Retaining confidence after not passing interviews

[interviewblues]

Posting in chat for traffic if that's okay.

I've been in my field for 25 years, 16 of them specialising in what I do now.

I've applied for two roles recently, both well within my capabilities. One I didn't get an interview for and the other one I heard today that my interview wasn't successful.

I sort of wasn't surprised. I found being interviewed over Zoom really uncomfortable but accept that this is just how it is at the moment.

I've always felt fairly confident about what I do but the reason I'm wanting to leave my current post is there was a restructure a couple of years ago and my current line manager is a well known bully and incompetent. I stood my ground when she bullied me last year, although the issue of her not trusting me and downright hostility towards me has remained. It's pretty unresolvable given her personality and everyone who can has left. So I'm feeling pretty lonely at work along with everything else.

Realistically, my job role is on the way to be deleted, so I have to be proactive about leaving anyway.

At the moment, these rejections feel like they're confirming that I'm not good enough at my role. I know it's a bit irrational, but how do you keep you pecker up at times like this?

It is very difficult I have been rejected all over the place, despite being well-qualified, experienced excellent at my job. Zoom interviews are crap and set up for people to fail imo. The job market is ferocious and employers have the luxury of being super picky.Try not to take it too personally remind yourself how capable you are and consign it to experience and move on..the right job will be there for you somewhere.Good luck Op

There’s a lot of competition out there at the moment. If you didn’t get the role it’s simply because somebody better than you, somebody who six months ago possibly would have been working in a much more senior role and not looking for a job, applied.

By even getting to interview, you probably beat tens if not hundreds of others, whose applications were also good. You were a better candidate than they were. I know it’s hard but it isn’t you, it’s the situation.

Thanks. I've used Zoom a lot since March, and hadn't prepared myself for how weird being interviewed over Zoom would feel.

Not being able to properly engage with people and adjust to their body language was much freakier than I thought it would be.

I didn't do very well on the questions, as I'd prepared myself for something a bit probing and they were very generic 'what do you consider constitutes a good product?' etc.

They prob had someone lined up for the role if the questions weren't in depth.

It's really hard OP. Remember that a rejection doesn't mean that you weren't very good, but that someone else was even better for the role. At the moment, with literally hundreds of people applying for some jobs, that isn't a criticism at all.

nitgel maybe, although they advertised the role again with a slight tweak to the terms of employment the next day, so I don't think that was it.

Ask for feedback, agree with others it’s very competitive at the moment

If you find it hard to engage and adjust to body language try using online resources to get some tips on how to be engaging and interview well.
Be confident even if you don’t feel it and keep trying, I always believe the right thing for you won’t pass you by

Thank-you. The person who emailed me said that she is happy to offer me feedback, and I've said that I'd appreciate it please.

My job role involves me presenting. I really miss the physicality of being in a room with people.

I've read lots about online interviews, and did try to take it on board.

Try to think how well you have done to even get an interview. It is really competitive at the moment so try not to get too down but use the feedback to focus on being better next time.

I had my first Zoom interview in the summer and it was TERRIBLE! I was so awful...

I moped for a bit, got another interview, panicked slightly about Zoom but I got that job!

I feel your pain, best of luck for the future 😊

Okay, got the feedback. I came across as very nervous apparently. This was true - I'd prepared a presentation as per the brief I was given and when I checked this at the beginning of the interview, they had slightly changed it. So instead of 'present this as you would usually' it was 'tell us about this topic as thought we don't know anything'. A small change, but it did throw me.

I also couldn't see the interviewers properly. The interview was late in the day and I had prepared by having bright lights in front of me, but they hadn't and were sat in darkness.

I also didn't have a depth of knowledge in my specialist area. That's interesting, as I thought the questions were very basic and had expected something more probing.

Oh well. Onwards and upwards.

Best of luck to everyone else looking for work.