| It can happen to anyone. For one reason or another - | | | | What? |
| a late arrival, botching answers to key questions, failing | | | | If you've carefully considered what occurred in the |
| to show knowledge about the company - you had a | | | | interview, and you've come to the conclusion that you |
| bad job interview. Although the proverb is true, you | | | | did indeed perform badly, and further, that you're still |
| never get a second chance to make a first impression, | | | | very interested in the job, it's time to go to work. The |
| you do have an opportunity to make up some of what | | | | first thing to do is to analyze what went wrong. |
| you lost in your bad job interview. | | | | Ideally, you would have recorded the interview, so you |
| Was It as Bad as You Thought? | | | | can go back and check your responses to each |
| First of all, let's make sure it really was a bad interview. | | | | question. If you don't have the luxury of a recording, |
| Often, people are their own worst critics, and this is by | | | | you'll have to do your best to remember, with the aid |
| and large a good thing. But when it comes to a job | | | | of any notes you took. Go back over the questions |
| interview, you might be seeing things that weren't | | | | you answered, and write down all the things you wish |
| actually there, or, at least, that weren't nearly as bad | | | | you'd said in response to each question. For example, |
| as you perceived them to be. Give yourself some | | | | if you were asked to describe one project where you |
| time. Take a walk, and clear your head. Try to put the | | | | took charge and completed the work in a unique or |
| interview into perspective. Obviously, things like arriving | | | | outstanding way, and you weren't able to remember |
| late are indeed negatives that will count against you, | | | | the specifics, take the time to write down everything |
| but others are less clear cut. Did you really stutter your | | | | you can remember, now that you're not under the gun. |
| way through the most important questions, or are you | | | | Go back through your records and come up with stats |
| remembering it to be worse than it was? Were you | | | | to back up your answers. If you feel you need |
| really caught flat-footed by one of the interviewer's | | | | third-party materials, such as a note from your old |
| questions? If you were, did it show? Did you fail to | | | | boss talking about that particular project and what |
| impress your interviewer with your knowledge of the | | | | they thought of your work, don't hesitate to ask for |
| company? Are there several things that were on the | | | | them. |
| tip of your tongue that you were never able to | | | | Once you've got everything assembled, it's time to |
| express? Answer these questions, and you'll be able | | | | write a thank you/recovery note. This is a way to |
| to tell yourself whether the interview was as bad as | | | | follow up your bad job interview with concrete |
| you first thought. | | | | examples to back up your less than stellar answers to |
| Is The Job Really for You? | | | | the interview questions. If the interviewer was |
| Even if you've had a bad job interview, it might be a | | | | otherwise impressed with you but was under |
| blessing in disguise. Did you feel like you weren't able to | | | | whelmed by your answers to a few of the questions, |
| connect with the interviewer? Did you feel out of place | | | | this is your chance to set the record straight and take |
| in the office? Were the questions exceedingly simple | | | | back the initiative. Put together a concise, hard-hitting |
| and not a challenge to you? Or were they largely over | | | | letter, using verifiable facts to back up your case |
| your head? | | | | wherever you can. When your prospective employer |
| If you feel you've had a bad job interview, you need to | | | | receives the letter, they will know, even if you didn't |
| ask yourself whether it's a symptom of you being | | | | show it in the interview, that you very much want the |
| ill-suited for the job in the first place. Sometimes job | | | | job and further, that you're uniquely qualified for it. |
| interviews convince the perspective employee that | | | | There are any number of reasons why you can have |
| they wouldn't be right for the job, rather than the other | | | | a bad job interview. Often, it's not as bad as you |
| way around, and there's no shame in that. If you think | | | | thought, and equally often, the interview gives you |
| this might have been the case, don't be afraid to tell | | | | additional information that convinces you that the job |
| the employer so. Thank them for their time, and tell | | | | isn't for you after all. But if you have a bad job |
| them that, based on the interview, you don't believe | | | | interview for a job you really want, writing a timely, |
| you'd be a good fit for the job at the present time, and | | | | fact-filled and enthusiastic recovery letter can show |
| explain why. This will let the employer know where | | | | the employer yet again that you are the best person |
| they stand and allow them to correct the record if you | | | | for the job. |
| misunderstood something in the interview. | | | | Copyright, Cecile Peterkin. All Rights Reserved. |
| It Was a Bad Interview, and You Want the Job. Now | | | | |