How to Handle the Bad Interviewer
Posted: Thursday, December 31, 2009
by Mel Otero
http://www.recoverfromloss.com
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm."
Winston Churchill
Most interviewers are competent, well trained and effective. Unfortunately, there are interviews that are less than stellar employees; they have not been properly trained and are disinterested in you and the interview process. You need to be prepared for the interviewers that totally miss the mark. Interviews are stressful at best and getting stuck with a bad interviewer can knock you off balance if you're not prepared.
1) What if the interviewer is late and unprepared? Maybe this interviewer has never seen your resume and does not have a copy to review.
Suggestion: If you have properly prepared for the interview, you have an extra copy
of your resume ready to present to the interviewer. Overlook the tardiness of the
interviewer and move on with a smile.
2) How about the interviewer that asks illegal questions? For example, they may attempt
to determine your age by asking when you graduated high school/college.
Suggestion: This is, without question, a sticky situation. Do your best to ignore the
illegal question and try to return the focus to your job qualifications. Directly
pointing out the illegal question will most likely be the end of a job possibility.
3) What if the interviewer is distracted with phone calls and other interruptions?
Suggestion: If the situation is extreme, you may want to offer to reschedule. If the
interviewer agrees to have you come back and you encounter the same lack of focus,
you may want to reconsider this position. If this is an indication of how the company
functions, you may not want to work here.
An interview should be a two way conversation with both parties focused and exchanging information. Sometimes behavior or body language can be more informative than the verbal communication, so it is important that you remain alert. You want to send the right message and you want to learn from the unspoken messages you receive from the interviewer.
Not every interview will be great or smooth. In fact, some interviews will be terrible. It helps to keep this in mind as you prepare for interviews. Sometimes it's you and sometimes, it is just plan unfair.
After you've completed an interview that went totally wrong, you need to quickly deal with the frustration and move on. It helps to vent to someone you trust. Then, let it go and move forward. If you feel as though you made mistakes that led to a less than great interview, take a look at the improvements you can make. You are in control and can change actions that will make you better for the next interview. If you know in your heart you were not treated fairly, accept it as one of the rough spots on the road to your success. If you are tempted to let the "could have been" employer know how you feel and just how upset you are, don't do it! Never burn your bridges. Instead, send a thank you note and ask them to keep you in mind for future positions. This shows strength of character and class.
It is very important for your success that you let go of negative feelings and thoughts. Stay upbeat, do your best and soon the door will open to the right job for you.
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