Even the very best candidates won’t secure every single role that they’re interviewed for. Everyone at some point can expect to receive an email or phone call saying ‘thanks but no thanks’. Although this can bring about feelings of disappointment and rejection, it can teach you important lessons that might result in a revitalised approach to job seeking. With our years of experience as a leading London recruitment agency, we know it can be disheartening, but today we’ll look at how to turn interview rejection into a positive.
Ask for feedback
Whilst some interviewers may be reluctant to provide feedback, it’s a good idea to ask for it as soon as possible. If you just got turned down for a top London PA job, ask for feedback for your next PA job interviews. Some of the comments might be hard to hear, however, these negatives can be turned into positives that could help you to impress in future interviews. Here’s some feedback you might receive that you use it to your advantage.
“You weren’t very enthusiastic about the company/role.”
There might be a couple of reasons why you’ve received this feedback. It might be that you haven’t done enough research into the company and didn’t articulate why you want to work for them well enough. Alternatively, it could be that your body language or demeanour was somewhat negative. In either case, you can work on this in future interviews, making sure you spend enough time learning about the business beforehand.
“You were late.”
Turning up late for an interview is never good, however circumstances beyond your control can sometimes prevent you from being punctual. Being late isn’t always a problem, but how you behave as a result of it is. If you know you’re going to be late, make sure you contact the recruiter right away, as they can contact the interviewer to let them know. You should then apologise when you arrive.
“You don’t have the necessary experience.”
This is tricky, because the hiring manager will have seen your CV and clearly still wanted to meet you. In future interviews, you need to address the relevance of your experience to the job you’re interviewing for. Beforehand, think carefully about the specified role requirements, and jot down examples from your past jobs that demonstrate those skills.
“You’re not the right fit.”
If you’re told that you’re not the right “fit”, this is likely to mean that you were too nervous during the interview, or that you didn’t let your personality shine through. You may have the skills and experience needed to thrive in the role, but if the interviewer can’t see you getting on well with your team or having the right attitude, then you’re unlikely to be successful. The best way to tackle this issue in future interviews is to keep your nerves at bay and be yourself. Try to relax and show them your winning personality!
Get interview guidance
Being told you’ve not progressed past the interview stage to land your dream job can be beyond disappointing. However, taking feedback from your interviewer and using it constructively really can give you a better chance of success in future interviews. For interview advice, contact our team at Love Success. As a top PA recruitment agency, we can help you secure permanent and temporary PA jobs, executive assistant jobs, receptionist jobs, and office support jobs, providing expert assistance and support at every stage of the job hunting process.
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