Laura writes: I’ve been on two interviews and both; I think went rather well. The first interview lasted 2 hours and talked to 3 different managers.
A second interview I had lasted about an hour, and I talked to 3 different people. At each interview I was told I had the experience to do the job and had good answers to their questions. One manager said that he saw no trouble in me getting the job. Of course they all said they would call me back. Should I really read into anything the comments from the employer, and why am I not hired? What am I doing wrong?
The Career Doctor responds: I know it won’t make you feel any better, but I can’t tell you how many disappointed job-seekers have been heard to say, “but the interviewer said I was perfect for the job.”
Let me ask you two important questions: First, did you follow standard rules of job-interviewing etiquette and write thank-you notes (or letters) to each person who interviewed you? Second, did you ever call the employer back and express your interest in the position?
I recommend — for the future — that you read two articles. First, FAQs About Thank You Letters, which includes all the reasons you should write thank-you notes — and provides sample letters. Second, The Art of the Follow-Up After Job Interviews, which discusses what job-seekers should do after job interviews.
Finally, the problem could be one of many other things. If you did write thank-you notes and you did follow-up, then it could be a problem with your interview style, your references, or something else. My suggestion would be to call one of the people you interviewed with — the one you felt you had the most rapport with — and politely ask the person to critique your performance. Once you’ve broken the ice, you should ask in a non-confrontational manner why you didn’t get the job offer.
