Didn’t Get the Job? Keep Calm and Carry On
I’ve done my fair share of job applications and interviews. I was on a successful streak, right up until I finished university, until I started going for the ‘career’ job.
When I got my first rejection, it was disheartening – and, yes, I may have also shed a little tear. I found it very hard not to take it personally; I imagined the interview panel laughing at me for my ridiculously low experience and inept abilities when it comes to spreadsheet skills. It didn’t help that, in one of the early rejection emails, they apologised for not giving me the job but said that they had ‘enjoyed’ interviewing me.
Funny choice I words, I thought… I hadn’t meant to be entertaining.
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More unsuccessful interviews went by, and I wasn’t handling the rejection any better. I knew the sensible thing to do was ask for feedback, but I dreaded it, having to sit there and read about everything that I was identifiably no good at through a feedback sandwich. ‘So this was a really good point, but you completely messed up this area. However, we wish you all the best and hope you find employment, just not with us…‘
I was being told by everyone that it was the constructive thing to do, to learn where you can improve. Yes, there are times when this is constructive. But you can also get so hung up on the areas you could improve that it becomes hard not to take it personally and feel completely inadequate as an interviewee.
There’s so much self help information on the internet for interview techniques and grabbing that graduate career, all the do’s, the don’ts and absolutely-must-nots. Not reenacting Chandler’s ‘doodies’ interview is always good advice…
http://youtu.be/6xzTbFI9sg8
But, I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t always work like that. Sometimes you can tick all the boxes, but someone else will still get the job. Why? Because they just had a better ‘feel’ about the other person.
The first time I started to realise this was when I was searching despairingly for more ways to improve my interview skills. I read something which said not to take interview feedback too seriously as it can often be quite vague and unhelpful. I had never thought about it that way. I was taking their word as the absolute truth as to where I should focus all my attention for the next year.
Perhaps there was a chance I didn’t miserably fail and show my incompetence. In fact, I could have been very suitable for the role, but there was just another candidate whose personality fitted a little better. Looking at it this way, I stopped despairing about being rubbish at real life, I thought ‘fair enough’.
I witnessed this first hand, after observing an interview process last week. It was certainly an eye opener. Two people came in, both looked good on paper, both interviewed well. When it came to making the decision about who they liked, it wasn’t as easy as identifying what one person did well and the other did not. In the end, it came down to who they thought they would get on with best in the office.
What can you say to that?! Change your personality?
This can often have a big part to play in the hiring process. I often think about how lucky I am to get along with everyone in my team; I’m starting to realise that this was probably a conscious decision on my manager’s part. Is she going to get on with the others? If not, it’s not going to do a lot for the productivity and morale of the team.
So, next time you have tried your absolute best for an interview and were unsuccessful, take the feedback, take what may be constructive from it; but do not take it to heart.
You will find the employer who thinks you are the right fit and your job will be all the better for it.
If you enjoyed this article, why not check out Rejection Perfection?
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