Don’t shrink after a bad interview, instead be empowered
I am sure you would agree that it’s easy to talk about the interviews that you aced because you feel good after they’re completed. You’re excited and proud! On the contrary, you find it difficult or tough to talk about the interviews that went badly. The emotions that you feel after failed interviews is debilitating and soul crushing. These feelings can also linger and haunt you. Even worse, you might also not want to talk about what happened because you feel embarrassed. You blame yourself.
Here’s a scenario of how this could play out.
“You walk out of an interview replaying every word, every pause, every awkward laugh. Maybe you stumbled on a question. Maybe you couldn’t answer. Maybe the entire vibe was off. Maybe, maybe it just wasn’t your day. You’re not sure. One thing that you’re sure of is that this interview was a flop. It was an awkward interview, and this really sucks because you tried so hard. You stayed up all night preparing, you researched the company, and you showed up 15 mins early.
Your first instinct - you start beating yourself up and when you’re tired, you feel as though you want to shrink, curl up into a ball. You never want to interview again and you felt like you wasted your time. You also don’t feel like talking to anyone and the last thing you want to think about is preparing for another interview. You wonder if you should even continue with your job search.”
If this ever happens to you, instead of shrinking here is what we’d like you to remember and do instead:
1. One bad interview doesn’t define you or your value - you are still worthy of holding your head up high. You’ve done all you could and most importantly you showed up, even on the tough days. You have skills that you’ve mastered and skills that you’re still building. You are human and sometimes you will make mistakes.
2. Reframe and flip your thinking - instead of dwelling on how much you messed up it’s time to move head and look at things from a different perspective. Shift your thinking from “I totally failed that,” to “now I know what things to prep for next time. I’ve learned where I can improve.”
3. Do mock interviews with family or friends - this way you get more practice, and you also make interviewing fun. Ask for feedback.
4. Start networking and engaging in conversations with industry professionals. Being more “present” will help to build your confidence.
5. Track your progress - when you begin interviewing again (because you will!), track your wins and your losses. Also, journal your thoughts. This can help you to get out of your head and can quiet the negative noise that is associated with shrinking.
Remember, they are interviewing you because you belong there. You are qualified and you are still worthy.
One bad interview doesn’t mean that you shrink, it means that you grow.
So take a breath, shake it off, and apply again. You absolutely got this!
