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The Titanic. The Hindenburg. Chernobyl. Your last job interview. What do these events share? They were disasters, and while the first three have major historical significance, when you’re in a job interview that’s going south it feels just as significant as any boat, blimp, or power plant. Unfortunately, job interviews do not start with an attendant instructing you on what to do in case of an emergency water landing.
We’ve all had interviews that are indistinguishable from an episode of Squid Game. Everything seems normal at first, then bad vibes seep in, followed by confusion, awkward answers to weird questions, and then suddenly you’re being eaten by giant COVID-carrying rats.
Okay, that last part may be hyperbole, but when the primary interviewer leaves the room to put something in the mail and returns with just enough time to say goodbye (true story) it may be an ugly sign that your time, effort, hopes, and dreams have just been wasted. Cue the sinister music. Roll credits.
Good news: since a lot of interviewing is now conducted by uncaring, unfeeling, AI-driven machines, you really only need to worry about interviews going seriously wrong when you’re dealing with those pesky humans. Bad news: pesky humans are a dime a dozen and some enjoy feeding job candidates through a meat grinder for fun (true story).
Is it possible to turn a bad job interview around? Maybe. Can you pull the plug with dignity? Maybe. Has anyone ever gotten a job offer after a definitive interview calamity? Yes. Believe it or not, that happens. Let’s explore your options when the lifeboats drop.
Take a deep breath. According to that great sage Yogi Berra, “It’s not over until it’s over.” Once you’re sure a disaster is unfolding, remember that it could go on for an indeterminable amount of time. You’re in the room and you’re not going anywhere until they say the interview is over. You may have time to pivot. Don’t lose hope quite yet. Even if you slam into every hurdle, you can finish strong.
The opposite happens, too. You may be confident you’re acing the interview but you’re not. You may be the frog slowly boiling in the water. Even if you believe things are going well it’s to your benefit to read the faces of the people sitting across from you. If they look like they’re in pain, or checking their Apple watches for text messages, it may not be going as well as you believe. Read the room and proceed accordingly.
Take a straightforward approach. If the energy in the room feels like a tree sloth taking a nap, try and boost it by meeting it head-on. Ask pointed questions that not only change the direction of the conversation but allow you to more accurately gauge your position. For example, “Can you tell me what your ideal candidate is for this job?” and adjust based on the answer. Or, if you don’t want to wait around for a job offer that’s never coming, “Am I a viable candidate for this job?” You may find you are viable and maybe even ideal. Or they may just say, “It’s not you,” and you can move on.
Let loose. What do you have to lose? If you really know you’re crashing and burning, experiment with your interview skills. Don’t pull a shaker out of your pocket and start whipping up martinis, but you can be more liberal with your approach. If anything works, it may soften the crashing and lessen the burning and you’ll have a great line, story, or point to bring out at your next and hopefully way better interview. If nothing else, it’s practice. Like an emergency fire drill.
You never know what is going to happen. Keep in mind – no matter how bad a job interview actually is, you have no idea what is happening behind the scenes. You may walk out of the building and want to throw yourself in front of a bus, but a week later you’re back in the room for salary negotiations. This happens more than you think and the reasons are usually simple: an internal candidate decides to remain in their current position; a seemingly preferred candidate fails the background check in spectacular fashion; someone accepts the job offer and then backs out; the new hire never shows up for their first day or any day after that, or, worse, they do show up and it’s clear to all a terrible mistake has been made. Bada bing, bada-boom, suddenly you’re at the top of the list.
You could get an offer for a different job. Once again, this happens. Your interview may have been lacking and, in fact, you may actually be lacking the requisite skill sets to perform the job, but you’re perfect for another open position down the hall. You’re unexpectedly called in for another round with new people from a different department and that interview turns into a big love fest.
Your catastrophic interview was a blessing in disguise. It takes two to tango. If the interview is a flop the fault may lie with the (pesky) people doing the hiring and not the fact that you couldn’t draw out advanced database architecture on a whiteboard (true story). If you’re treated poorly in an interview, think about how you’ll be treated when you’re collecting a paycheck. Sometimes it shouldn’t work out and life just allowed you to peek behind the curtain.
Something else may be going on. Your interviewers are people, too, and that comes with real people problems that may have them preoccupied. That person sitting across from you peppering you with questions may have just learned that their dog died, or that their son flunked out of school, or that their car may require a really expensive repair. You never know.
Exit with grace. Sometimes a job interview is a clunker and there isn’t anything that is going to make the ship float, the blimp fly, or prevent the reactor core from melting down. You have no choice but to accept that bad things happen to good people. Always take the high road. Be professional. Thank everybody and then go home and write them thank you notes. Take another deep breath and prepare for the next one.
Philip Roufail contributed to this article.
Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.
