Another rubbish job interview

[runabath]

I was made redundant late February just before things went pear shapes with Corona virus. I had been with the company a long time so generous package but it still sent me reeling. I was initially going to take a month or two before I looked into a new role and was just starting to feel positive about a fresh start then lockdown/homeschooling happened. My industry has been partially impacted with a slow down in hiring and I've now had two bad interviews (2 separate companies) and it's really getting me down. Both times I've invested a large amount of preparation/research and energy but messed it up. I'm not sure how many more times I can put myself through this... Has anyone else been through similar?

Sorry to hear this. I've done plenty of bad interviews in my time (cringey memories aplenty!) and some good ones too. I don't think I've ever in my life got the first job I interviewed for when looking, from my first ever Saturday job to the graduate schemes I applied for after university to my current position many many jobs later. I seem to need on average 2 or 3 interviews to get into the swing of it, maybe coincidence but if you are like me hopefully you'll get the next job you go for! It is disheartening though, so annoying to spend so much time researching a company and learning all their competencies, 'values' and 'company charter' and other such pointless gubbins etc and then working yourself up for the interview, just to get a 'thanks but no thanks', you have my sympathy!

It sounds like you are doing all the right things in terms of preparation. Have you had any feedback as to where you went wrong as sometimes things feel much worse than they were? You may well have actually done very well but they had an internal or ''known' candidate the panel preferred or maybe there was just some small box you didn't tick that another person did. As an interviewer I honestly hate having to try and use interview performance to decide between candidates as it's so subjective, one person's 'laid back and personable' is another's 'lazy and nonchalant', people bullshit to the max (and who can blame them) so it's hard to assess what they have really achieved previously, and a lot of the time you end up deciding based on CV and experience or skills plus a subjective assessment of 'fit' in any case rather than how well they give you the hard sell or play the game...

If nerves are an issue perhaps for your next interview you could dedicate some of your preparation time to trying some relaxation/mindfulness type techniques to try and get it under control, personally I find breathing exercises really helpful. Good interviewers should always take account of nerves but you will certainly feel better and give a better account of yourself if you are able to relax and get into your stride? Good luck!

I'd look about locally for a recommendation for an interview coach. They'd be able to help you online over video. And probably looking for work at the moment.

Thank you @maxelly @Ariela I really appreciate your input. Yes nerves has let me down and I am thinking of an interview coach. I received feedback from both. First interview apparently he really liked me but he thought I was too strategic for the role (that's my experience) however a good fit for the company, he's recommended me to other business units but they're not hiring at the moment so that's something at least. The second interview was setup via an international recruiter which I thought was odd. He didn't give too much detail about the post and mislead me somewhat. The interviewer (initially HR) honed straight in and feedback that I should have researched the differences in their business units more. To be honest I wasn't too keen to work for that particular company after reading very mixed reviews. They sounded a bit cult like looking for people with very specific profiles. Back to the drawing board!

Neither of them sound like you messed up exactly op, but you can always improve, especially if it’s nerves. Interview training and practice! Get or hire someone to practice with you. You really need to be able to answer all those questions about what you bring and you manage poor performance or working with difficult people etc etc.
I’m interviewing too and for what it’s worth I never close feeling like I have come across my best, but it’s mostly good enough. With prep for every job I imagine the role and develop the questions I need to ask to build out the view of the role, and what I would be doing. I regularly replay to the interviewer things like ‘so from our conversation I have the impression that these are the top 4 priorities for the first year, do these sound right? It is a lot of prep for each job, but it’s good practice. The other thing is everywhere wants about 3 interviews, I have interview 4 with one company next week.

Good luck @timeisnotaline for next week let me know how you go. I don't have anything currently booked so will keep looking for the ideal role.