Failed to get 3 jobs!

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I've made it known I've began the job search in earnest over the last few months and this comes in direct response to another thread about job interviews, and thought I'd through my hat of thought into the ring.

I've seriously applied for 3 jobs (ie, actually filled out forms not just handed my CV to a recruitment agent) and for each of them I have gotten through the sifting stage but have failed on each of the interviews to get the job - so what has this taught me:

- my credentials and abilities must be aparent via my CV/form filling enough to get me through to the interview stage
- my answers to those strange and odd questions (especially HR questions) are improving all of the time
- if I don't know the answer to a technical question, I let them know I don't try and bulls**t them
- the technical questions stem from the "essentials" section rather than desireable section
- it highlights where in my technical capability I'm not as strong as they expect/hope/question.
- I only miss 1/2 technical questions out of 10, so I must know something!

So even though, I've received "sorry you've been unsuccessful" letters on last Friday and today, I walk away with the fact of knowing what technically I don't know, but also I played a fair game and did my best - and nothing more can be asked of me.

I hope this reassures some people who are daunted by interviews or perhaps are worried about not knowing everything - there are positives to be found even in the worst of negatives

 

I wish you well derkit and keep plugging away your big break would come as I too have failed lots of interviews in the past

 

Good luck, keep chipping away at them and eventually you'll succeed!

That's what I've been telling myself for the last few months and it's keeping my hopes alive! I spoke to a recruitment bloke today who said that the market is starting to buzz again after the summer holiday period and that now the decision-makers are back from their yachts the roles are beginning to flood in.

 

What Ken said.

 

I concur

also derkit, filling in the application forms and writing CV's does give you practice. I know sometimes it can feel boring and a struggle to fill them in. But the more you do the more you feel confident in yourself and also when attending interviews.

Just got keep plugging away at it! Something will turn up!

What type of postition are you applying for??

 

<stern mode>

No matter how good you are you cannot get every job on the planet. Yes, every interview is an experience, but some learn more than others when they are finding it hard to get the job that they want.

Don't fish for sympathy... get your CV professionally prepared and spend the rest of the time carefully deciding which companies you are going to approach and how you are going to approach them.

</stern mode>

 

Have you asked for feedback from the interviewer to find out why they decided not to hire you?

I feel this is one of the most important aspects of being unsuccessful in an interview. If you don't know why you are failing to get past the interview stage then you can never improve yourself.

When asking for feedback make sure they give you honest feedback and try not to fob you off with some niceties becaue they don't want to hurt your feelings.

And as the other guys have mentioned, stick in there and keep plugging away. You'll get there in the end

HTH

 

Props to you for taking the positives with the negatives. I strongly advise that you ask for feedback after your interviews, you could have got that 3rd job interview, had you took constructive criticism from the 1st and 2nd. I'm all for looking on the 'bright side' as PMA counts for a lot to potential employers, and assuming that you've got the personality, I think it's safe to hazard a guess that you're CV credentials aren't portraying your hands on experience well enough.

I could be completely off track here but nevertheless, best of luck in the job hunt and I know for definite you'll get the job you truly want, but it's clear that you need to make one or two ammendments here and there to achieve that.

Hope you get there mate

 

Respect to you derkit. Understanding where you can improve your interview skills and analysing your performance is quite hard to do, but will certainly lead you to success. Keep doing what your doing, the right employer/employee match will happen soon.

 

I'm in the same situation as you are now
I get the interviews but I don't just any further- but I'm happy with that because I don't have any IT certifications. I always try and ask for feedback where possible, even if I have to go back to the recruitment agency.

You'll do what I will continue to do- keep trying!

 

Looks like you have a good head on your shoulders. Here's one thing I might try. When you don't know the answer to a technical question, let them know you don't know, BUT also try to see if you can figure it out or what would you do to try to figure it out. It depends on the question, but if it's a scenario type they probably want to hear how you'd try to work through it and what actions you might take.

Best of luck....

 

Absolutely!

 

To answer some of the questions -
UCM - second line roles mainly, but 2nd job was 1st/2nd/dash of 3rd line
Sparks/Stoney - feedback - 1st one was "good, but someone was better" (then found they got there by knowing all the technical questions in advance!), 2nd was very stronger interviewee with great technical skills, but again, pipped to the post by the winner (also, it would have required a 6 month wait to be security cleared to the required level) and 3rd was external and "told the policy of xxx to give feedback, please do not ask".

I'm not looking for sympathy, actually anything but - just that I'm glad I took the chance and generally it seems I'm batting around the right level and come across well in the interviews, just need to net that good relationship between me and the company.