Job interviews can be daunting. There’s always that feeling of uncertainty if you got the job or not.
Here are signs that you didn’t get the job position you applied for, as discussed by experts.
Table of Contents
- 1. When there is a sense of rush when escorting you out of an interview
- 2. If the interview suddenly ends
- 3. They do not contact you back
- 4. They do not respond to your follow-up email
- 5. They did not ‘sell’ the company to you
- 6. They did not give you any idea on the next steps of the hiring process
- 7. They share their concerns about the candidate’s background, skills, and cultural fit
- 8. If they escort you out of the building as soon as the interview ends
- 9. The interview was oddly short
- 10. You start noticing things that went wrong
- 11. You didn’t get a heads up on what to expect
- 12. The interview is being cut short
- 13. The company hasn’t responded to your email
- 14. The way that your interviewer is acting during the interview does not correlate to whether you got the job or not
- 15. If you’re having trouble getting in touch with your interviewer
- 16. They let you know that they are still open for other candidates
- 17. The interviewer doesn’t show interest in you as a person
- 18. The prospective employers aren’t communicating with you after the interview
- Frequently Asked Questions
You scoured the internet for tips. You invested in an evidence-based career-development system such as the one provided by the Strategic Learning Alliance.
You hired an independently certified, or board-certified, professional coach. You have refined your resume, go through interview preparations, you have used the best methods taught in the career-development to load yourself up with 4x more job interviews than your peers…
Now, what are the signs that you did not get the job after the interview?
Focus on results After the interview, you should immediately focus on one thing, and one thing alone – getting the next interview at another company! Time wasted analyzing, debriefing, and winding is not time well spent. Worry about this, not about if they loved you or not!
Use a process, such as the CDS system backed by evidence, and focus on getting another interview. Remember the average person interviews 10 times to get 1 offer.
Signs your interview didn’t go well and you didn’t get the job:
1. When there is a sense of rush when escorting you out of an interview
Feeling cold anyone? When there is a sense of rush or cold when escorting you out of an interview, you didn’t get the job.
2. If the interview suddenly ends
Not like a pleasant conversation has gone on far too long by accident. If the interview suddenly ends as though you were nothing more than a youtube video that a hiring manager was watching to passing time before their more important meeting, you didn’t get the job.
3. They do not contact you back
When they tell you “We are early in the search and we will reach out in a month” and or they simply do not contact you back. Well, you didn’t get the job.
4. They do not respond to your follow-up email
When you respond with a single follow-up email thanking the interviewer or team for their time, and they do not respond within 2 business days, you likely did not get the job.
The most frustrating thing in the candidate experience is not knowing.
Great recruiters will let you know as soon as a decision is made; including a decision to back-up twenty yards and punt (meaning you made a cut but it’s competitive with other candidates so more interviews are being scheduled).
It’s also important to know that in a study I conducted in 2017-2019 with RSolutions, we found less than 65% of companies relied on the 3-step method of hire (recruiter, hiring manager, panel interview, offer).
In fact, most include assessments (written, psychometric, etc.) and multiple interviews and tag-ups. Typically, the rule of thumb is that if the company brings up “next steps” it’s a good sign you are at the top of their list.
But as a candidate, despite the frustration of being delayed, ghosted, and left wondering; keep in mind that hiring is a process.
After the interview:
- Send one follow-up email that is brief thanking the interviewer for their time and outlining 3 key reasons you remain interested and feel you are a good fit. Short and to the point.
Related: How to Write the Best Thank You Email After Interview
- Focus on getting interviewed elsewhere. I can not stress this enough, research with over 1800 candidate applications showed this is the ONE focus that makes a difference in a positive career search!
- Do not keep asking for updates. This is rude. Even if they ghost you, always be professional and always be focused forward – not on what might have been. If the company tells you they will have the next steps in two weeks, and it’s been three. Move on.
This is precisely why your time should be focused on getting other interviews, and not wondering “Did they love me, did they love me not?”
Related: How to Ask Why You Didn’t Get the Job (With Email Samples)
There are a lot of signs things aren’t going well during an interview. Micro-expressions, terse replies to your responses, etc. can all be telltale signs. But it’s what is missing at the end of the interview will confirm how you did.
5. They did not ‘sell’ the company to you
After you’ve spent your time selling yourself, did the interviewer start selling you on their company and what a great place it will be to work? If they were interested in moving forward, that is exactly what they will do. If not, it’s because there was no need to bother. They’re not moving forward.
6. They did not give you any idea on the next steps of the hiring process
At the end of the interview, did they tell you what the next steps would be or who would be in touch to schedule the next meeting? If not, the odds are high that there won’t be one. They would most likely just thank you for your time and interest, with perhaps the obligatory “someone will be in touch”.
Interviewing can be so emotionally draining and it can be hard to know when it’s not working out. We encourage candidates to ask one key question at the end of every interview, “Do you have any concerns that would prevent me from moving forward?”
Asking this question takes courage but gives you an insight into what the interviewer thought of the interview. If he says he does not have concerns, the logical reply is, “Great! What’s our next step?”
However, if he shares concerns about the candidate’s background, technical skills, or even cultural fit, this provides an opportunity to respond calmly to address anything that might have been miscommunicated. Asking this is key to understanding where you are in the process and if you’ll be considered moving forward.
8. If they escort you out of the building as soon as the interview ends
The hiring process is expensive. It takes up a lot of time and costs a lot of money. As someone who hires people, I’m always looking for ways to cut back on the amount of time and money that goes into it.
So, I’m not going to take the time to give someone a tour if I know that they aren’t getting the job. However, I’ll usually show the person around the building or have someone else take them around if I think they might be a good fit for the role.
9. The interview was oddly short
If you were booked for an hour-long interview and you finished after 30 minutes – well, that’s not a good sign. If the recruiters are interested in your person, they’ll make sure to use the time you have to get to know you.
If the interview was cut short, it might mean the hiring managers were not particularly impressed with the answers you provided, and it was enough for them to decide you were not the right match.
Think of how the conversation went, perhaps you didn’t come to the interview properly prepared. Every such failure can be a productive lesson.
10. You start noticing things that went wrong
Your adrenaline level dropped, and you start seeing mistakes you made that make you want to facepalm and “D’oh!” yourself. Trust me – the recruiters will notice every faux pas. It’s what they’re trained to do.
11. You didn’t get a heads up on what to expect
If the recruiters are interested in you, they’ll make it very clear. All in all, they are on the hunt for candidates as much as you are on a job hunt, and they don’t want to miss any opportunity.
If the interview went well, the recruiters would most likely update you on the next steps and the timeline of the recruitment process. If you’re left high and dry- that’s a sign you might not be getting another invitation.
Related: How Long Does It Take to Get a Job Offer After an Interview
Each time you leave a job interview, there will be one anxiety-inducing question on your mind as the waiting game unwraps: ‘Did I get it or not?’. The uncertainty in itself can be excruciating, as the interview process can take 21+ days. The good news is, there are surefire signs you didn’t get the job after the interview.
12. The interview is being cut short
Job interviews last an average of 30-45 minutes. That’s enough time for a recruiter to delve into your value proposition as well as your cultural fit. However, if the interviewer decides to show you the door much earlier than they should have, there’s a massive chance your interview went poorly.
Usually, that happens when the hiring manager thinks you’re not the right fit (e.g., culturally) for the job and doesn’t want to waste either their time or yours. In that’s the case, don’t be disheartened. There are a plethora of employers out there that will be lucky to have you on board. Just keep applying!
13. The company hasn’t responded to your email
If you are staring at an empty inbox wondering why the company hasn’t responded to your email or voicemails for weeks after the interview, you can take that as a sign that you didn’t get the job.
How you avoid that comes down to how you interview. In terms of knowing if you are getting the job we can focus on one often overlooked aspect of interviewing, asking for the job. Interviewing is just as much about you deciding if you want the position as it is the interviewers deciding if they want to hire you.
If you want the job, take the opportunity to ask for it in the interview.
When you meet with the person you will report to you will reach a point where they start wrapping up, usually, they will ask you if you have any questions for them, that’s when you ask this question “Do you have any concerns about my ability to do this job?”
This question gives them permission to openly air their concerns and likewise gives you the opportunity to directly address them.
Then after you have addressed their concerns ask for the job. Just say it “I want this job” and then tell them why. Explain how you can make an impact there, how in this position you can use your experience, skill, etc to help the hiring manager, department and company.
Then ask what the next steps are and request a business card so you can follow up.
Doing this accomplishes 3 things, it lets them know you want to work for them (because not everyone they meet does), it allows them to tell you exactly where you stand in the process (because they usually don’t share that with you) and it sets a time frame and expectations on follow up (so you are not left looking for signs).
Specifically, two things that come to mind for me are:
14. The way that your interviewer is acting during the interview does not correlate to whether you got the job or not
So don’t assume that because your interviewer is being standoffish or because it feels like you’re not connecting with them that that’s actually going to negatively affect you in getting the job.
On the other hand, it can feel like you had the most fun time with your interview and the interviewer and you may still not get the job. It’s often very hard to tell during the interview whether or not you landed the job.
15. If you’re having trouble getting in touch with your interviewer
But you should still follow up with them. Recruiters get really busy and they have a lot going on. So just because you didn’t hear back from someone doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not going to get the job. However, it is more of a negative indicator.
16. They let you know that they are still open for other candidates
One of the clearest indications that you are not getting the job after an interview is when the interviewer says, “We are still considering other candidates, we’ll let you know.”
To be blunt, the recruiter is essentially telling you that they were not impressed enough with your interview to pull the trigger and offer you the job. If they are still looking for other candidates after your interview, they are looking for something that was missing.
17. The interviewer doesn’t show interest in you as a person
While I can’t speak for everybody, most hiring managers have a tedious job. We spend hours and hours looking at resumes, tossing out ones that don’t match, and daydreaming about finding ones that do.
When we finally find a resume that looks promising, it’s almost like a sense of euphoria overtakes you and then you call them in for a final interview to see if this candidate can match all the hype you’ve been building up internally, and justify the hours spent crawling through a sea of unqualified candidates.
The truth is, the opening parlay of an interview is arguably the most exciting part of the job for a hiring manager. It is the very essence of why they are in this role and believe me, poker face or not, if they called you in, they want you to be the one and they are excited.
The conversation should be candid at times and structured at others. There should be a back and forth, and the interviewer should push the narrative.
If you as a candidate feel it’s become a “check the boxes” sort of interview, with no interest in you as a person or follow up questions…..it doesn’t matter how long the interview goes, it’s already been decided. You lost.
18. The prospective employers aren’t communicating with you after the interview
We are in a very competitive labor market so we get overloaded with resumes and we know we have to act quickly to hire great candidates when we meet them.
This often means that after an interview we know whether or not an applicant is a good fit and we will pursue them right away. Unfortunately, it also means that we don’t have the time to reply to everyone so candidates who are not being considered probably won’t get much communication.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I feel that the interview isn’t going well?
It’s normal to feel disappointed or frustrated if you feel the interview isn’t going well, but there are some strategies you can use to save the situation. Here are some tips:
Stay calm and focused: Try to stay calm and focused even when you feel discouraged. Take a deep breath, remind yourself of your strengths and qualifications, and refocus on the interview.
Be honest: If you feel the interview isn’t going well, it’s okay to acknowledge it. Let the interviewer know that you’re a little nervous or not sure you’re answering the questions as well as you’d like. This can help build rapport and demonstrate your honesty and self-awareness.
Ask for feedback: If you feel the interview isn’t going well, ask the interviewer for feedback on how you’re doing. This can help you understand what the interviewer is looking for and adjust your approach.
Focus on the positives: Even if you feel the interview isn’t going well, try to focus on the positives. Use the interview as an opportunity to learn more about the company and the position and to practice your interview skills.
Follow up after the interview: After the interview, follow up with a thank you email or note to the interviewer. This will help you stand out from other applicants and show your continued interest in the position.
How can I network effectively during the job search?
Networking can be an effective way to find job leads and learn more about potential employers. Here are some tips for effective networking during your job search:
• Attend industry events and conferences. Attend events and conferences related to your industry or the job you are interested in. This can be a great way to meet new contacts and learn more about potential employers.
• Use LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool that allows you to connect with professionals in your field. Reach out to people you admire or who work at companies you’re interested in and ask them for informational interviews or advice.
• Join professional organizations. Joining a professional organization related to your industry or job can be a great way to network with others in your field.
• Volunteer or do an internship. Volunteering or interning at a company that interests you can be a great way to get your foot in the door and make new contacts.
• Follow up with your contacts. After you meet someone at an event or conference, reach out via email or LinkedIn to keep the conversation going. Ask them for advice or offer to help.
• Be genuine and authentic. When networking, it’s important to be genuine and authentic. Don’t just focus on what you can get from the relationship, but on building a genuine connection with the other person.
By networking effectively, you increase your chances of finding job leads and learning more about potential employers. Remember that networking is a long-term strategy that requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to build genuine relationships with others.
How can I learn from a job interview that didn’t go well?
Even if you don’t get the job, viewing every interview as a learning experience is important. Here are some ways to reflect on your performance and improve for next time:
Write down what went well and what didn’t: After the interview, take some time to reflect on what you did well and where you could have improved. Write down your thoughts so you can refer to them later.
Ask for feedback: If you have a contact at the company or a recruiter who has worked with you, you can ask them for feedback on your interview. Be open to constructive criticism and consider it in future interviews.
Practice your interview skills: If you struggled with certain interview questions or felt unprepared in any way, use this experience to practice your interview skills. Practice answering common questions and consider working with a career coach or mentor to improve your overall interview performance.
Research the company and role more thoroughly: If you didn’t feel fully prepared for the interview, it could be because you didn’t research the company or position enough beforehand. Take the time to learn about the company’s mission, values, and recent news, as well as the specific requirements and duties of the position for which you are applying.
Stay positive and motivated: Remember that rejections are a normal part of the job search process and that each interview brings you one step closer to finding the right job. Stay positive, motivated, and focused on your goals. Don’t be afraid to seek support from friends, family, or a career counselor if you need it.
Taking the time to reflect on your performance and learn from your mistakes can increase your chances of success in future interviews. Remember that the job search process can be long and challenging, but with perseverance, patience, and a willingness to learn, you can find the right job for you.