We’ve all been there – the application went well and you were contacted quickly after the closing date. Interviews were held and you felt you did okay, but it’s been over a week and you’ve not heard anything back. Then you get the dreaded e-mail telling you that you didn’t make it to the next stage and they wish you all the success for your future endeavours. The worst part is there’s no reason they give. You could call them, but the feedback isn’t constructive – there was someone with more experience than you. So how can you move on to make sure you don’t make mistakes with your next interview?

• Did you prepare? Be honest – did you fully prepare for the interview? Scanning the company website for a few minutes isn’t enough. Did you go over your application or covering letter again? Did you think about what you may be asked and how you would fit in the company ethos? Did you know about the current trends in the industry and how that might impact the role you are being interviewed for? If you failed to do the proper research then learn from this for your next interview and conduct the proper research before hand.

 

• How did you conduct yourself in the interview? Did you show passion for the role and the company? Did you have appropriate questions to ask at the end? Did you engage with the interviewers? Although most people are nervous, managing the nerves and relaxing a little is important. If you came across as too shy or passive, the interviewer may question how you would handle the more trickier situations you are likely to find yourself in. But, on the other hand, you may have come across as too aggressive. This may give the interviewer the impression that you would be hard to manage and not get along well with colleagues. Did you interrupt the interviewer? Think about how you presented yourself in the interview. Were you too laid back or too aggressive?

 

• You failed on the first impression. Were you on time, too early? Did you complain about the car park or the train or how difficult it was to find the office? Did you smile and make eye contact with your interviewer? Think about how you were dressed. Did you match the environment or were you more casual? You need to make sure your personal hygiene is in good order and that you weren’t wearing flashy jewellery, too much makeup, perfume or after shave. The first impression you give is crucial and can sometimes set the tone for the whole interview. Were you late? Did you call ahead and let them know? It’s always best to let them know ahead of time and apologise, but unless there’s a really good reason for your lateness, you can probably kiss this job goodbye. Interviewers take this to mean you can’t plan ahead properly and would consider how you would manage your time if you were hired.

 

• You didn’t give the impression that you wanted to stay long term. Despite the reasons for wanting the job, interviewers want to think that you will be sticking around if they offer you the role. They won’t want to invest time and money training someone who has eyes elsewhere after the initial 12 months. What was your response to the question of where do you see yourself in 5 years? If you saw this role as a jumping off point to bigger and better things, maybe this came across in your answers so think back to what you said and see if you can pin point the issue. On the other hand, you may not have given them the impression you had any ambition. Maybe you came across as wanting the role simply for the financial gain? In that case, the interviewers probably felt you weren’t worth the time and investment if you had no ambition or wanted to be there in the first place.

 

• You weren’t a good fit. Some work places have strange dynamics and sometimes people just don’t stay if the atmosphere isn’t what they were expecting. Their office might be staffed by people with big personalities and with your quiet demeanour they assume you won’t fit in well or get on well with other colleagues. Sometimes, this is for the best. They know the staff culture better than you do and there’s nothing worse than having to babysit a new member of staff when they are struggling to fit in a new environment. The only thing you can take from this is to try and learn about the culture of places before the interview. That way, you can see if your values match and consider whether the workplace would be a good fit for you. Do you know anyone currently working there or someone who has recently left who can give you insight? Tap into what resources you have and see if the next place will be a good fit before you get to the interview. That way you can figure out the best responses to show how you would fit into a well established team and culture.

 

• You had a bad attitude. No one wants to hear someone in an interview bad mouth their current boss or workplace. You come across as negative and no one wants to hear that. It makes the interviewer wonder what you will be saying about them to others and generally puts you in a bad light. Think about how you interacted with everyone you came across. Were you pleasant and friendly to the interviewer and rude to the receptionist? They will check and if you were less then pleasant they will find out. Always treat everyone in a friendly manner, you don’t know who they are, so be careful what you say.

 

• You didn’t follow their instructions. Did they ask you to take copies of your qualifications or ID documents in and you didn’t take them? Whatever they asked you to take, it was for a reason. If you didn’t follow their instructions, they will apply that to how you would behave if you got the role. They will make the assumption you can’t follow simple instructions and undertake simple requests.

 

• Maybe your online presence was your downfall. Is your Facebook or Twitter profile full of sexist or racist comments? Do you post lots of political views that maybe don’t fit with the company ethos? Are you bad mouthing colleagues or your current boss? Make sure your profiles are purged for your next interview. Remove anything that may come across as overly obnoxious from your profile. It may sound unfair, but if they are viewing your profile don’t give them any reason to reject you based on this.

Hopefully your next interview isn’t too far off and you have time to reflect on this experience to see what you can learn to be successful next time round.

How can The Wage Shop help?

Job hunting is hard, so follow our tips and make the best of every opportunity to project the best image of yourself. Don’t forget once you’ve landed that role, The Wage Shop are on hand to make sure you’re paid correctly, on time and manage all your tax and national insurance requirements. So you can focus on working hard and getting settled into that new role.

We also offer a Payment Advance service so you can access your money when you need it so you can be ready for the first day. Whether that means a new suit or coffee’s to soften up the new colleagues, we’re here to help.

Head over to the website for more details, or Contact Us to register.