No matter how well you prepare, it’s not uncommon to find yourself in an interview situation where you just don’t perform as well as you expected or needed to, or the job isn’t what you had in mind at all. However, you can come out of the interview situation feeling much better about yourself than when you went in if you follow some tried and true strategies for recovery after a bad interview.
1) Understand why you messed up
If you take some time to self-reflect, you’ll be able to determine why your interview didn’t go well. This way, you can figure out what you need to change about yourself before your next interview. For example, maybe you were late or looked disheveled—both of which will send up red flags for an interviewer. Once you know how your last interview went so wrong, it should be easy for you to understand what went wrong in any future interviews and practice accordingly.
2) Focus on what you can learn from this interview
There’s nothing you can do about an interviewer who didn’t like you. Instead, think about what went wrong and how it will help you improve in future interviews. Most people think they failed because they didn’t get along with their interviewer; however, research has shown that only 7% of interviewers end up making hiring decisions based on personal chemistry or fit. As long as you can handle your job well, research has also shown that being likable does not predict job performance.
3) Continue your search
It’s easy to feel discouraged and beat yourself up after a bad interview, but don’t. There’s no reason for self-loathing; you didn’t know what you were getting into before sitting down with your prospective employer—so don’t take it personally. A better way is to look at everything as an opportunity for learning and change.
4) Evaluate your preparation
Have you practiced interview questions with your friends or family? Your interviewer can tell if you’re not confident with answering certain questions, so do yourself a favor and practice thoroughly. Also, make sure that you read up on your prospective employer! The more informed you are about their mission statement and services/products offered, the better equipped you’ll be in answering interview questions about why you want to work for them.
5) Learn from the process
If you’ve recently had an interview that didn’t go as well as you hoped, it can be tempting to beat yourself up and feel like your confidence is shattered. However, there are ways of learning from your experience, improving on what you did wrong, and hopefully landing your dream job. Use these steps as guidance so that next time things go better in an interview.
6) Take some time off and relax
The best way to recover from a bad interview is to take some time off. You need some time alone to relax, regroup and refocus on your job search. Spend time with family and friends instead of worrying about getting back into the job market immediately after an interview that didn’t go as planned. Take care of yourself and allow yourself some down time because you deserve it!
7) Be more prepared for the next interview.
Think you’re done with an interview after you’ve left? Think again. The act of interviewing is not just something that happens when you meet with your potential employer; it can happen before and after as well. Before and after each interview, take time to review what happened, see where you could have improved or what questions could have been asked, even though they weren’t.
8) Treat yourself with something positive
If you just got back from an interview where things didn’t go as well as you’d hoped, treating yourself with something positive can make a world of difference. Go get your nails done or grab a drink with friends—whatever gets you happy and feeling like yourself again! You are not a failure; you simply need to pick yourself up, learn from your mistakes, and keep going. The next interview will be great.
9) Get help from family or friends if needed.
Rejection is hard, and if you don’t have anyone in your life who can talk you through things after an interview, it can be very easy to slip into negative thinking. Instead of dwelling on all of your mistakes, try getting help from family or friends if needed. They’ll be able to refocus your energy and attention on what matters: preparing for your next interview.
10) Stay Positive and Focus On Other Opportunities.
Everyone’s had an interview that didn’t go so well. Even if you feel like you bombed, it doesn’t mean there isn’t hope. Focus on ways you can improve next time and look for other opportunities—there are always other options. Start by identifying what went wrong during your last interview: Were you late? Did you not know what was expected of you? Was there some other reason for why things didn’t go so well?
Conclusion
The interview process can be nerve-wracking and stressful. While you might not be able to control how well you think, speak, or answer questions during an interview, you can control your recovery by following these 10 tips. With preparation, a positive attitude, and these recovery strategies in hand, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t earn that dream job offer!