Have you ever gone to an education job interview and never heard a thing after it was over? Didn’t you wonder why you didn’t get the job? Very few schools will tell you how you did during a job interview. You may never hear from the schools that rejected you – at all! And, you won’t know why you didn’t get the job.
12 Signs an Interview Has Not Gone Well
1. You did not dress correctly. Don’t panic and run away. There’s nothing you can do at this point. If you’re overdressed, that’s fine. If you’re under-dressed, act as professional as you can. By the way, never wear jeans to an interview.
2. The interviewer gives you an intense “once over” and looks disapproving. This might happen if you are heavily tattooed or pierced, have a sloppy haircut, are dressed too provocatively, or are wearing too much makeup or jewelry. Always dress professionally for an interview. Never dress “sexy” or wear a lot of jewelry or makeup. If you are pierced, don’t wear jewelry. If you are tattooed, cover them. Ignore any stares of the interviewer; smile and act very professional.
According to a survey conducted with 2700 managers and coworkers on a popular salary survey site reported 76% felt tattoos and/or piercing hurt the chances of landing the job.
3. You panic on the first question. Calm down. Take a deep breath. Nervousness is common and will get better as you do more interviews. Smile. Say, “I am so nervous!” Ask the interviewer to repeat the question. Start your answer with a general statement and try to think of experiences you’ve had that will illustrate what you just said. Always be prepared for the question: Tell me a little bit about yourself? This question or a similar question is commonly asked the first.
4. The interviewer is distracted by his cell phone or keeps staring at their watch. There’s not much you can do about this. Smile and try to catch his/her eye; call him or her by name when you answer a question. Don’t ramble when answering questions.
Be thorough, but brief. Answer each question in about two minutes. The interviewer may be running late.
5. An interviewer asks you the same question more than once. This means the interviewer isn’t paying attention, or you didn’t answer the question adequately the first time. Don’t take it personally. Try to answer the question more fully the second time.
6. You get confused about the school’s name when you answer a question. If you make this mistake, apologize briefly. Don’t get flustered. Don’t make excuses; say, “I’m sorry. I meant to say __ (name of the school you are interviewing with) ____.”
7. The interviewer looks bored. Without being too “over the top,” try a small joke or express great enthusiasm about the job or the school. Believe that their boredom has nothing to do with your presence. But, don’t ramble or repeat yourself.
8. The interviewer asks difficult questions and seems to “put you on the spot.” This might be a “stress” interview. That is an interview calculated to determine how you perform under stress. Stay calm; answer every question to the best of your ability. Remain friendly and professional.
9. The interviewer glances at your resume and mentions several areas where you are not qualified for the job. All you can do is say, “I’d like to address the issues you just brought up.” And then do it! Address those issues! Sell yourself! Even if he/she has already made up his/her mind, take a shot!
10. The interviewer doesn’t smile and barely looks at you. The hiring authority has already decided not to hire you. It’s possible that they are not very friendly or outgoing, which is surprisingly common with interviewers.
Do your best; don’t take it personally.
When you leave, walk over, shake hands, and say, “I want to thank you for your time today. I appreciate it.” Just because they have poor people skills doesn’t mean you do! If they present you with an offer, be very careful about accepting a job. This person might be difficult to work for.
11. You do something awful during the interview. Perhaps you use the “f” word or spill coffee all over yourself; if so, stay calm! If bad language was the mistake you made, apologize briefly. If you spilled coffee or made another not-too-serious mistake, say, “Oh, please excuse me! I’m a little nervous.”
12. The interviewer asks if you know of anyone else who might be interested in the job. Yikes! At that point, I’d probably laugh and say, “No, none that are as qualified and eager as I am!”
