Getting interviews,not getting job offers

noelphobic

I had an interview this morning and have just had a call to say that I didn't get the job. They said it was mainly down to the fact that I wasn't experienced in one area of the work. This wasn't listed as a requirement and I hadn't stated I had this skill but why did they interview me if it was so crucial? I did ask if there was anything that I could have improved on but they said there wasn't.

I had an interview three weeks ago which I felt went really badly. Not surprisingly I didn't get that job either. I did learn a few things from that interview that helped me with the one I had today, although obviously not enough!

I am trying to get into a completely different type of work than I've done in the past and didn't expect it to be easy. I'm just so frustrated that I'm getting the interviews (for all but one of the jobs I've applied for) but not then getting any further.

Any constructive advice welcomed as always!

devilhat

Someone I know used to run Back-To-Work type sessions for the DWP. She once had a recruiter come in to talk to the clients (!) about interviews.

He apparently advised that if the interviewer says, "So have you any questions for me?", it's worth asking "Do you have any doubts about my suitability for this position that I can clear up for you?"

noelphobic

devilhat wrote: »

Someone I know used to run Back-To-Work type sessions for the DWP. She once had a recruiter come in to talk to the clients (!) about interviews.

He apparently advised that if the interviewer says, "So have you any questions for me?", it's worth asking "Do you have any doubts about my suitability for this position that I can clear up for you?"

Interesting one. However, if I'd asked that and they'd said that they had doubts because I didn't have experience of x, y or z then I couldn't refute that.

They did labour the point on one particular question about an area of experience that I don't have and I do wonder if I could have found a better way to answer it. I did say that I didn't think it would be something I would have problems with and I talked about something I'd done in a previous role in the hope of showing I had transferable skills.

jobbingmusician

noelphobic wrote: »

Interesting one. However, if I'd asked that and they'd said that they had doubts because I didn't have experience of x, y or z then I couldn't refute that.

You could try addressing this in one of two ways.

Firstly, if it's an area you know ahead of the interview you don't have experience in, you could read up about it and say things like 'well, although I have never actually painted a rainbow, I have plenty of relevant experience. In order to paint a rainbow I would need to order in paint and paintbrushes - you'll see I have extensive experience with suppliers. Then I'd need to lower the sky to I can reach it - you'll see I am very tall and I've studied quite a lot about sky-lowering in my course on controlling planetary motion. I'm also very good on ladders. I learnt lots about grading colours in my work with Pantone....' (you get the general idea).

If it's an area which is sprung on you as a surprise, you can either think on your feet about areas (like lowering the sky) which they think you might have problems with, or ask them outright what the areas of that task are which they think would cause you problems, and then think how these relate to tasks you can demonstrate that you have done.

Idiophreak

noelphobic wrote: »

Interesting one. However, if I'd asked that and they'd said that they had doubts because I didn't have experience of x, y or z then I couldn't refute that.

...but you can say "I've not actually done x, y and z as yet...but I *have* done a, b and c. Oh, and h, i and j...I'm really fast to pick things up and have every confidence I'll have mastered x, y and z in two shakes of a nun's todger".

Take it as an opportunity to
a) say what you *do* know.
b) anything you know about the subject or similar subjects
c) demonstrate your enthusiasm to learn.

noelphobic

Idiophreak wrote: »

...but you can say "I've not actually done x, y and z as yet...but I *have* done a, b and c. Oh, and h, i and j...I'm really fast to pick things up and have every confidence I'll have mastered x, y and z in two shakes of a nun's todger".

Take it as an opportunity to
a) say what you *do* know.
b) anything you know about the subject or similar subjects
c) demonstrate your enthusiasm to learn.

I did say something like that but don't think I pushed it far enough and could have done better.

At least I'm getting interviews to get interview experience and will hopefully end up being such an experienced interviewee that interviewers will be falling over themselves to offer me jobs!

devilhat

What they said.
I'm in the same position as the OP: I get a couple of interviews a month, but not the job yet. But it's all field practice.

trollopscarletwoman

If they thought you were lacking in some area that could not be addressed then I can't see any reason to go ahead. Just wasting everyones time.

But don't beat yourself up about it.

To get to the interview stage you must be doing something right.

poorlittlefish

Unfortunately, if they have more than one strong candidate then they're more likely to pick the one that has all the relevant experience as they'll be better equipped to hit the ground running/need less training.

devilhat

I was once turned down for a job. The feedback was, "You were one of the standout candidates, but you didn't talk enough about how you'd worked in a team. We really wanted, and were waiting for, you to tell us about your teamwork experiences."
I'd written about my teamwork experiences on the application form, and they never asked me about it in the interview (which otherwise I thought went very well).
Asking the question in my original post might have enabled me to get the job.

Basically, OP, if you haven't got the experience they're looking for and someone else has, they'll probably get the job. The best you can do is give yourself the best chance you can by spinning what you can do into something you don't know if you can do *yet*. But you must have something about you for your application not to be filed under "Go Away".

The worst it is is experience.

PasturesNew

What often happens is they advertise for a job, then, when they read the CVs they get excited by something an applicant has done that they didn't put in the advert.

e.g. another applicant might have worked in the industry for 5 years, for a competitor, and have knowledge of something they had thought of doing, but didn't have the skills for.

There is often "skills creep" that comes from them reading the CVs they receive.