4 candidates, 1 role, smashed the interviews.. chances of success?

[anyonegotacrystalball4]

I know this is a really difficult question to answer but it's very stuck in my head!

I'm applying for my dream job and have had two very promising interviews, nailed the task set for me and had very good feedback on what a strong candidate I am.

There are three other candidates in the pool and I don't know anything about them. What would you say are the chances of success in this scenario if all members of the interview panel loved your CV and performance in interview.

Is it likely this could happen across the board, or is it a sign you're a strong contender?

My stomach is in knots waiting for the outcome, so please humour me with what your view is on this one!

Ignore the "catty " remarks OP.

Sounds very positive and hope you get the job.
(when will you know )

Of course, it will change but without any details on other candidates, how well their interviews went, it's not possible to comment on your chances.

I would say you have pretty high chances of getting selected. When will you know the outcome?

Honestly... you've done it now. You have probably done incredibly well at interview.

But there's always the chance that, no matter how well you've done, the MVP could walk in behind you and smash the interview.

Just know that you did your absolute best! It's not about probabilities

Thank you I agree. These were there comments not my own. I'm just glad to not have to work with many people like this, thankfully we all support each other.

Thank you, I will do.

I'm not sure so I'm on the edge of my seat.. they haven't finished the interview process yet though so I know I need to be more patient!

That's very true. Either way I guess it's all good experience and helped prep if I decide to apply for any other roles in the future.

Oh well that gives you a fighting chance... but still, you dont know who the other 3 people are...

I guess what I'm saying is don't beat yourself up if you don't get it. Sometimes it's predestined from the application stage, e.g. someone has 20 years experience in the exact niche that they are looking for and it pretty much as their name written on it. They would have to do terribly at interview to not be offered it because their experience is worth so much.

It's great that you feel you did well in the interview though 💪Hope you get it.

I am very good at interviews, and can build a really cracking rapport with interviewers.

It's still no guarantee - I had a great feedback chat with a woman who actually put me onto a role I later got, and she said that I was great, but they needed a particular personality fit, and I was too similar to her.

Since we spent an extra forty minutes chatting and ranting about other stuff, I couldn't argue!

This

You've done your best. if they don't choose you, it's their loss.

I've had this before - aced the interview, got on really well with them on a personal level, pointed out a couple of ways to solve problems with their product (if they had someone in the new role), and then been stunned when the decision came down as a "nope".

I don't mean to burst your bubble, but in my case I pressed them for a reason (because it really didn't make sense), and they basically came up with a whole new set of criteria that maybe one or two candidates in the entire country could possibly fulfil in combination with the original spec, and refused to give me a chance to interview on the basis of the new requirements (even though they hadn't asked me a single question relating to them).

Weirdly, it wasn't even a case of "We've found someone we prefer", which I could begrudgingly accept - they were still trying to fill the role six months later.

This.
It's impossible to know how well the other candidates did, what their experience is and what softer skills the organisation is looking for.
You will just have to wait and try to stop thinking about it.
Good luck though

Ooof that doesn't sound pleasant but I feel like you dodged a bullet there! Sounds like their expectations don't really align with what they are able to offer candidates..

You just don't know. The only job where I was 90% sure they'd give it to me was one where after the interview they said they really liked me but couldn't confirm yet because they had three more people to see. I still went to another interview later that day because I couldn't be sure. (I did get the first job as it happens)

At work recently we had a situation where there were 4 candidates, to be whittled down to 2 after day 1. One of the two who was not taken through to day 2 was shocked and disbelieving. He truly thought he was the best and boy did that show in the way he approached the various tasks etc. Actually he was the least favoured candidate.

I once went through an interview process for my dream job. Like you, SMASHED IT. Bonded with the various stakeholders who interviewed me, including the person who would be my boss. Clearly knew what I was talking about, had good ideas, and a good grasp of their very specific industry AND cultural challenges etc.

I didn't get the job. I think the recruiter was more annoyed than I was - apparently they told her they thought I was brilliant, clearly had the skill set, understood the business, got on well with the relevant stakeholders etc etc. BUT.... the big big big boss only wanted people who had done that exact same job for the exact same type of company before. Even though they had specifically told the recruiter, and me, that they needed fresh blood, fresh ideas and a little more diversity of thought as they were in the midst of major change (I also had experience in managing change and crisis communications for much bigger, badder organisations).

The man who did get the job, from basically their competitor, lasted less than a year. Then they hired another, almost identical man. At which point the boss who had interviewed me and wanted to hire me left. The second man did okay, I think, but the company subsequently got sold off and split up . So maybe I dodged a bullet?

Either way, good luck. That story was to make the point that sometimes, doing well doesn't mean anything because there are other factors at play.

Good luck, OP! I’ve also had final interview today - one of three, I’m internal, no idea of the others are too. 😬
I really want the job!

Agree with others it's 25% as for all you know all the other interviewees smashed it too. Maybe the hiring managers are going to be sat in a consensus meeting soon scratching their heads struggling to pick. 🤷

Good luck either way. And remember that even if you're not selected, you should take the feedback (positive and negative) on board. Even if find that you got literally pipped to the post, that's actually really great feedback to say you're a good candidate for the role so if you see something like that again (and have more experience by then) you should definitely give it another go.

Oh I'd never be like that, if I'm not successful I will leave graciously and thank them for the opportunity.. but I can't say I won't be hurt because I don't want the job so badly, but not because I think I deserve it. As others have said, it's likely many are just as or more qualified than I am which I just need to suck up 😅

Fingers crossed you get it! I really hope being internal means you're the strongest candidate.. I'll be wishing both of us luck 🍀

Thank you so much for this. Your point is similar to others but I appreciate you made it more tactfully than some 😅 you are right though, it's still anyone's game to win and I can't influence anything any further at this stage anyway.

Fingers crossed 🤞 for you.

I get that feeling of really wanting g a job and get full of self doubt. You end up asking yourself a million questions you can't answer!

I went for a promotion at work. My top boss encouraged me to apply. I had some experience but there were outside candidates who had experience of the actual role.

I got nothing in interview. No feedback from interview or task. Was last one of the day. Got told I'd probably not find out until the following day as boss had huge meeting.

Thank god she rang that night because I was like you.

Self doubt and wanting self belief clash!

That's exactly what it is! I'm glad you didn't have to wait too long. I posted because I am so anxious and over thinking it, even though I know I shouldn't be! I'm actually quite baffled how it came across as arrogance - perhaps it was that fake it til you make it confidence I plastered on my face today 😆

It's a useful skill to be good at interviews so that's good that they told you it had gone well.

But you've got to look at the team fit and if someone else does just as well as you but for whatever reason they think it'll work out better (let's face it, probably an illegal discrimination reason!) then that's out of your control and not a reflection on your performance.

And if that's the case it isn't your dream job - so if you don't get it, you keep looking, because you don't want to work somewhere that for whatever reason you don't fit in.

As others have said, you don't know other factors.
I have a friend who went for an interview he really wanted. Afterwards he was so despondent because while he was waiting to go in he could hear the interviewers laughing and joking and really getting on brilliantly with the previous candidate. He went in and described his interview as dry as a bone, didn't get even a smile out of the interviewers.
He was astonished to be offered the job, and yes, he was first choice.

op you did your best and whatever the outcome you made some good new contacts and presented yourself well. Be pleased with your interview skills, cv and getting there on time. Have you sent a nice short email saying you enjoyed the interview? You can’t do any more than that now.

I was in exactly this situation last week and they let me know they liked me etc but it went to someone with more drive (I learned from that they wanted someone who could bullshit better!). Since then two more similar jobs have come up so onwards!