Recovering from a Bad Interview
by Carolyn Raitt, Managing Consultant for Outplacement
You are preparing or an interview, feel like you have everything you need to be successful, and once in front of the interviewer, you freeze, forget something important you wanted to mention, or kick yourself after the meeting because you feel you missed an opportunity to shine. Give yourself a bit of a break. It’s an interview. Most interviewers expect you to have some nervousness and prefer you to be yourself and not have someone in front of them they think is “performing.” Don’t fear, there is always room to recover. One effective way is through your thank you correspondence.
- Send a customized note to everyone you met. The note should include something specific that you believe connected you and the interviewer to make it more meaningful. Did you have something in common like a contact, school, location, former company, etc.? Was there something in the environment where you met that sparked interest? It’s helpful to bring up this type of connection to help you stand out and allow the interviewer to potentially reassess their first impression.
- If you feel you missed an opportunity to highlight a skill or experience, put it in this follow up note. Reference the specific skill or experience that aligns to the role and include a relevant, short accomplishment-based statement to back it up.
- If you had a sample of your work that would have been good to share, include it. Maybe it’s a link to an article or post you wrote or a copy of presentation. The fact you are following up on part of the conversation where you may have felt you could have provided more information shows you listened and cared enough to put closure to an open item from the interview.
A thank you note is expected as part of the interview etiquette. It allows you to make another impression, and can be sent via email or even more impactful to some, by snail mail. Remember, every interaction forms an impression. Try not to feel defeated if you feel the first impression wasn’t your best. Even if you are not offered a position, use this experience as a way to learn and grow for the next interview.
