Interview disaster? How to turn it around.

 4 Feb 2022

We’ve all been there – an absolute car-crash of an interview – flailing desperately to find answers to question after question until we just want a huge hole to swallow us up! But, read on for ways to mitigate the disaster.

• You are likely to be your fiercest critic so don’t just assume that you have failed to impress. Many firms ask technical questions to test the limits of your experience and to see how far off the next grade you are. This approach will inevitably lead to inaccurate or incomplete answers on your part. Don’t second-guess what the interviewers are thinking. We have seen numerous examples where interviewees have told us the interview was a disaster, only to be given an offer.

• It is essential to analyse each interview. Jot down as many of the questions as you can remember and the answers you gave. Go through each one and think about how you could have improved your answer. This is invaluable for future interviews, and will ensure that you are better placed to provide fuller or more relevant answers next time around.

• If it is a role you are desperately keen on, it may be worth following up with a brief email to the interviewer(s) along the lines of “Thank you for the interview, it was a pleasure to meet you. I apologise for being so nervous. With hindsight, I think you were looking for more in-depth answers to some of the technical questions, for example …….. I’d welcome the chance to take this forward if you feel my background and experience may be of use.” Get advice from your recruiter as to the best approach.

• Try not to dwell on the negatives – all interviews are useful whether you are offered the position or not. Don’t let a bad interview experience put you off attending the next. Learn from any mistakes you feel you made, and you’ll be in a much stronger position to impress at the next.