For your upcoming interview, you practiced and prepared, wore your best suit, and basically did your best in acing the interview. Yet even with all your efforts, you didn’t get the job.
Looking back at the interview, it’s hard to tell where it went wrong. But learning how to detect when the interview is not going as planned can help you turned things around.
“That was quick…”
There is no better sign that an interview went wrong than a quick cut-off. The average interview time takes about 30 minutes, and will last longer if the interviewer likes what he or she hears from you.
Another sign is when the interviewer is looking at his or her watch frequently. Instead of focusing on your answer, the interviewer keeps checking the time.
All about you
A good interview is a conversation—a back-and-forth exchange between two individuals trying to get to know each other. However, when you talk more than the interviewer, it’s a bad sign that he or she is not interested in what you have to say.
A good sign is when the interviewer responds to your stories or accomplishments. If the interviewer doesn’t ask questions after hearing them, you might want to adjust how you answer in order to engage the interviewer more.
Distracted
No matter how busy an employer is, it is expected of them to give you the respect you deserve by giving his or her full attention. The interviewer will turn his or her phone off and will not accept phone calls unless it is urgent.
No skills discussion
In an interview, an interviewer wants to know what you can do for the company. He or she wants to know what skills you can offer that can help improve the business of that company. It is a bad sign when skills are not discussed or if the interviewer is just going through the motions and casually discussing the company.
In an interview, it is important to do the necessary preparation. You want to prepare for everything to make sure you get the job. Learning how to spot signals that the interview is not going well can help you adjust accordingly—and possibly save the interview.
