How to Handle Feedback When You Don't Get The Job
Being unsuccessful in a job interview can feel really painful, particularly when you thought that you were ideally suited to the job role at hand. Everyone will always tell you that you should ask for feedback after job interviews if you don’t get the job, and this is excellent advice that will help you improve your interview technique in the long run.
Suppose you have asked for and received feedback. In that case, it can feel challenging to process the negative comments on your interview performance or your job-related skills clearly and objectively at first, without emotion getting in the way of that.
Don’t Take it to Heart
Unless you know the interviewer very well and have crossed paths with them in a negative way in the past, it is unlikely that there is any negative intent in what they are saying to you. You have asked for feedback, and they are honouring your request by providing it as professionally as they can manage to do.
It can be hard to repress that first visceral reaction to criticism from someone who didn’t give you a job that you wanted, but once you feel somewhat calmer, you should try to re-read the feedback and honestly try to figure out where it relates to the way you presented in the interview or to your particular skills.
Take on Board Their Comments
If an experienced interviewer is telling you that you have to work much harder on providing examples to back up what you say about your skills, then this is something that you should take on board in time for the next round of interviews you take part in. If your interview techniques are lacking, it is possible to take an online course on presenting yourself more positively in a job interview setting.
There are many different things that the interviewer could have found lacking, and if it is only your interview skills, then you are in a very good place because you can take positive action to address where the problem lies.
On the other hand, if the interviewer doesn’t believe that your skills are adequate for the job in question, that leaves you in a much more difficult predicament when applying for similar jobs in the future. It is possible that the next interviewer will have a completely different view of you and your skill set. Still, it is always a gamble not to do anything to improve upon what a previous interviewer flagged up for you.
Take Positive Steps Toward Improvement
Scenario 1 - Internal Job Interview
Suppose the job interview was an internal one with your company for career advancement and promotion. In that case, this will have been tricky to hear from the interviewer, who is probably one of your bosses at the company. This is completely understandable, especially if you have invested several years of your life working with them and helping the company to grow and thrive through your efforts. It can be tempting to veer toward disillusionment and discontent, but reaching for self-improvement and upskilling is far more rewarding.
If your bosses have identified areas where you need to improve in order to gain the promotion that you have been aiming for, ask them if the company would be prepared to assist you in improving in those areas that were identified. Many companies will have some kind of training budget and this is obviously something that is a good investment when spent on committed staff who wish to improve their skills and continue to do good work with them.
If you can persuade your bosses to use company resources to help you to improve and upskill, then that is a real achievement and shows that you are held in regard by the organisation. This may perhaps soften the blow somewhat from not being promoted at this juncture.
Scenario 2 - External Job Interview
If the job interview was with an external organisation, you should still take the information on board and seek to use it positively. If you are between jobs now, it may be the perfect opportunity to look at some options for studying. The Open University (OU), in particular, has some excellent courses that may suit you well and will help you address some of the skills deficits that the interviewer may have identified.
The courses offered by the OU are all distance learning. In fact, they were very early pioneers in remote learning, so you can do them from anywhere with no commuting costs associated with them. Depending on your age and experience, you may be able to access the courses for either free or a nominal fee.
If you are in work and don’t feel that you have the time to commit to something like the OU, there are still many available online courses, either free or premium, which can help you to understand any areas of your work that you were struggling with and some come with an accreditation that you can mention in your next job interview.
Apply for the Next Job
Don’t let anything keep you down. Just because one interviewer didn’t think you were the right person for them, it doesn’t mean that you won't be the perfect person for another company. It is important to keep your chin up and continue to believe in yourself, in spite of the odd setback.
Nobody in the world is immune from such setbacks entirely, and you will come through the whole process stronger from having received and acted on the feedback you were given. When we don’t manage to secure a particular job that we really wanted at the time, it can be difficult, but there are an incredible amount of high-quality jobs that we could do really well in.
It is just a case of picking yourself up and applying again. The next interview will be better, and even if you don’t get the job, the continuous cycle of feedback and improvement will mean you have a better chance each time.
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