Interview Tips: 4 Surprising Reasons You Failed & What to Do

Reasons Why You Failed Your Last Job Interview

By Selipha Kihagi

It’s been two weeks now since your last job interview. You keep checking your email for a job offer or confirmation about how the interview went, but nothing. You even make sure your phone is fully charged and with strong network bars, but still no call about a job. Two weeks then become three. And just when you start feeling the pinch of rejection, it’s now been a month and you are not sure what to do. All you can do is wonder; did they already hire someone for the role? Did I fail the interview? Should I call to find out if they made a decision? But there is no one to give you answers.

It is no doubt that most job seekers want recruiters and employers to be more transparent in the selection process. You want to receive feedback for every single job you apply for, whether positive or negative. But this does not always happen. Not all recruiters will call you back or send an email informing you that you failed a job interview. In fact, only a few will do, and on most occasions, they won’t go into details about the reasons why.

But that’s why this post today is necessary. It will take you through the reasons you failed your last job interview and what you can do to change your odds at the next one.

Why You Failed Your Last Job Interview

1. Your Body Language Betrayed You

It is not enough that you know all the answers to the interview questions asked. It is also not enough that you are well qualified and what you say matches everything that is on your CV. Your body language also contributes in helping interviewers decide and they are very keen on spotting any anomalies.

So think back to your last job interview and consider those nonverbal cues, did your body language communicate disinterest or boredom? Did you keep looking at your watch like you had somewhere else to be? Did you forget to make eye contact or did you play with your hair the whole time?

Potential employers and recruiters want to see a confident person who is interested in the role and determined to get it. Make sure your body language does not ruin this for you.

2. You mentioned all your current or previous job problems

While you may feel like your previous or current job is the worst place anyone can ever wish to be, interviewers and potential employers do not need to know this. You may have felt discriminated, your salaries may not have been paid on time, your boss may have been the worst person to walk on this face of the earth, you may have felt overworked and underpaid,  but mentioning this will only ruin your chances.

The last thing an employer wants is to hire someone who will speak badly about them in the future. And if you are already doing it in the interview, imagine the damage you can you do if you get hired and are not happy?

3. You asked the interviewer all the wrong questions

A job interview is a chance for both parties to get to know each other. The interviewer gets to know the candidate by asking various interview questions, and the candidate learns more about the company by posing questions to the interviewer. It is a two-way interaction. But what happens when you are given the chance and you end up asking all the wrong questions? The answer to this is you ruin your chances for the job.

So think about those questions you asked in your last interview; were they well informed? Would the questions have been answered during your background research? Did you take back the interviewer to something they had already mentioned? The questions to ask an interviewer are very important and they communicate a lot about the candidate.

4. You got angry or defensive at some point

In most cases when a recruiter or employer wants to understand why you left a certain position or why there is an employment gap on your CV, they will ask you about it. They will also ask about responsibilities they feel are fabricated. They will want to see how you answer and how you react to the questions as well.

When this happens, remember to stay calm and avoid getting defensive when the interviewer can’t seem to believe you. You may even encounter questions at this point that seem intrusive or insulting to your profession, but consider putting yourself in the interviewers shoe’s and respond calmly.

What You Can Do to Change Your Odds

Knowing and understanding why you failed a job interview is usually the first step towards getting better at your next one. It will not help your situation if you conclude the recruiters or interviewers were at fault. It will also not help when you strongly believe the interview selection process was unfair.

Instead of living in the interview rejection phase, focus your energy on passing your next interviews. Contact an interview coach today and let them point out the mistakes for you. Because one thing is certain; most interviewers will not tell you why you failed the interview. Only a professional coach or someone really interested in your career will.