Someone else was chosen for the job you felt you were perfect for. WHY???

Never take a rash action and contact the “offending” company without first taking time to process the rejection yourself. Think about your interview performance carefully for a couple of days, and consider the following:

Resume:  Was it tailored for this particular job?  Did it highlight qualifications the job description specifically mentioned?

Attitude: Did you go into the interview with an appropriate attitude? Body language and tone of voice are often times more highly considered than your answers to questions. Were you engaged and appeared happy to be there?  Were you a bit too confident or did you come across as arrogant because you felt you were perfect or more qualified than anyone else?

Appearance: Were you dressed appropriately for the interview? The “right” answer may change depending on the company culture, level of interview, level of position, and many other variables.

After reviewing these areas, if you have decided you could have performed better, what now?  What if you feel you performed at your top level and just do not understand why you didn’t get the offer?

Do you just pretend that the interview never happened and go on to the next one without having any idea what went wrong? Of course not!

Contacting a company that did not hire you can be uncomfortable, but many Hiring Managers appreciate and will be receptive to you seeking improvement.  Our recommendation would be to email the interviewer instead of call and consider the following:

  • You must remember to be diplomatic and not place blame on them for the outcome.  You have to create a comfortable environment where they will speak freely in order for you to obtain their feedback.
  • Politely request if he or she has time to give you 2 or 3 tips on how to better your interviewing techniques.
  • Always remember to thank the interviewer for the opportunity you were given to interview and to suggest that should they have further opportunities you would love to be considered.

If you take the time to respectfully and thoroughly listen, the feedback your interviewer gives will likely improve your next interview performance.  Asking why will leave the company with a positive and impressive image of you in case you choose to pursue a job with their company again in the future.

Written by Betty Crisp

 

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com

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