Even when you’ve fully prepared for an interview, nervousness, or a curveball question, can get the best of you. Can you recover from an interview mistake and go on to win the job?
Apologize right away. If you catch yourself at the time, address your error immediately. It’s easy to misspeak when you are under pressure, so your interviewer has probably seen it before. Better that you correct it than have the interviewer catch it and think you were trying to deceive him.
Don’t let it throw you. Just apologize and move on. If you keep going over it in your head, you’ll underperform throughout the rest of the interview.
Send an email. Remember something after you’ve already left? Send a quick email. If it wasn’t a terrible mistake this is another chance for you to engage the interviewer once more time and hopefully make a good impression.
Ask for a second chance. If you really blew it – showed up late or appeared unenthusiastic because you weren’t feeling well – asking for a second meeting may be the only way to redeem yourself. The hiring manager may say no, but you’ll never get the chance unless you ask.
Avoid a repeat. Analyze where you went wrong and how you could have prevented it. Would more preparation have helped? Could you have been calmer when you went into the interview?
Don’t beat yourself up about the mistake, but understanding what you could have done differently can put you more at ease next time.
Keep looking. Whether you tanked the interview completely or made a mistake that can be remedied, it’s critical to continue your search until you have a job offer in hand.
Mistakes happen. Your future employer knows that. The ability to think on your feet and recover will tell them more about the kind of employee you will be than most your resume.
Need more ideas on interview strategies that keep you calm, prepared and win you the job? Contact Burnett’s Staffing. We help job seekers all over the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, and we’re here to help you, too. We look forward to working with you!