Two business colleagues during a meeting in office

AUTHOR:
Reynolds Careers

DATE:
February 5, 2018

CATEGORIES:
Success from the Start

READING TIME:
2 minutes

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6 Signs Your Interview Isn’t Going Well

Two business colleagues during a meeting in office

AUTHOR:
Reynolds Careers

DATE:
February 5, 2018

CATEGORIES:
Success from the Start

READING TIME:
2 minutes

Everyone second guesses how they performed while leaving an interview. It’s normal to process how you reacted to different questions, and reevaluate answers for when you are next asked to meet with a hiring manager. If you interview with Reynolds and Reynolds, it can take place in-person or online. No matter the setting, there are multiple cues to look for that indicate the interview isn’t going very well:

1. You Repeat Yourself

If you catch yourself repeating characteristics or qualifications, you may be talking too much during the interview. You want your interviewer to be able to identify what makes you stand apart quickly. Shorten your stories and help the interviewer see what makes you a great fit for the position.

2. Your Interviewer Is Easily Distracted

Making constant eye contact can be uncomfortable, but your interviewer should not look away from you often during the meeting. If your interviewer is easily distracted by things outside of the room, you should attempt to bring the focus of the meeting back to you. Ask questions you prepared about the position or the company.

3. Next Steps Aren’t Mentioned

As you’re leaving the interview, you should be made aware of the next steps of the process. If you have to ask, that could be a bad sign. Express your interest in the company and then inquire about a timeline. Hopefully, reviewing the process simply slipped the interviewer’s mind.

4. Passion for the Company Doesn’t Show

If you want someone to work with you on a project, you tend to make the task seem as exciting as possible. The same thing applies in an interview setting. If your interviewer is interested, you will receive an insight on the enjoyable parts of joining the team. If you aren’t given insights, the interviewer may not believe you are the best fit. To overcome this, ask questions about the culture and provide some insight on how you would fit into the team’s dynamic.

5. The Interviewer Offers Advice

Although this gesture is nice, it may be a signal of, “here’s how you can improve for when the position becomes available again.” Thank the interviewer for the advice and his/her time. Although this may not lead to a job, you have extra insight on what companies are looking for in an applicant.

6. There’s No Smiling

One of the main goals of interviewing is networking. To do this, try to make your interviewer smile. A smile means a connection, and usually leaves the interviewer with something positive to remember you by. If you can’t find anything in common with the interviewer, or the person is simply not in a happy-go-lucky mood, it may be difficult to read how the interview is going. Aim to make your interviewer laugh or smile at a few comments.

No matter what happens during the interview, remain professional and courteous. You never know for certain how you did until you get the call back. In the meantime, keep thinking of ways to improve, and check out these 3 rules for sending a thank you after an interview.


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