Job Interview

My Interview Went Well…But I Didn’t Get The Job

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It happens to all of us; you think you nailed your interview and you’re already thinking about resigning from your current position but then you find out that you didn’t get the job. What happened?

Man looking at tablet with disapproval.

A number of things, of course, could have happened. Here are 10 to consider:

  1. You misread the room. It’s always possible that the interview did not go as well as you thought…you may have just misread the room, come off as overly rehearsed, arrogant, or any number of things.
  2. There were a lot of well-qualified interviewees. You may, in fact, have interviewed very well—but it’s possible others did as well. Don’t be discouraged, your non-selection does not mean that you weren’t qualified.
  3. Something about the way you presented yourself was not a good match. You may have had a great interview and strong qualifications but there may have been factors (yes, let’s call them unconscious biases) that turned off your interviewers. I once had a hiring manager tell me that she wouldn’t hire someone because the interviewee came in wearing something other than navy, black, or brown!
  4. Your social media did not match the image the organization wants to project. Right or wrong, many hiring managers will check your social media. What does yours say about you?
  5. The organization already had another candidate in mind. Sometimes interviews are just proforma. Doesn’t make it right. Think about it as the organization’s version of practicing even though they’re not serious about you as a candidate. Applicants do this all the time.
  6. You didn’t close the interview, do any follow-up, etc. Hiring managers want to know that you’re interested in their job; you should close your interview appropriately and follow up (without being a nuisance).
  7. The job disappeared, got canceled, was subject to budget cuts, priorities changed, or the position suffered a similar fate.
  8. Your references were not strong enough. Most employers will contact references—even for candidates they really liked. Are your references strong enough?
  9. Your social interactions with non-interviewers (receptionist, security, etc.) were not as pleasant, warm, and/or polite as they were with the interviewers. Everybody counts! And sometimes, everyone gets a vote.
  10. Your responses did not include strong accomplishments. It’s one thing to have simpatico with your interviewers; it’s another to really back up your answers with strong examples of your success—and tie those examples to the job you’re interviewing for.

Good Interview Questions for Managers to Ask

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Since my first article this month explored Interview Best Practices for Hiring Managers, I thought it would be good to couple that article with some sample questions that managers can use. The best interview questions are job related; they can be behaviorally-based, or situational.

Behavioral questions are based on the premise that past behavior is the best predictor of future performance. These are recognizable because they start with, “Tell me about a time…” or “Give me an example when…”

Situational questions are similar but focus on how the applicant would handle a specific situation that he or she is likely to encounter. These kinds of questions typically open with, “What would you do if…”

Here are some questions that fit both categories and can be easily adapted, if needed, to specific jobs:

  1. Describe a time when you were faced with problems or stresses at work that tested your coping skills.  What did you do?
  2. Tell me about a time when you had to use your oral communication skills in order to get a point across that was important to you.
  3. Tell me about a specific occasion when you conformed to a policy even though you did not agree with it.
  4. Give me an example of a time when you used your fact-finding skills to gain information needed to solve a problem and then tell me how you analyzed the information and came to a decision.
  5. Describe a situation in which you were able to read another person effectively and guide your actions by your understanding of his/her individual needs or values.
  6. Describe the worst customer you have ever had and tell me how you dealt with him or her
  7. What would you do if you were asked to perform a task you had never done before?
  8. What would you do if you were committed to a particular project but your boss canceled it halfway through?
  9. Give me an example of a project you were a part of failed, despite your best efforts.
  10. What would you do if you were given a timeframe that you knew at the outset was totally unrealistic?

These kinds of questions allow you to ask job related questions AND find out a little bit about the candidate’s thought process, experience, and skills—in other words, see the person behind the resume! And do so in a way that minimizes the risk of making a bad selection and avoids potential legal pitfalls.

What Not to Wear…For a Job Interview

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Dressing for interviews has gotten harder as workplace attire has become more casual. But one thing that hasn’t changed in the job search process is that people will judge you based on first impressions.

What you wear to an interview may have changed — in some situations — but the need to dress appropriately for the interview has not. It used to be that a suit (for men) and a dress (for women) was required attire for a job interview. Now, wearing a suit might actually work against you — for example, it might signal to a prospective employer that you don’t understand the organizational culture. (Particularly if the employee dress code leans more towards jeans and sneakers than ties and loafers.)

While it’s important to feel comfortable in what you wear to an interview, you don’t want to look too comfortable. Little details about your attire will likely be noted by the interviewer and can make the difference between getting a second interview (or job offer) or not.

Dressing appropriately for an interview demonstrates that you’ve done your research and that you pay attention to detail. Just like you study the organization’s website ahead of time to be prepared for a job interview, studying the company culture — especially as it relates to employee attire — demonstrates your interest in working for the organization.

The hiring manager can form an impression about you in the first five seconds of meeting you. Dressing appropriately conveys a very different impression than an impression made with poorly hemmed pants and shoes that are falling apart. It’s very difficult to change a first impression.

Even if your interview is a virtual interview (telephone or video — i.e., Skype), you should still “dress to impress.” Don’t make the mistake of only dressing your top half for a video interview either. There are dozens of horror stories about having to stand up suddenly or change positions and your suit-on-top-shorts-on-the-bottom look is revealed.

Interviewing When You’re Currently Employed

If you are job hunting while you are currently employed, you might find yourself wondering what to do if you have a job interview scheduled for a day you have to work. How do you dress for an interview when the interview attire is significantly different from what you wear to work in your existing job? You don’t want to show up for work in a suit when you normally come to work dressed in khaki pants and a button-up shirt.

Instead, plan to change clothes before your interview — but don’t change at your current workplace or at the company where you are interviewing. Instead, change somewhere in between — preferably some place that you will have access to a full-length mirror so you can double-check every detail of your appearance. If you don’t have time to go home, a mall or clothing store can be options. Be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to change and still get to the interview a few minutes early.

Interviewing at a New Organization

First, you need to research the organization’s dress code. How can you do that? Ask someone who works there. If you don’t know anyone who works there, go by the worksite at the beginning or end of the day (or during lunch) and see what people are wearing as they go in and out of the building.

Once you have a general idea of dress code, you need to decide how to apply that information to what you’re actually going to wear. One guideline for interview attire is to “Dress One Step Higher.” Once you know what an employee in the position you’re applying for would normally wear to work, elevate it one notch. So, for example, if the typical employee wears khaki pants and a button-up shirt, you might wear dress slacks, a blazer, and a shirt with a tie. For women, a pair of black dress slacks can be worn with a nice sweater and/or button-up shirt or blouse, or button-up shirt and blazer or jacket, and dress shoes or low-heeled shoes. A modest dress (knee length or longer in an interesting color or a muted pattern) is also an option.

Regardless, don’t let your clothes be a distraction. You want the focus to be on you, not what you’re wearing. Be remembered for your interview answers, not your interview attire.

What to Do After a Job Interview

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Congratulations, your interview went well and you’re excited. It is not the time to rest on your laurels—you’ve got work to do! Here are the steps you should take following your interview to keep the momentum going:

  • Send a thank you note. Send a separate note to each person who interviewed you. Your thank you notes should be sent no more than 2 days after your interview; the next day is even better. For government interviews, you should use an email note.
  • Keep applying for positions, even while you wait to hear back on this one. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. For one thing, there’s no guarantee that the jobs will actually get filled. The budget for the new position might not be approved. Or the responsibilities of the job opening may be distributed to one or more existing employees. Or an internal candidate may have suddenly become available, and the position is offered to him or her.
  • Develop any specific skills that were mentioned in the job interview but that you’re weak in — for example, specific software platforms. Not only will this give you something to do while you wait, but it’s also an opportunity for you to demonstrate your serious interest in the position, because you can mention what you’re doing to strengthen your skills in your follow up with the interviewer.
  • Reach out to your network. If someone you knew at the organization had passed your resume along to the hiring manager or endorsed your application, be sure to check in with him or her after the interview. Your contact may be able to provide you with insight about the number of candidates interviewed, how your candidacy was perceived, and other valuable information about the hiring process and the organization culture.
  • Tap your references. Let them know that you’ve interviewed for the position (give them the job title and organization) and that they may be contacted. Make sure they have an updated copy of your resume. Ask them to let you know if they hear from the organization.
  • If this was a first interview, start preparing for a second one. The second interview requires even more preparation than the first one—get busy!
  • Follow up. If the interviewer didn’t mention a timeframe for making a hiring decision — or you didn’t ask — you have a couple of options. The first is to wait a week and then reach out to inquire. How should you follow-up? Unless the interviewer has stated otherwise, a phone call is usually the best method for follow-up. Try to reach the person directly; only leave a voice mail if you can’t reach them after a couple of tries. Don’t forget to check USAJOBS as well to see if the status of the job has changed.

Remember, even if you aren’t selected for the position you were interviewing for, many organizations do keep your application and resume on file, and you might be contacted later about another opening.

The Top 10 Reasons You Were Not Picked for an Interview

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Over and over I hear, “if I could only get an interview, I could get the job…” Yet, far too many times, you’re not called for an interview. What could have happened…you thought you were the perfect fit…and you may have even received an email saying that you were referred to the hiring manager.

Of course, truly knowing the precise reason for not getting interviewed for a specific position is difficult to figure out but here are some of the more common reasons why you were not called for an interview:

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