Photo by Polina Tankilevitch
You’ve done all the work to prepare for the interview—or maybe you haven't (whoops!).
Whatever the case, you leave the interview knowing instinctively that you have flubbed it big time. So, how do you figure out if you had the bad interview you think you did? Can you save it by following up with the hiring manager?
Finally, how can you ensure that you never have to endure a bad job interview ever again?
In this article, we'll review some of the most common interview slip-ups and mistakes. We'll review how to write a post-interview follow-up email that (hopefully) undoes any big blunders. Whether they're due to nerves, a lack of preparation, or an overshare, let's root out all interview mistakes to make the best first impressions.
Table of Contents
- What to Prepare Before an Interview: A Checklist
- 10 Signs You Failed the Interview + What to Do Next
What to Prepare Before an Interview: A Checklist
Before we go into the most common interview blunders, let's review a quick checklist of what you should prepare for an interview, whether in-person or virtual.
- Arrive on time.
- Have copies of your resume printed (in-person) or prepared to send (virtual).
- Prepare to answer common interview questions.
- Know your interviewer(s), and research them beforehand.
- Know the organization's history.
- Maintain eye contact and confident body language.
- Prepare your own questions to ask.
- Remember that the interview is a two-way street, and always be on the lookout for potential red flags.
10 Signs You Failed the Interview + What to Do Next
Picture this. You're gliding through an interview when the hiring manager asks you an interview question that stumps you. Instead of taking time—and a little awkward silence—to prepare a thoughtful answer on the spot, you wing it.
You watch your great first impression melt away as the interviewer shifts in their seat with rapidly-changing body language. Did this one small mistake just overshadow all of your accomplishments?
Let's explore common signs of a bad interview from both sides. After all, a bad interview is not always the job seeker's fault. We'll also explore red flags from the interviewer that might make an interviewee decline an invitation to the next interview.
Signs that you may have failed a job interview can vary depending on the circumstances, but here are some common indicators:
1. Lack of Rapport
Is there anything more uncomfortable in an interview setting than prolonged periods of awkward silence? This is a common sign that the interview did not go as well, but the jury is out on whose fault that may be! Remember, interviewers are people, too!
If you, the candidate, have answered the common interview questions thoughtfully, asked follow-up questions, and showcased your accomplishments and knowledge of the role, then maybe the ugly silence is due to the interviewer's own nervous energy.
However, if you feel that you didn't establish a connection or have a positive rapport with the interviewer, it could be a sign that the interview didn't go well. Can you fix it? We think so!
How to Do Damage Control
If the awkward silence from your interview is still ringing in your ears, let us introduce you to the beauty of the follow-up email after the interview.
While you don't need to address the *awkward silence* in question, you can provide additional information or add more content to an interview question you wish you had answered more thoroughly.
Remember that a little awkward silence is not necessarily the end of the world. As with all the interview blunders we'll explore in this article, remember that you are likely your biggest critic and, in reality, the interview might have gone completely fine!
2. The Interview Is Too Short
You've spent hours, even days, preparing for this interview. You sit in the lobby waiting for twenty minutes. Then, the interview itself lasts...a measly six minutes? What happened here?
If the interview ended much earlier than scheduled, it might indicate that the interviewer didn't find your responses engaging or they didn't see you as a potential fit for the position. However, it can also mean that the first interview is more of a screening process.
In this case, your first interview might be with a human resources manager or a recruiter, who uses a small amount of time to review the basics. From there, you might be invited back for a second interview with the founder, CEO, or other decision-makers.
BEWARE OF JOB SCAMS: Too-short interviews that end in an urgent job offer can also signify job scams. Be on the lookout for common signs that you're interviewing for an employment scam. Don't get duped!
How to Do Damage Control
Depending on the circumstances here, there are two routes a candidate might take. First, if you feel the job interview went bad because it was a screening, ask the interviewer about the interview process in your post-interview thank you email.
Secondly, if you feel that the interviewer was simply disinterested in you, use your follow-up email to express your interest in the position and to add more color to what you would have liked to discuss in the interview.
Finally, if you experienced an alarmingly short interview, where the interviewer didn't express much interest in you, ask yourself if this is a red flag. If there isn't mutual interest, you might consider this is not the gig for you after all!
3. Negative Body Language
If the interviewer seemed disinterested, avoided eye contact, or displayed closed-off body language, it could indicate a lack of engagement with your answers or overall impression.
If you've arrived at the interview having done your homework and prepared to discuss your excitement for the role, then this is a major red flag on the interviewer's part.
However, if you made mistakes early in the interview, like arriving late, then it's likely you've already destroyed the chance of a good first impression.
How to Do Damage Control
Depending on whether the interviewer is plain old rude, you may or may not even want to do damage control. Reevaluate how the interview really went.
- Were you on time?
- Did you prepare to answer the interview questions?
- Did it seem like the interviewer was familiar with your resume?
- Did you know enough about the organization coming into the interview?
If you can answer yes to all of the questions above and you still feel like the interviewer was rude or dismissive, the bad interview performance is on the interviewer, not you. We'd consider this a big red flag.
However, if you're still interested in the role, use your follow-up email to provide more context and invite more questions from the interviewer.
4. Limited Follow-Up Questions
If the interviewer didn't ask many follow-up questions or didn't seem interested in exploring your responses further, it suggests they may not see you as a fit for the open role.
However, this can also simply mean the interviewer was ill-prepared for the interview.
How to Do Damage Control
This awkward interview circumstance is exactly why preparing for both answering and asking interview questions is so important. Even if the interviewer is low energy, you can pick up the steam by asking for more information in the form of follow-up questions or open-ended questions.
Come to the interview prepared to ask your own questions. We also love using story circles to answer more complex behavioral interview questions.
If you're reading this after your interview has ended, then you've probably already guessed what we'd advise you to do next. Use your post-interview note to provide more context. For example, if you want to speak more about a certain role or accomplishment, use this letter to expand on these achievements.
5. Lack of Enthusiasm
What interviewer is not excited about you, the candidate?!
If the interviewer didn't display enthusiasm or interest in discussing the role or the company, it could indicate that they didn't see you as a strong candidate. This is a tough one to analyze—especially when meeting an interviewer for the first time.
As a candidate, you're likely battling nerves throughout your job search and interview process. This is a space where the dreaded impostor syndrome absolutely thrives! If the interviewer doesn't crack a smile or respond with even the slightest smile to your small talk, it's likely their own problem.
How to Do Damage Control
If the interviewer showed no enthusiasm or interest, it could have nothing to do with you as a candidate. Don't let your perception of their disinterest get into your head. If you took all the steps to answer interview questions, ask your own thoughtful questions, and write your follow-up email after the interview, the ball is in their court.
This is another circumstance where you might consider their indifference a potential red flag. If the interviewer is your potential manager, they might not be a person you would want to work alongside, after all.
Keep this all in mind—and keep your head up!
6. No Discussion of the Next Steps
If the interviewer didn't mention future steps or provide additional information about the interview process, it might suggest they don't envision you progressing in the hiring process.
If your interview ends abruptly and you stand to shake hands without knowing the next steps, it can seem like the process has, in fact, already come to an end. As an interviewee, it's important to ask about all of the steps.
This includes asking questions like:
- What does your timeline for hiring for this role look like?
- How many interview rounds are there for this role?
- When are you looking to have your new hire?
If the interviewer doesn't bring this up, make sure to ask questions about the process at the end of your interview. This is another reminder that the interview is a place for candidates to ask questions, too!
How to Do Damage Control
If the interviewer neglected to describe the next steps and you blanked on asking during the interview, follow up with an email. Reiterate your interest in the role, express gratitude for an interviewer's time, and inquire about the next steps.
7. You Overshared
Whether it was your nervous energy or your determination to leave your current toxic job, you shared a little too much in the interview. Now, you're listening to yourself say something like, "I hate my current boss," in your head, on repeat.
When it comes to negativity in an interview setting, our best piece of advice is to avoid it at all costs.
Even when you're leaving a toxic workplace, a hostile environment, or a horrendous boss behind, it's best to keep things positive in the interview.
Again, this is where pre-interview preparation is so important. Before an interview, find ways to reframe how you speak about the negative experiences you've endured throughout your career.
- Instead of "I hate my boss," try "I'm looking forward to working with the proven leadership team here at [COMPANY].
- Instead of "My previous workplace is toxic with cliques, bullies, and blatant favoritism," try "I'vw heard only the best things about the team culture here at [COMPANY], which makes me so excited to learn and grow alongside my new colleagues."
How to Do Damage Control
If you overshared in your interview and you think it seriously affected your chances of landing the role, you can still throw yourself a lifeline, so to speak.
Use your post-interview to speak positively about the job opportunity. Detail the positive impact you believe you can make, with action-based steps. In short, use your follow-up to be as positive as possible!
8. Misalignment on Qualifications
If the interviewer seemed surprised or disappointed by your qualifications or experience, it could imply that you didn't meet their expectations for the role.
This can be a deflating feeling in an interview. Some jobs are "almost-perfect" fits, which means your experience almost entirely aligns except for one or two bullet points listed in the job description. For example, should you apply to a role that requires "10-12 years of experience" when you only have seven years? Absolutely!
How to Do Damage Control
We all know that job posts can tend to be a hiring manager's dream list of impossible qualifications.
Many job descriptions are looking for employment unicorns that simply don't exist. If it seems like an interviewer is unimpressed with your skills or experience, express your vision for the future of your career instead—especially as it pertains to the job role.
Whether at the end of the interview or in your post-interview follow-up, illustrate your vision for how your experience suits the role. Detail your plans for expanding your experience, learning alongside the team, and growing within the organization.
Do your homework so a hiring manager can see exactly how you'd fit into the role regardless of one unchecked box on their dream list.
9. Inadequate Knowledge of the Company
This is one of the most common interview flubs we see!
The frustrating part about this? Nowadays, it's so easy to research a company, its leadership, and its history. An applicant who can't answer the question, "What does [COMPANY] do?" simply didn't do their homework—and it shows.
If you couldn't answer questions about the company, its products/services, or the industry, it suggests a lack of preparation and could negatively impact your chances.
How to Do Damage Control
If the interviewer asked you, "What does [COMPANY] do?" or "Why [COMPANY]?" and you completely blanked, you might still be able to apologize and conduct some quick research to make it up to them—and save your chances to be invited to a next round of interviews.
Use your post-interview follow-up to "re-answer" that question.
Try something like this:
I realize that I could not answer the question, "Why [COMPANY]?" in my interview, and I apologize for that. Since the interview, I have been considering this question, so I went back to do a little more research and remembered why [COMPANY] has inspired me in the past. I first learned of [COMPANY] when I read this article about [CEO] in [PUBLICATION]...
10. You Can't Speak About Your Resume
Did you let ChatGPT write your resume for you without checking it over? Did you embellish the truth, or did you straight-up lie on your resume?
When submitting a resume and/or a cover letter for an open role, a big part of your preparation should be knowing both documents inside and out. Know each job role, your major accomplishments, and your qualifications.
Assuming an interviewer will hold your resume in front of them during the interview, have an additional statistic or story about every line of your resume. If they ask, be prepared to dazzle them with even more impressive knowledge about your career so far.
How to Do Damage Control
So you inserted a little white lie in your resume and got caught. Depending on the severity of the lie, you may still have recourse.
For example, if you included an expert-level proficiency in Excel, but you couldn't explain how to put together a simple data report, you can explain this in a post-interview follow-up. Explain to the interviewer that you're currently enrolled in Excel classes and are headed on the path to becoming an expert.
If you embellished your job title, you might explain that while you weren't a manager level, per se, you did have a team of freelancers working under your direction.
If you lied about a job you never had or a degree you never achieved, you might not be able to explain this away. Trust in the workplace is of utmost importance. If an interviewer perceives a lie, it's unlikely that they will continue the hiring process with you.
The Takeaway? Never lie on your resume.
In Conclusion: Interview Red Flags to Consider
Remember that these signs are not definitive proof of failure, as interview dynamics can vary. It's important to reflect on your performance and learn from each experience, regardless of the outcome.
Some bad interviews have nothing to do with you as the candidate. Instead, they are prominent red flags that demonstrate failures within the organization.
