So you got the interview, but not the job…
You landed an interview for your dream job. You spent hours applying, preparing, and interviewing. You even made it to the final round, and after all that…you were informed that another candidate got the role. Understandably, you are disappointed — and rightfully so. There are a range of emotions associated with getting so close to the gate, and you can certainly mope about the outcome for as long as you need. Once you’re ready to move forward — what’s next?
I’ve shared with my coaching clients that there are a number of factors that might have played a part in not landing the job. I see two of them as being out of your control, so no point in dwelling on these. (But sometimes it’s a nice consolation!)
Another candidate was better qualified: Unfortunately, this is often the sour truth. There is likely always going to be someone who has a little bit extra in a valuable area for this particular role.
The position was earmarked for someone else: This one is harsh, particularly when you’ve been through a long process from start to finish. But the truth is, sometimes the job is already in place for someone else, perhaps internal.
Now, here are five more possible reasons that you didn’t make the final cut — but you have control over these scenarios. How can you make a positive change for the next interview?
Your introduction was lackluster: They asked you the classic, “Tell us why you are the best person for the job” and you found yourself all twirled around. Use the rule of threes to remember three key experiences/education/projects that make you the ideal candidate. Not five….just three. List them: give yourself structure and focus, and keep your intro succinct and memorable.
You didn’t rehearse stories related to your experience: With many interviews taking place remotely now, you have the opportunity to prepare ahead of time for being on camera. Did you do a practice run? Did you record yourself to listen to your pace, storytelling, online presence? This is their first impression of you, so set the right tone.
You didn’t quantify your experience or were too shy to share: Speaking about your work experience and the impact you had on an organisation can be very powerful. Don’t miss the chance to quantify your successes so that people can have a better understanding of what you did (budget size, conference participants, employee management, etc. — whatever aspect you were involved in.) In other words: explain your stats.
You displayed a tepid interest in the organisation: One easily avoidable pitfall is to express interest in the role by having follow-up questions prepared to ask the panel — usually at the end of the interview. No questions = minimal interest. Some options:
What is the most pressing priority?
What does success look like here?
(Note: don’t use this time to ask about compensation.)
You didn’t do your homework: Did you look beyond the website ahead of time? For example: find videos of the organisation to watch, follow other employees’ work, see if there have been any events, look for current news about what the company is doing, etc.
You were overqualified: Yes, it happens. Sometimes you are simply not a good fit because the organisation sees that you may outgrow the role before even starting.
The job market is certainly hot right now, and many barriers of entry have been broken with the explosion of remote work (whoop) — but some factors are still out of your control. Don’t let the process discourage you, but rather choose to view each interview as a learning opportunity. Always take some time post-interview to reflect on the questions you enjoyed, the ones that were challenging, and where you might want to expend more energy next time.
There is more work out there than there are people, so keep on keeping on. Getting an interview is a positive sign that you have what it takes — it just needs to land for both you and the organisation, and sometimes that takes a few rounds. If it were easy, there wouldn’t be any learning in the process.
With joy,
