW, ACRW, CELDC
Master Resume Writer | Certified Executive & Leadership Development Coach | Certified Job Search Strategist | International Presenter | Host of the award-winning podcast, The Exclusive Career Coach
You may also be able to get feedback from a 3rd party recruiter, if you used one. Often times, employers will share feedback with them - which they will then share with you.
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Melissa Figueroa, Ph.D, CPRW, CIC
Career Coach | Resume Writer | Interview Coach 🏅 I empower you through your job search by teaching you how to stand out and land a position
It is fine to ask for feedback from interviewers. However, you have to be mindful that it is not the job of interviewers to provide advice or identify areas for improvement. They need to assess your strengths as a candidate, discuss details about the position, and see if you are a good fit for the company. If you decide to ask for feedback, be strategic and mindful about how you are asking for it. If you have a lot of interviews with no offers, learn more about interviews, get feedback from people who support you, and consider hiring an interview coach.
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Amy Fox Deguzman
Executive Assistant / Property Manager
I actually disagree. I believe all feedback is helpful. Tell three good things per each thing that needs to be improved upon. Harsh criticism is not warranted. It’s all in your approach.
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Dee Wilson
PA at Safe hands
I am too old to "fit" into their culture so often do not get to the interview stage. What they forget is that I have fingers, a voice and a brain that believes I am 30 years older than my stated age.| am also judged by my C.V which cannot do the job for me, only I am able to physically do this. It is not my fault volunteering for 15 years because I could not get a paid position, however I have been active instead of wallowing in self pity and helped many companies benefitting from free labour. Take that into consideration, and you will see the £0000's I have saved them over the years and enjoyed working for free and spent a lot of my savings on volunteering, met some amazing people and some celebrities.
If the feedback points towards certain skills or knowledge gaps, take proactive steps to enhance those areas. This might involve taking relevant courses, attending workshops, or simply practicing certain skills. By actively working on your weaknesses, you demonstrate commitment to your professional growth and resilience in the face of setbacks. Continuous learning and skill enhancement are key to ensuring that you're better prepared for the next opportunity that comes your way.
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Nighat A Haroon
ICF Corporate Trainer | Career Coach | Life Coach | Talent Acquisition | CBT | NLP
Once you have identified areas for improvement, take proactive steps to address them. This may involve refining your interview techniques, practicing common interview questions, or seeking additional training or support in areas where you feel less confident.
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Theodoros Sotiropoulos
🔺Career Counselor🔺AC Certified Coach 🔺 🔹Resume Writing/Review 🔹Soft Skills Training🔹 🔹Interview Coaching🔹 LinkedIn Review🔹 🔺Communications & Partnerships Associate 🔺Youth Basketball Coach
Job interviews are demanding procedures that reveal further points to improve. A wide variety of interviewers can provide you with feedback. Some points may include skills and capabilities that can boost your candidacy. Enhancing your skills can make you distinguish among other candidates. You can get informed about soft and hard skills through LinkedIn profiles and other professionals in a specific field or industry.
Your resume may also need a refresh based on your interview experience. If certain qualifications or experiences were particularly appealing or concerning to the interviewer, adjust your resume accordingly. Highlight projects or skills that align with the job you're seeking, and consider rewording or reorganizing sections to better showcase your suitability for the role. A resume that reflects a clear understanding of the job requirements can make a stronger impression in future applications.
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Aspa Karoumpi
𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 | Talent Acquisition Associate, Tech Recruiter | 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑻𝒆𝒄𝒉 𝑻𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑻𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘'𝒔 𝑰𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 💡
Whenever I sense that I didn't leave the best impression during a job interview, I typically take several steps to potentially enhance the situation: 1. After the interview, I analyze what aspects went smoothly and what didn't. I pinpoint any areas where I may have faltered or where my responses could have been stronger. 2. Request Feedback: If feasible, I make contact with the interviewer or a company representative to inquire about feedback on my interview performance. 3. Send a Follow-Up: After the interview, I send a thank-you email to the interviewer, expressing gratitude for the chance to interview and reaffirming your interest in the role. This gesture can contribute to leaving a favorable lasting impression.
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Albert Juarez
Employment Specialist
Interviewing practice is so important. You must learn to know yourself and your job history like a story. I am saying that you should convey your skills, tasks, accomplishments, education, and self confidence. The employer has read your resume. They want to hear from you, your experiences that would be relative to your resume. Your responses would be personable and specific to help the employer understand your past history of work. If you know yourself well then you should feel comfortable about having a conversation as your interview. This is why you practice learning your resume tasks like a book. Practice being asked questions to minimize your nervousness. This helps. Last but not least. learn from every interview to get better.
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Sandro Siclari
Career Transition Consultant | Senior Consultant | Outplacement | Employability | Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Life Sciences, MedTech, Chemicals, Food, Wellness | Management Consulting
Constantly updating your resume to reflect your experience but at the same time supporting you in achieving your goals is important. Rather than just updating 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 a difficult interview, it's important to understand if the resume you had sent for that particular selection had been adjusted to be nearer to 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 needs.
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Theodoros Sotiropoulos
🔺Career Counselor🔺AC Certified Coach 🔺 🔹Resume Writing/Review 🔹Soft Skills Training🔹 🔹Interview Coaching🔹 LinkedIn Review🔹 🔺Communications & Partnerships Associate 🔺Youth Basketball Coach
An updated resume can reveal your potential. Aiming to boost your candidacy, you can integrate links to address others to your LinkedIn profile or portfolio. Remember that your content have to include recent and relevant experience with the role you are aiming to! Pay attention to titles, keywords and time periods of your previous professional experiences.
Practicing your interviewing skills is another crucial step. This could involve mock interviews with friends or mentors, recording yourself answering common interview questions, or seeking professional interview coaching. The goal is to become more comfortable with the interview process, improve your ability to articulate your thoughts clearly, and manage any nerves that might impact your performance. With practice, you'll gain confidence and poise, making a more favorable impression in your next interview.
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Melissa Figueroa, Ph.D, CPRW, CIC
Career Coach | Resume Writer | Interview Coach 🏅 I empower you through your job search by teaching you how to stand out and land a position
Practice, practice, practice. To ace the interview, you need to practice even if you don’t have an interview. When people say, “I am not good at interviews,” they are attaching the notion of being to something you do. The only way you can become good at interviewing is to do it over and over. Spend 20 minutes every day reviewing potential questions, crafting your success stories, and getting comfortable with the sound of your voice.
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Phillip Powell
I help people find the job they want. Best Resume. Enhanced Interview skills. Power-up Job Searches. Networking for jobs..................................... Mr Job Tracker ( the book) available at Amazon Books.
Another way to practice is to use chat gpt to generate a long list of interview questions relevant to the jobs to which you are applying. Use the video/ voice recorder on your phone to record, say 10 answers in a row. Then listen ..... I can guarantee two things: 1: You will not enjoy the experience. 2: You will learn a great deal about how to answer those and other questions. The more you do this, the better you'll get.
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Tanya Jeannet
Recruiting Top Finance & HR Talents in partnership with leading Employers across Switzerland I Recruiting with Empathy I Career Coaching I *Opinions are my Own*
Get yourself a coach or experienced hiring manager friend to role play an interview and give you feedback. Practice practice practice!
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JANINE CLEOPHAS
Global HR Business Partner | Workplace Mediator
If the company gives you honest feedback, then it is a great place to start. But, it is important to reflect and self-evaluate. Like most topics, once you have identified the weaker areas, you are then able to tackle the relevant areas. Was it the performance in the interview, or was it more closely related to key requirements? There is no one size fits all, if it is only the performance in the interview (e.g. how you display the relevant skills and competencies, and handled the difficult questions) then some reading, learning and a coach may be most advantageous. It may aid you in articulating yourself correctly, and helps with dealing with nerves and difficult questions.
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Theodoros Sotiropoulos
🔺Career Counselor🔺AC Certified Coach 🔺 🔹Resume Writing/Review 🔹Soft Skills Training🔹 🔹Interview Coaching🔹 LinkedIn Review🔹 🔺Communications & Partnerships Associate 🔺Youth Basketball Coach
Find your mentors or peer professionals to conduct mock interviews and exchange feedback. Professionals can provide you with useful comments to improve further points. Personal Branding is a wide range of information including resume and motivation letter writing. Searching profiles and keywords via LinkedIn, you can evaluate your responses.
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John Dobson
CEO at FineArtShare.com
I have actually walked out of a few interviews, because the interviewer didn't impress me. I always excused myself in the process.
Maintaining a positive attitude is essential after an unsuccessful interview. Rejection can be tough, but resilience is a highly regarded trait in any professional setting. Use the experience as motivation to improve and keep moving forward. Continue to apply for jobs that interest you and align with your career goals, and don't let one setback define your career prospects. Staying optimistic will not only help you cope with disappointment but also project confidence in future interviews.
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Kavita Agarwal
Career Counsellor/ Entrepreneur/ Parenting|Education | Karmaveer Puraskar Awardee | President Childcare Council,WICCI/Rajeev Gandhi Icon Award |Bengal Pride Award/G100 Country Chair Childcare/Board Member CAFE
It’s not necessary that we crack every interview. In fact, if applied to 20 jobs or general resume would get shortlisted for five and Interview may be cracked for one or none not cracking. An interview helps to give the reflection on what answers went wrong. It may be wrong reply, lack in confidence, not proper body language or any other thing, but the confidence to go and face it try to answer the questions is a positive way to look at it, learn from the mistakes, prepared more, practice more and move ahead. All the best.
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John Dobson
CEO at FineArtShare.com
The best way for me to remain positive was to ask questions. You have to trust your gut sometimes, because asking the right questions gets you the answers you need to accept a position. Do they really want me, or are they just looking for a fall guy, when the boss falls? Are you really asking me to lower my standards? What's the real job?
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Theodoros Sotiropoulos
🔺Career Counselor🔺AC Certified Coach 🔺 🔹Resume Writing/Review 🔹Soft Skills Training🔹 🔹Interview Coaching🔹 LinkedIn Review🔹 🔺Communications & Partnerships Associate 🔺Youth Basketball Coach
Positivity is not about having non-realistic expectations, but keeping yourself motivated for any case. There will be many chances, if you choose to be an active candidate and pursue direct communication. Preparation can keep you alerted in order to response properly to an opportunity.
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Nidhi Agarwal
Top CX Voice| Director Customer Experience | Retention | Churn Management | Acquisition | Training & Quality | Contact Center Setup | Data Analysis | SOPs & Process Automation | RMG (Real Money Gaming) | Game Enthusiast
Understand that you may not be able to get selected at every place you get interviewed. Hence 1. Accept Failures 2. Recheck if the role was actually relevant to your profile 3. Contemplate what may have gone wrong 4. Ask for feedback if possible 5. Prepare for the next interview and try and cover point 3 and point 4 in case you are able to gauze points of improvement 6. Give your best & stay positive
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Theodoros Sotiropoulos
🔺Career Counselor🔺AC Certified Coach 🔺 🔹Resume Writing/Review 🔹Soft Skills Training🔹 🔹Interview Coaching🔹 LinkedIn Review🔹 🔺Communications & Partnerships Associate 🔺Youth Basketball Coach
It is not about failing. It is about experimenting and choosing an active status, in comparison to remain a passive candidate, who expects for opportunities to come up. Trying varied methods to claim a job position and asking for feedback can provide you space to develop your personal branding and mindset, while dealing with different personalities. You learn from patterns you create, but you have to open-minded to affect further changes when is needed.
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Joseph Edward Villareal
Sales and Marketing Professional / Media Buyer
It would be a great help if the interviewer or hiring manager will honestly tell you the reasons why you weren't considered for the post. As for me, all you need to do is to have a self assessment, focus on your key strengths and believe that someone will take a chance on us.
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Mona AlHebsi FCIPD, PMP, ACC
🌟LinkedIn’s Top Career Counselling Voice 📢 | Award-Winning HR & Thought Leader🏅| Success Coach 🤝 | Author ✍🏻 | Speaker 🗣️
If you feel like you didn't impress in a job interview, take it as a learning opportunity. Reflect on what went wrong and areas you can improve upon. Reach out to the interviewer for feedback, it shows initiative and a willingness to grow. Use this feedback to refine your interview skills for future opportunities. Remember, everyone has setbacks, but it's how you bounce back and learn from them that matters most. Stay positive, keep applying, and use each experience to better yourself for the next opportunity.
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John Dobson
CEO at FineArtShare.com
Sometimes you gotta accept a position just for grins. You never know. If you keep your eyes open, you might pick up on something worthwhile. Maybe you want to start your own similar business. Pay attention. Take notes. Leave when you've got what you need. Sometimes, the job may pay less, but provide greater value in the long-term.
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