Not all interviews go swimmingly, and there are many possible reasons why your job interview didn’t go as planned. Rather than looking at this as a negative, you should use this as an opportunity to look over everything from your CV to how you acted in your interview. Some people really struggle with interviews, but getting feedback from a bad interview may help you improve in the future.
Ask for Feedback
The first thing you should do after a bad interview is ask for feedback as to what went wrong and why. It could be that you already know exactly why, which will allow you to improve on your weak areas. However, it might be that you thought the interview went well until you received terrible feedback. This is all a learning curve, and interviews come more naturally for some than others. Don’t take it as criticism, and look at it as something to work on. If confidence is a problem, there are ways to look confident even if you don’t feel it.
Look at Your CV and Cover Letter
Sometimes job interviews go bad because your CV or cover letter wasn’t up to scratch with other interviewing candidates. The first thing you should ensure is that you haven’t lied on your CV, as this will only look bad on you if you get caught out or cannot provide evidence of what you have lied about. Writing a CV and a cover letter can be difficult, and having a template can help guide you. If you’ve ever sent out a CV thinking, ‘This needs improvement to be my perfect CV,’ ensure that this never happens again.
Replay the Interview and Ask Others for Advice
Once you have calmed down and aren’t upset over the situation, this is the perfect time to think about how the interview went and what was said. Sometimes, it can be difficult to recall, especially if you were nervous, but thinking back may provide you with some answers about what went wrong. Speak to others about what was asked and what you replied, as people may be able to advise you on a better way to answer a question or word something. It may not be that you said something wrong, per say, but as interviews can be so competitive, you may not have made the best impression.
Get Back Out There
The most important thing you can do after a bad interview is get back out there. The longer you leave it, the more worried and anxious you will become about attending another interview. It may take another five interviews before you get a job, or perhaps it will be only one more — everyone is different, and you should never compare yourself to others. If you are really struggling, the Jobcentre can help you to build your confidence in interviews and is there to aid people who are struggling to get a job.
A bad interview isn’t the end of the world, even though it may feel like it at the time. Take this is an opportunity to learn and grow for further interviews.
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
