By Vicki Salemi |
U.S.News & World Report LP
You aced it. Or at least you thought
you did a stellar job during the job interview, but now that a month has come
and gone, you're not so sure. You thought you would get at least a phone call a
few days or even a week later regarding next steps, but now? Not so much.
Insert crickets.
And now you have to face the music:
You didn't get a shot at a final interview, let alone that coveted job offer.
What went down? Let's look at various scenarios:
1. You talked too
much/too little.
2. You appeared
nervous and lacked confidence.
3. Your soft
skills weren't so sharp.
4. Your technical
skills weren't up to par...
5. Or they were
too on point and you were deemed overqualified.
6. The hiring
manager felt threatened by your sparkling skills and spot-on experience.
7. You were too
vague and didn't illustrate examples when asked behavioral-based questions.
8. Not a cultural
fit with the team and organization.
9. Too much of a
fit - maybe you appeared overconfident.
10. Your salary
requirements were too high.
11. Your
references bailed on you and provided not-so-pleasant insight.
12. Your thank-you
note had errors.
13. You were too
aggressive when following up.
14. You were late
to the interview.
15. Or maybe not
very polite to the receptionist.
16. It wasn't
about you - it was about them, since they went with an internal candidate.
17. They closed
the requisition, downgraded it or upgraded it into something else. Or hiring
has been frozen.
18. The hiring
manager is out of town so all decisions are on hold regardless.
19. You didn't
look the part - maybe you dressed a bit informal and the interviewers' read it
as you're not taking the position seriously.
20. You threw your
current/former employer under the bus.
21. It was simply
not meant to be.
Essentially, there could be a plethora
of reasons why you didn't get selected to move to the next round and get the
job.
Quickly
replay the interview in your mind; tweak accordingly next time. Trust
the process, the reasons and not having all of the answers. Don't try to
analyze too much, since it's easy to become stagnant in your own head instead
of pounding the pavement. At this point, you can conduct a succinct
self-awareness check to see if you can alter anything for the next interview.
Yes, it's deflating when you don't get
a job you're yearning for, but every interview is an opportunity to learn and
improve your approach. Maybe your experience was a stretch and didn't quite
translate into the new role you're pursuing. As in not-so-relevant. Quickly
scan the interview in your mind and tweak accordingly for the next one. For
this example, next time you can connect the dots better with your skill set and
strengths.
It's
not you, it's them.
In another instance, let's say you were polite, arrived on time, felt
comfortable and confident with your answers and the dialogue and demonstrated
required skills and experience for the position. Trust that you did your best
and it wasn't meant to be.
Sure, you may be tempted to wonder
what could have happened. The job requisition could have been filled
internally, they could have selected another candidate who was a rehire or it
could have been put on hold, to name a few. Countless scenarios occur behind
the scenes; it's challenging for a job seeker to surmise. Here's the good news
- you don't have to surmise by spending too much time and energy thinking about
it. It's not always about you and the process isn't very transparent.
Ever
upward.
You may be tempted to ask the recruiter for specific feedback, but chances are
they won't provide it. For starters, it could put the company at risk since
they probably don't provide feedback to every single candidate and because they
should treat all candidates equally. Plus, it opens a can of worms - they need
to focus on candidates they're going to hire, not the ones they're turning
down.
And in the spirit of that mind set,
you should also focus forward. Decide what you're going to improve, such as
providing a range for a salary requirement instead of a specific number, and
pour your attention into prospective employers. Propel forward with your search
and gain momentum with each and every interview, self-assess and then forge
ahead. Ever upward!
Vicki Salemi
is the author of Big Career in the Big City and creator, producer and host of
Score That Job.
This New York City-based career expert
and public speaker possesses more than 15 years of corporate experience in
recruiting and human resources. She coaches college grads individually with an
intense Job Search Boot Camp, writes and edits the MediaJobsDaily blog on
Mediabistro, and conducts interviews as a freelance journalist with celebrities
and notable names. BlogHer named her one of the country's top 25 career and
business women bloggers worth reading!
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