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Anonymous
07/10/20 at 8:36PM UTC
in
Career

3 reasons why you're not getting a second interview (and what you can do instead)

There's many reasons why a company might not ask a candidate for a second interview, but not all of them are out of your control. Here's some mistakes you might be making during the first round--and how to fix them. 1. You weren't prepared. Maybe you messed up the hiring manager's name. Maybe you didn't explain why you really wanted the job. What to do instead: research and rehearse for every interview. It's not only knowing the facts and figures of the company, but also their larger missions and HOW you can fit into it. Practice answering standard interview questions while incorporating your knowledge of the company. 2. You were too persistent (or not persistent enough). When we're really desperate for a job, it's easy to come across as needy. Or, if we're worried about appearing too desperate, we come off as aloof. What to do instead: Follow up with a thank-you note or email, and if you don't hear back, let it go. If they said you'd hear by a certain date but don't hear, it's okay to check in, but don't follow up multiple times. 3. You only care about what's in it for you. It's important to be upfront about what you want out of a job, but if you're spending the whole interview asking about your salary and benefits, you probably won't be asked back. What to do instead: Prove yourself and your abilities first by focusing on what the company needs. Make yourself a candidate they cannot refuse. After they've expressed interest, negotiating the stuff you want will be much easier. What other tips do you have for getting a second interview? What mistakes have you made, and what did you change for the next time?

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Anonymous
07/13/20 at 4:43PM UTC
It's a fine line in how much and when to follow up. In my experience (and those of friends and family), HR/search committees are not good at follow up with candidates. I believe that if you merited an interview, you should at least get an email saying "thanks but we've chosen another candidate(s) to move to the next step". It takes so little time to send a canned response. As a sales professional, if I followed up with clients in the way I've seen in some hiring managers, I would have been fired. It comes down to basic consideration.
Enny Gibson
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35
Accounting Lead
07/13/20 at 3:44PM UTC (Edited)
I like these tips - I think these mostly apply to scheduled interviews correct? If no, my only thought in preparation is that you don’t have time to recall what you read about the company in an ad-hoc, unplanned phone screening. So, I also recommend to ask the recruiter to schedule a time instead of accepting the “out of the blue” phone screen call. Cheers Enny
Angela Kutlik
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61
07/13/20 at 2:08PM UTC
Great post, practical advice. I also appreciate a candidate who asks thoughtful questions, even if they don't know a lot about the company. That gives me an insight into how they will seek information from others if they get hired.
Anonymous
07/13/20 at 1:34PM UTC
I recently interviewed for a position I really wanted. On the second interview all went well until they asked me if I had any questions. I had most of my questions answered in the first interview so I wasn't prepared with more questions to encourage a conversation with the group during my second interview.
Chris S
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39
Tech things
07/15/20 at 8:18PM UTC
I've had this same experience countless times... esp when you're being interviewed by 3+ people... and don't have any additional questions. I usually do research about the person or something they've said in the their career trajectory and ask them about themselves, etc.
Anonymous
07/14/20 at 4:36AM UTC (Edited)
I am sorry to hear this Stephanie. You had a similar experience to the situation I have. I think the interviewers for the position you applied for already had someone in mind. But legally, you still had to be interviewed. . All I can say is that I have to be patient and you will find the right position soon.
Davia Madariaga
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171
Problem-solving & growing leaders are my passion
07/13/20 at 1:17PM UTC
I'm working with a career coach and one exercise I completed for her was to write out interview questions that I would ask the company - really helped me get clear on (1) is this a company I wanted to work for; (2) is this a position that I actually wanted; (3) do I fit within this organization; and, (4) be prepared for the "do you have any questions for us" portion of the interview. I've not fully used them yet (prepping to move 1/2 way across the country) but it is helping me focus my job search and resume!
aeane
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154
07/13/20 at 12:52PM UTC
The other reason why you are not getting a second interview because you were dealing with con people. They tell you that you did OK, then never follow, you reach out, it means you are desperate for a job, so they either try to sell you some course, try to make you pay to be in their "database" or ask you to work a trial period for free.
Anonymous
07/14/20 at 4:34AM UTC
I have had this situation quite recently. I applied for at least 4 jobs, but I never heard back from any of the interviewers. I think the interviewers for the positions I applied for already had someone in mind. But legally, I had still had to be interviewed. . All I can say is that I have to be patient and I will find the right position soon.
Anonymous
07/24/20 at 8:03PM UTC
Truth is, one of the jobs that I interviewed I found out yesterday that someone got hired but they don't even know how to do the job. But I didn't hear this from the company I applied with but rather from an outsider who told me. Now, I do believe that everyone deserves a chance. Yet, it would just be nice if the HR people that interviewed me would have just told me from the beginning that they found someone else to begin with.
Anonymous
07/27/20 at 1:49PM UTC
Yes, you are right about that having a good Internet connection. Unfortunately, my father doesn't want the technicians to come into the house due to the high cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) The only thing I can say is that, it is not always the case of the early bird catches the worm, that the best qualified candidate gets the job. In fact, these days it is more of a matter of who you know for finding a teaching job. It could have been that the person was already pre-hired or simply transferred from a different school within the same school district. You know, an internal job transfer. You never really know the situation. >Background or not. If you can't do the job due to capacity, >then you can't do the job. >Must get better internet. What would have happened should you'd been teaching a virtual class with spotty internet. The times call for strong internet. Background or not. If you can't do the job due to capacity, then you can't do the job.
Rebecca Lee V
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2.22k
Operations Analyst
07/12/20 at 1:03PM UTC
I've been following these strategies myself plus I make sure I always ask questions. The best interviews I've had were more like a conversation between me and the recruiter.
39
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337
07/26/20 at 5:34AM UTC
That's great when you are able to do that. Usually works when you "click" and interviewer actually knows what she's doing and not just going off the list of questions.
Anonymous
06/30/20 at 7:11PM UTC
I've recently had this problem. While I was prepared for the interview in the conventional sense (I knew about the company's history, etc), I really hadn't thought about where I fit in.
Anonymous
07/01/20 at 2:18PM UTC
That's definitely a common mistake. You're the one being interviewed, so you matter, too!
k Persson
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212
07/13/20 at 12:58PM UTC
we are also interviewing them :)
39
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337
07/26/20 at 5:33AM UTC
Right, so it's not only us who have to sell ourselves and prove how much value we bring, but the company has to thoughtfully demonstrate it is a good and desirable place to work. True, it is impolite and inadvisable to focus much on the salary and the benefits. Still, let's be honest - it is an exchange, we exchange our skills, talents, time, efforts for being compensated and appreciated. The compensation is the part of the equation and it's clear as day we as potential employees are expecting it.
Chelsea J.
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203
Senior Software Engineer, Frontend
06/30/20 at 5:26PM UTC
Great post! To add on, here are some strategies that have helped me and my network in the software engineering space: - Ask insightful questions about the company and what their vision is. If you are interviewing for a tech role, ask about their stack and some of the technical challenges they're running into. - This may not work for all companies, but if you see any bugs in their product, mention it politely and with the focus on making their product better. Be prepared to suggest a solution or an improvement. Even if you don't get the job, you'll walk away with satisfaction that you may have made a difference. If the company is not open to the product feedback, I usually treat that as a red flag, especially if you're also a customer of their product. It's a win all around for evaluating a company and they can see how you think.
k Persson
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212
07/13/20 at 12:58PM UTC
From what i have notice some companies esp tech, dont want to go into a deeper discussion just yet with candidates, very uptight, mentioning product problems or bugs would caurse a very stern turn of events. so it might be a bit risky...
Chris S
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39
Tech things
07/15/20 at 8:16PM UTC
not if you are a software engineer or something technical. it's quite the opposite.
Lori Hooper
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13
07/13/20 at 3:16PM UTC
Another way to ask that question is "what are your current pain points?"
Anonymous
07/01/20 at 2:18PM UTC
These are great strategies! Thank you for sharing!

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