Plenty of interviews but still no job offer

BigAunty

IceCold wrote: »

I always prepare for the interviews. I go in dressed smartly. I always research the company and the role so I'm armed with information about it and can answer any question the person interviewing me has. I am always polite, friendly and enthusiastic. I am always on time and ask the person interviewing me questions afterwards.

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So did all the other candidates they interviewed.

Someone had that 'x' factor, a way of really impressing them above and beyond what the interviewers were seeking. That interviewee didn't just go through the motions.

Polarbeary

How are all of us getting on? I've had 12 interviews in 3 weeks. Through to second stage for one but then got made to wait for two weeks to find an internal candidate had applied and they went with them. Sigh!

Have two more second interviews next week and another 3 first interviews!

So I'm obviously doing something right. Almost all the feedback I get is positive. Just had enough of interviews.

cupid07

Theres too much competition in this country unfortunately. I've been told that for any one job (mine was public sector work) they were getting around 300 applications. Good luck everyone, its sink or swim sadly.

FlyingBuyingTrying

I recently had a terrible interview for a major IT company. It was my first interview in 6 years and I got so nervous that I froze. Despite knowing a lot of what was required for the role, I forgot even the most basic information. You could have asked me how to turn a computer on and I would have failed. I rambled and had total brain freeze. I am still at university but currently looking for an entry level engineering role. I think however my current status even as a part time uni student might be putting employers off. I have my exams coming up soon and next year is my final year, so shall be pretty busy.
I did notice during the interview that they started asking me questions about certain technologies that I had stated I knew nothing about. One of the interviewers had a Phd in Engineering and I really felt they were just messing with me at the end. It was awful. I just wanted to slid under the table.
On another aspect of that experience was the rather cold atmosphere I felt walking in to the building. People seemed tense around the main manager. It just did not feel right for me. I have learnt from the experience and will do better next interview.
Really looking into getting my CV professionally put together.

JJforever

IceCold

Did you eventually get a job?

I have also had 13 interviews now without success but unlike yourself I am failing on the competency based questions. I know I need interview help although I don't know where to go. Previously years ago I had no problems with interviews but now it's completely different and I feel maybe I have been left behind. There is obviously a skill to it which I am going to have to learn.

Hope most of the posters on this thread got successful.

missbiggles1

JJforever wrote: »

IceCold

Did you eventually get a job?

I have also had 13 interviews now without success but unlike yourself I am failing on the competency based questions. I know I need interview help although I don't know where to go. Previously years ago I had no problems with interviews but now it's completely different and I feel maybe I have been left behind. There is obviously a skill to it which I am going to have to learn.

Hope most of the posters on this thread got successful.

Contact the NCS.

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/getajob/interviews/Pages/default.aspx

YouAsked

From the interviews I have been involved with recently, I can give various reasons why some candidates were successful/unsuccessful.

1) two candidates were tied - they had pretty much equal strengths/weaknesses but in different things and the panel took a long time to "weight" those strengths and weaknesses against the current set up in the team - I think the only thing the unsuccessful candidate could have done in this situation would have been to give stronger answers in the first place (weakness were all to do with evaluating processes and identifying what worked/didn't). We had absolutely no question that the unsuccessful person could have done the job and if the successful candidate was out of the picture we would have happily appointed.

2) one candidate had a really strong CV/application and although they didn't have quite the right skillset they were interviewed on the basis that the panel thought there was evidence of being able to adapt quickly. However at interview the answers lacked depth. We knew she didn't have the right experience and weren't expecting them to be able to demonstrate that, but there was absolutely nothing "transferable" - for example, we were expecting the candidate to be able to say what they had learned from certain experiences, examples of working under pressure, evidence of being able to meet/understand/explain regulatory requirements (even in a different industry) but the answers were all really bland.

3) One person showed a complete lack of discretion - I won't go into detail, but don't be over-personal.

Sometimes it helps to reframe your thinking - so they may be asking a question about how you would deal with a difficult customer. Don't just give a mechanical answer - "in this situation I did this" - think about *why* they are asking the question. Being calm and polite is a given when dealing with difficult customers - they want more from you than that! They want to hear that you understand company protocols, you're able to identify issues and decide what is the best action to take (including when it is appropriate to escalate to management), that your judgement is sound etc. Maybe you can give an example of when you dealt with a difficult customer and then afterwards reflected on the situation and thought about what had been effective/less so and what you would do the same/differntly the next time around. Obviously I don't know what type of jobs you're applying for so difficult customers may not be applicable, but the re-framing your thinking will be - it's not the actual question that matters sometimes, but what your answer demonstrates about you.