Getting no feedback after interviews

Post Reply New Topic

It is so depressing not to get any feedback after interviews. I had one the other day and the agent said he is going to get feedback on the day. But now 2 days later I have asked him again and he has not responded.

Even if they do give feedback it is never very helpful. They say things like: "Another candidate was stronger than you", or "you didn't have the right skills", or "they felt you wouldn't fit in properly."

It makes me angry because I put so much preparation into the interview and they just don't bother to even tell you when you don't get the job.

Now, you know it's a numbers game, right? I'm sure you probably do. And with this economy, the ball is even more in the court of the employer.

Now, one method draws from the business principle regarding negotiations that the party who cares more typically loses. For example, let's say you have an interview on Tuesday. Okay, maybe look up a couple of things on the Internet about the company on Saturday morning. And if you really, really want to, maybe just a little bit on Sunday. But nothing on Monday, just go with your previous preparations. And have one or two activities on tap for after the interview. Myself, I like used bookstores. But I can't see driving across town to go to one. But if there's one in the general area, then whatever happens in the interview, the trip is not a complete bust.

And for any kind of feedback, you're probably going to have to arrange to film yourself engaging in mock interviews and ask someone whose judgment you trust.

It really is all just a numbers game, and getting feedback as to why you didn't get the job is actually pretty standard, at least in my experiences of job-hunting. Just keep going for everything that you can.

Employers almost never specific feedback about interviews.

If your looking for that, check into some career coaching or mock interviews.

I got some feedback in the end. But it was negative and confusing.

They didn't give me the job even though they said that I came across well in the interview and they think I'd be a good fit for them. Their concern was that I have not worked for 3 years and haven't anything to show for my time off, this is despite discussing the things I have been doing in the time off, which was writing some novels and developing my own software (which they questioned me a lot on).

I think now I have no idea what employers want.

That sounds like a vicious cycle.

We live in a society ruled by workaholics. Workaholics are more likely to gain positions of authority and then they expect everyone to enjoy working sixteen hour days like they do.

I know. It has crossed my mind that the interviewer might even feel envy that I took time off to do my own things, or they may be wary that I had the confidence to turn my back on the work place for a spell.

I doubt either of those were the issue. If you have gaps in your work history, employers want to know why. Did you go back to school? Fall on hard times? Sit on your ass for 3 years playing video games?

If you did your own thing, surely you have something to show for it.

I have been writing novels and software. I told them this and described it in detail. If they wanted to read a manuscript or see the software they should have asked.

How did you tell them? Did you put in on your resume? Did you make it look like you were your own company? Did you list names of software you developed? Offer them copies?

It was on my resume and during a phone interview I was asked to describe the system I had developed and asked a lot of questions about it. Yes, I should have offered to demonstrate it to them.

I think the issue may have been that I have not sold this software to anyone, and that it's still very much a prototype, and I also haven't had a book published. So they probably thought I was no good at what I was doing.

Great. Now I have to come up with the explanation for the 4 years I sat on my ass playing video games. I could just tell them I was looking for work. That's sort of true.

That's what I've been doing for the past 5 years. (Longer really, that's when I started playing a mmorpg which is almost like a full time job if you want to max out.)

I'm lucky if I get as much as a postcard letting me know I won't be interviewed/selected.