Ever left a job interview somewhat confused about how it went? Whether you recognized it in the moment or it slowly dawned on you after you replayed it in your head, at some point in your career, you’ll have experienced a bad interview. The reasons may vary, but the signs are pretty stable. Here are 6 signs you just had a bad job interview.
1. It got cut short.
A shorter job interview is not always a reason for concern. But if you were supposed to meet the team and end up being thanked for your time after only meeting one person, it’s usually an indication that you’re just not the right fit.
2. You’re not being sold on the job or company.
[ctt_hbox link=”grW71″ ]Yes, you’re the one selling yourself to be selected for the role. But that doesn’t mean the interviewer doesn’t have a responsibility to sell you on the job or company. After all, you may have choices and they have to ensure they’re doing their best to have you accept an offer should you receive one![/ctt_hbox]
3. You feel no real connection to the interviewer.
Even if you’re not the best at building rapport, you need to make a connection with the interviewer to get to the next level. But the burden of connection doesn’t lie solely on your shoulders. Interviewers should try to make candidates comfortable so that they really get to know them. If the interviewer didn’t try to make a connection or you felt you just kept getting your wires crossed, it’s certainly not a good sign.
4. Questions are asked and answered — and that’s it.
A good job interview feels like a conversation. It’s not an interrogation or a fact collecting session. Good interviews have a natural flow. Follow-up questions should come spontaneously from what is actually being said. If your interviewer just fires away question after question with no real interest in digging deeper, they’re just going through the motions until they can find a reasonable moment to end the job interview.
5. Salary and availability don’t come up.
Salary is usually discussed in detail as you get closer to the offer stage. Your initial interview should touch upon your salary expectations and availability. However, once you’ve established these points, they may not come up again until the end of the process. It’s usually only a bad sign when coupled with some of these other points. Just remember, if you’re in a state that has passed a salary history ban, you don’t have to divulge your current salary, only what you’re looking for!
6. You just know.
Many people have had what they thought were bad interviews only to be called in for the next round. But if you’ve had a seriously bad meeting, you just know. Trust yourself and listen to your gut. If you can salvage it in anyway through your follow-up, it’s always worth a shot. At this point, you have nothing to lose by putting yourself out there, acknowledging that it didn’t go as well as you had hoped and asking for a do-over or sending materials that support your request.
Make sure your next job interview is a success. Check out Atriums Guide To Getting Hired.
A version of this blog first appeared on Fairygodboss.com
