8 Signs That the Interview Went Badly

Sometimes you need to be honest with yourself. The signs that the interview went badly are all there….

You walk out of the interview, and somehow the sun doesn’t seem to be shining so brightly. The interview didn’t go as planned. Frankly, it was a bit of a disaster. You try to talk up your chances in your head, but the writing is on the wall.

It needs to stay there to help you move on to your following job search targets. Delusion is a dangerous feeling. It isn’t so hard to persuade ourselves that an interview didn’t go as badly as initially feared. “You never know. It might have gone okay.” 

Do yourself a favour. For the sake of your determination to push hard for the next opportunity, embrace some realism. If you recognize many of the following eight signs that the interview went badly, learn the lessons for next time and close the door.

8 signs the interview went poorly

The interviewer seemed overly critical. If the entire interview was spent discussing your shortcomings, you can be sure that your chances are not great. It may not have been the interviewer’s choice to interview you (or they may prefer another candidate), so they were likely digging for potential ammunition to reject you. Don’t take it personally.

The personal chemistry just wasn’t there. Chemistry is a two-way thing, so if you weren’t getting the feels, it is best that you mentally move on. You need to remember that the interviewer will have any number of candidates to compare you with. If they feel a better connection with others, they may become a little colder with you.

The interview was shorter than expected. If the employer interview concludes after 20 minutes (and you were hoping to be in there for 45), you can be sure something is amiss. Not everyone will waste their time with an unsuitable candidate. As a side note, some agency recruiter interviews may be very short, but this is not always a bad thing.

The interviewer seemed distracted. The interviewer may have various reasons for seeming distracted, but if they are not engaging with you throughout the entire interview, you can be sure that they aren’t that into you. Hopefully, you managed to keep your energy high – it isn’t easy when you are not getting much back.

You couldn’t answer the questions. Answering the questions poorly is one thing; not being able to answer them at all is another thing entirely. There will always be a few tricky curveball questions in every interview, but if you cannot come up with adequate answers for the more basic competency questions, your job chances will plummet.

You didn’t hear more about the job. If an interviewer is interested in a candidate, they will tell them all about the role. If they are going through the motions for whatever reason, they will be unlikely to make an effort to talk too much apart from asking standard questions. The same goes for curt answers to any candidate questions.

The interviewer talked about other candidates. Sometimes interviewers feel like they need to drop hints during the interview that you may not be the first choice. One common tactic is to mention that there are other candidates under consideration. If you were one of their top choices, they likely wouldn’t scare you off in this way. Going through the motions.

Zero post-interview feedback. When the interviewer doesn’t end the interview with information about potential next steps, and you hear nothing in response to your post-interview thank-you note, it is safe to say that the interview wasn’t a roaring success. You are not being kept in the loop for a reason. It’s sad but likely true.

Having shared these eight signs, remember that there are also plenty of false flags. The interview may have felt stressful, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t smash it. The interviewer may have been challenging, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t like you. You may not have learned much about the role, but that part may come later in the process.

That last word is important. Process….

Sure, the first interview may have gone badly, but if the employer wants to give you a second chance, you may have an opportunity to redeem yourself in a second interview. 

But if you have seen one too many of these signs that the interview went badly, don’t get your hopes up.

Learn the lessons and move on.

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This blog is shared with Job Seeker Duetists. 

Written by former recruitment ghostwriter Paul Drury (not AI).