As a general rule, we can and should learn from our failures—that includes interviews. As a recruiter, I have always been impressed with candidates who ask me for honest feedback about their strengths and weaknesses. However, when it comes to giving feedback about how a candidate performed in the interview, it can become tricky, both for recruiters and hiring managers.
In one of our group coaching calls in Career Confidential's Total Access Coaching club, a member asked about what you can do if the hiring manager won't tell you what you did wrong, because of liability issues. How can you find out what the problems were so you can correct them next time?
This is what I told him:
Most people will never tell you how you failed because they've had bad things happen when they gave honest feedback. Recruiters have had candidates go back to the hiring manager to argue their case, or argue with the recruiter about it. I once told a candidate that the reason she didn't get the job was that the hiring manger thought she was too negative, and so then she got into an argument with me about why she wasn't negative. Nothing she said helped her. She HAD been negative, and it wasn't up for debate. The decision was up to that hiring manager, and it was done. The only thing she achieved from that argument was irritating me.
Still, some recruiters or hiring managers will tell you—and you never know until you ask. (BTW: HR will never tell you. Don't even bother asking.)
Here's the key: They will be more likely to tell you IF you clearly and sincerely let them off the hook. Clearly communicate that you understand that you're done—you are not going to be hired, no matter what they say or what you say. Some ways to do this are:
“I understand that you're hiring someone else, and that's OK. So that I can be better going forward in future interviews, can you please tell me one or two things I could do differently that would help me be more successful?"
“I understand that we are done with this process and you're moving forward with someone else. But, if I were your sister or your cousin, what advice would you give me for next time?"
The recruiter or hiring manager may try to soften the blow by couching their criticism in softer language: “Well, I would maybe suggest that you review [some interview topic]." (Definitely review whatever they suggested before you interview again.) Or, “It might do you some good to have someone check your references." If they say something like this to you, read between the lines and realize that at least one of your references probably caused you to lose out on the job.
Whatever they tell you, please realize that they've done you a great favor. They didn't have to say anything. Take their advice with gratitude and take active steps to improve moving forward.
If you want to make sure you don't fail your interviews in the first place, I strongly suggest learning as much as you can from Career Confidential's array of job-winning advice, tips, and tools. Click here to see what's available (and see customer reviews): Job Search and Interview Tools..
This post was originally published at an earlier date.Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a Work It Daily-approved expert.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
Bigstock
Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
Bigstock
Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
Bigstock
Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
Need more help with your job search?
Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
Bigstock
Bigstock
Bigstock
