Can't get Through Interviews

Planet_Switzerland

I've been in a similar situation, but it worked out in the end. You may find you get the job at your next interview and be glad that was the job you got rather than the other 5.


When I decided I wanted to move to London several years ago, it took me 7 interviews and over a year until I got there. It was very frustrating and was losing hope I'd ever get there, but it worked out well in the end. This is how it went for me:


Interview 1 - Borehamwood (Yes I know, not London or anything like London, just saw it was inside the M25), was a disaster, but seemed a depressing place to work.


Interview 2 - Central London, thought interview went well but afterwards the recruitment consultant at the agency who was calling me constantly prior to the interview was now always unavailable to talk when I called so assumed I didn't get the job.


Interview 3 - Richmond, they decided to phone me rather than e-mail me afterwards to tell me I did well but the other candidate beat me on experience.


Interview 4 - Central London, small company who's MD interviewed me, he was an idiot, not a good interview.


Interview 5 - Central London, did a test which I aced, interview seemed to go ok but apparently my experience wasn't quite what he was looking for.


Interview 6 - Southwark, had been a few months since last interview, job was paying a couple of grand less than I was looking for but was desperate. Did test first, got 100%. Interview went well, but someone who had been made redundant in that exact role for a competitor was given it, but was told I would have got it if that person hadn't come along.


Interview 7 - Central London, did a test, realised I'd screwed it up and didn't have time to put it right. Explained what I should have done in interview, end up getting the job.


Obviously I didn't want jobs 1 or 4 and just wanted 6 out of desperation. Job 3 seemed ideal to me, but Richmond, although a nice area, is quite far removed from the rest of London, plus I found out a year or so later that the founders sold the company and reviews on glassdoor say that made it a terrible place to work.


Given the choice between the other two jobs and the one I got, I would have chosen the one I did get.

Sanne

I have interviewed a lot of people for one position recently and, from the other side of the table....

1. Don't constantly talk about what the team achieved or did - focus on what your contribution and responsibilities were. So many people talked about what their team did but it was hard to figure out their role
2. Be enthusiastic about the role and company and explain why you want THAT job and work for THAT company. We've had a lot of people who couldn't say why they wanted to work for us or why they applied for that role in particular. What attracted you, what do you find interesting about the role/company/industry
3. If you don't know something say so and don't make stuff up. It's better to admit you aren't sure but think it is xyz than comfortably saying oh, yes, I have loads of experience, it's blah - and then come out with an answer showing that you have no clue
4. Body language. Yes, while I remain open I have a first impression of someone the moment I greet them. Not getting up to say hello, only focusing on my male interview partner... nope, not good. Also the way you start the interview - thank them for inviting you etc.
5. Not answering our questions. Goes back to if you don't know say so but don't blubber on about completely irrelevant stuff. Also, if you say you have done something or can do something I'm looking for examples - ideally not always the same or from 20 years ago
6. If you can't make the interview or you're late, phone in yourself. Don't make your husband or wife call for you. (Yes, happened three times)
7. Don't rattle down text book answers. I try not to ask too many text book questions but if I do I don't want to hear what every book says but what the interviewee has to say.
8. Don't b******. Ever. I'll find out during the interview when drilling down further and it's embarrassing if you tell me you have huge experience with something and it turns out you have barely heard the term
9. Body language. If you say you're really interested but you're looking really bored.... well, figure...

That's just some of the reasons that come to my mind why we didn't make job offers.

Also, at the end, confirm that you are really interested and say why before asking for next steps.

seven-day-weekend

gonthemicrobe wrote: »

Thanks for the replies...

Not had 3 jobs in 4 years only 2, but I was offered 2 jobs at the same time and had to decline one of them.

In terms of body language that might be the problem, though I wouldn't think I come across as feeble because in general I don't get all that nervous. I'll look into that one though!

Interviews have been a mix really, it's the competency questions that trip me up as you often have to give detailed answers to vague questions like "How do you handle working in a team" etc!

Be prepared for these sort of questions and give them an example of good practise of you working in a team (doesn't have to be employment based) and what YOU personally did to enhance the teamwork.

Same with 'how would you cope in an emergency?' and 'how would you deal with an irate client' -type questions. Have your answers prepared, with examples of what YOU did to enhance the situation.

For your examples, remember the acronym STAR. An example below:

S = Situation (Customer says their energy account shows an
error)
T = Task (To find out if there is an error and correct if so)
A =Action ( Go through customer's account and match it with
payments and bills. Find and correct error)
R = Result (Explain the results to the satisfied Customer ).

Don't forget, it's all about what YOU did!

Also, if the question is' what do you see as your weak points', turn them into a positive ' I can sometimes get too immersed in a task, but I understand this and now make sure I take a break occasionally'. 'I sometimes suffer from lack of confidence, but I am aware of this and tell myself that I am more than up to the task'. (I have used this one myself in a phone interview.)

As regards phone interviews, I find it helpful if you dress as for a face-to-face interview and don't forget to smile down the phone

Hope this helps!

ACG

I can not help much, but part of the reason I went self employed was because I was useless in interviews.

One thing that did help was getting feedback. I went to an interview for halifax bank once and the bloke called me up at the end and basically went through it with me. Some of the advice he gave me I took into the next interview and got the job.

I was on a night out and my manager was basically saying I crashed and burned the interview but the roleplay was the bit that did it and that was because I implimented what the bloke from Halifax told me.

So ask for feedback, it may help. It may not, but no harm in trying.

gonthemicrobe

Still no luck for me on this.

5 interviews since April, failed them all. Had standard "you interviewed well but another candidate..." feedback from those that bothered to get back to me.

Really at my wits end now. Any further assistance welcome!

Malthusian

Not sure why you're at your wits' end when you knew that your strike rate was just under 1 in 6 (3 job offers from 20-25 interviews) and you've only done 5 interviews. Based on those odds you only had a 50-60% chance of getting an offer from five interviews - not much better than a coin flip.

There may be technique involved as well but interviewing is a numbers game and those are the numbers.

1 in 6 sounds like a perfectly decent strike rate to me. I was interviewing for a new job recently and I had at least 6 interviews before I had a success. I could have obtained a job much sooner, but the reason I wanted a new job was to progress my career, so I was being picky and rejecting jobs that would have been a sideways move. But this also meant I was always a long-odds outsider - there was always likely to be a candidate who had experience at a more senior level or the next level of qualification. I don't know why you want a new job, but you said you were currently employed on the same field so whatever the reason you're bound to be more picky than if you were on the dole.

The annoying thing about being the long-odds outsider is that if you have already rolled the dice five times without getting a six, it doesn't mean you've only got to do it once more - your odds are still 1 in 6. You just have to keep doing the right things. The important thing is that you're getting good feedback and there's no reason to believe the numbers aren't in your favour, providing you stick at it. "You interviewed well but another candidate..." is not standard feedback, it's very good feedback. Neither recruiters nor HR departments have hesitated to tell me what I was doing wrong when I was doing it wrong.

macca1974

Interviews are all about selling yourself and what you can do for the business. I haven't had an interview for a while, but do remember a while back going through the process for one role and then blowing it completely because I was nervous. This then made me realise that you need to attend the interviews with confidence and a decent amount of front.

The only way that I could approach the interviews this way was to be really well prepared. So all of the things stated above (dress well, good handshake, research on the company etc). The key one was the competency based questions and I remember getting a list of these from a recruiter and then spending a fair amount of time preparing answers. Finding scenarios throughout my career that would put me in a good light and then writing down my answers and then practicing them until they flowed well.

The key though is that is like any type of selling and that is that you need to be asked a question, sit back as though you are considering the answer and the providing your pre-prepared answer as though you have just thought of it. The only way I could do this was practice.

Think back to the questions that you have been asked throughout your various interviews over the past 12 months, there must be a lot of common questions asked and then build some really good prepared answers for them. The key is the delivery and presenting the persona of somebody who is relaxed, in charge of their brief (i.e. selling yourself) and looks like they are going to be a good addition to the team.

lantanna

Its not just you don't worry. I have had 5 this year and like yourself haven't gotten them. I'm getting down to last 2 and getting piped to the post. My feedback where given is also good. The best piece of advice someone gave me last week was people pick people, try and make a connection with the panel, be friendly and warm. I have a very straight face where I can come across as stand offish so I know I have to work on that. I have 2 more interviews next week and I am hoping to try and connect more with the panel. Do keep us updated on how your search goes! It is hard work and rejection is never easy to take but I do believe we will get there. Incidentally when I was in my 20s I had a good run for years where I got every job I went for. When I do get my next move I will be very appreciative of it!

paddyrg

If you can't make the interview or you're late, phone in yourself. Don't make your husband or wife call for you. (Yes, happened three times)

I go a step further - MAKE the interview. If you have to walk to the door, then go for a local walk for an hour, then arrive 10 minutes early and ask the receptionist if there's a loo you can use to primp and polish before your 'slot' - DO THAT instead of catching a bus that gets there late, or being unable to find the office. If you mess the company around before you even work there and are on best behaviour, it does not bode well.

daytona0

A lot of us can't get through interviews!

I once got told that I was "not up to the benchmark level" for a call center role in a bank. I was working in another call center at the time.

A day after receiving this feedback I found out that a colleague of mine had handed their notice in as they had been accepted into the same job!

My colleague was failing data protection on calls and I was actually coaching her on it!

So I always take interview feedback with a pinch of salt these days.