Interview Feedback: How to use it to your advantage

We understand that an unsuccessful interview can come with feelings of disappointment and rejection however; feedback can highlight important skills and attributes that may be needed for the roles you are applying for in the future that you can use to your advantage.

Make sure you ask for feedback!

Whilst some interviewers may be reluctant to provide feedback, the best option is to ask for it as soon as possible. It’s understandable that some comments may be hard to hear but these negatives can be turned into positives to help impress in future interviews.

“You don’t have the necessary experience”

This is tricky. The hiring manager would have seen your CV and wanted to get in contact with you so the question is why are they turning you down now?

To help prevent this from happening in the future, you need to state the relevance of your experience to the job you are being interviewed for. In preparation for the interview, have a think about the specified role requirements, and note down the examples from your previous positions that help demonstrate those skills.

“You’re not the right fit”

This is likely to mean that you may have been too nervous during the interview, or that you didn’t let your amazing personality shine through! You may know that you have the right skills and experience needed to thrive in the position, but if an interviewer can’t see you getting on well with your team or having the right attitude, unfortunately, you’re likely to be unsuccessful.

We suggest that you keep a smile on your face no matter how you are feeling inside and make sure that you are chatting to your potential colleagues. If you get the opportunity, you could ask questions like “how long have you been here?” or “what type of work do you do here?”

It is important to introduce yourself to people and create a good first impression.

“You weren’t very enthusiastic about the company/role”

This type of feedback could mean that you haven’t done enough research into the company or didn’t demonstrate to the interviewer why you wanted to work for them enough.

Our Business Support Team Leader, Sarah, said “I’d expect them to have researched us by looking at our website and have an understanding of who we are and what sectors we work in”.

It could also be that your body language or demeanour was somewhat negative. However, in either case, you need to ensure that you have spent enough time learning about the company beforehand.

“You turned up late”

Arriving late to an interview is never going to create a good first impression; however, interviewers will understand if the circumstances were beyond your control. Being late isn’t a problem for all employers, but how you behave and recover yourself as a result of it is.

It’s about planning in advance. If you know you are going to be late, make sure the interviewer is informed and ensure that you sincerely apologise when you eventually arrive.

It may feel that the interviewers are trying to have a dig at you, but they are not looking to insult you at all. Think of it as helpful advice, freely given, on which you can act, so the next time you face an interview your performance will be improved.

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