Man, I Blew that Interview

Boy, did I bomb that job interview, and I was feeling really down.

I was coming out of business school, and had scored a great interview opportunity with a top investment firm in New York. I'd had a few great rounds with the team, but that day I was meeting with the "name" partners – the big guns who had founded the firm and whose names were on the door.

The senior partner was kind of an imperious fellow and, frankly speaking, not my cup of tea. But that was OK, because everybody else I'd met had an energy and an entrepreneurial drive that seemed well-suited to me. I was psyched.

But I just wasn't clicking with this guy, and then he dropped my least favorite interview question of all time. It's the question that they teach you not to ask in Interviewing 101 because it is so obvious, and so easily manipulated by the interviewee. It was that old hoary chestnut: "What's your greatest weakness?"

"Brevity."

And, not saying another word, stared politely right back at him. Probably with a little bit of a wise-ass grin.

OK, it was a pretty juvenile response, and I let my capricious side get the better of me.

Needless to say, things went downhill from there, and the interview ended in a polite, "don't-let-the-door-hit-you-on-the-way-out" manner a few minutes later.

Man, I blew that interview. And I felt like a schmuck.

So it's inevitable that, some days, in some places, you'll really goof up an interview.

And we've all blown interviews before. A job interview is artificial and awkward. You can feel like a butterfly under the magnifying glass, and it is uncomfortable to have somebody else poking and prodding you.

And it is how we handle the recovery that makes us a great professional.

Follow through with dignity. You're probably feeling sheepish and a bit embarrassed, and would prefer to just hide your head in the sand. But as a $100K+ professional, that's not what you're going to do. Look, the best way of overcoming the failed job interview is to show those people who witnessed your setback that you are made of sterner stuff. Write polite, but brief, thank-you notes and be gracious. There's no sense whatsoever in trying to overcome your gaffe, so don't address it. Just thank them for their time, and let them know how much you enjoyed the opportunity. You'll feel like you've come out a little bit ahead, and your interviewers will feel like your show of class is impressive.

Blow off steam. Go for a run, take a hike, jump into the lap pool. However you get your exercise, a little physical activity will take your mind off it, and let you get the stress out of your system.

Move on. If you've really blown the interview, there is no sense in wasting more time on it. You've got better things to do. Even Mariano Rivera blows a save – like he did on Friday night against the Mariners after converting his prior 36. The mark of a champion is to put the loss behind you and concentrate on doing better next time.

(And a brief word to the wise – you really need to separate your emotions about the interview process from your rational assessment of your performance. I can't tell you how many hires we've made here at TheLadders who later confided to me that they thought they had done poorly in the interviews. It is natural to feel anxious about the interview, but don't let that fool you into thinking you've actually, really and truly blown the interview.)

Get better. What was it that tripped you up? Knowledge about the company? Insight into that new technology? A few questions about an area that you hadn't really thought about in the past few years? Whatever it was, use this as an opportunity to bone up for future interviews. Never see failure as failure – it's just a chance to get better for the next time.

And, that, Readers, is how we come out ahead when the interview process throws us for a loop. We keep our dignity, we brush it off, and we improve ourselves for the next time.

Until that next time, Readers, have a great week.

I'll be rooting for you!

Warmest regards,

Marc Cenedella
Founder & CEO
TheLadders.com, Inc.