Two weeks ago, I covered the need for careful planning, research and preparation for a job interview. Yet even with all that, the interview may not go well. But every interview is important. If not successful, it can still be a learning experience in terms of assisting in preparation for the next one, provided you listen, learn and move on.

The hope associated with an interview, the position itself and the interviewer's perspective may not meet a candidate's expectations. So the question arises as to how hard should you pursue an opportunity when the signals say move on to the next opportunity.

Job hunters have no special insight in a decision-maker's thought processes and sometimes there is the great temptation to translate rejection into something else. The interviewer may be saying "no," while the candidate is thinking "maybe."

By asking good questions at the end of the interview, a candidate can get a sense of where he or she stands. There may be some corrective action or explanation to assuage doubt. Or it just may be a lost cause. But some very constructive learning can come from a rejection.

Interviewing is very difficult for both the interviewer and the interviewee.

My experience with managers is most have been on both sides of the desk and understand the complexities and the delicate nature of the interview process precisely because they have been on both sides. They understand that much of what the candidate hears is exactly what the interviewer intended them to hear and hope the interviewee would understand without the need to be cruel or too blunt.


But that is not always the case. Too often candidates hear what they want to hear, resulting in needless aggravation and time-wasting.

It is my opinion, especially true in today's employment climate, hiring managers understand the pressures of the job search and are trying to be kind, but want the message to get through. It is not easy.

Hearing that the job is not a good fit, for example, can be especially troublesome. Certainly, the hiring manager has made an intuitive judgment, a gut feel, based on the interview. For the candidate, it is an impossible situation. They can try to argue but it is a no-win situation. Organizations are complex organisms with cultural norms along with all the business practices that differentiate it from others. When a hiring manager makes that sort of judgment it really is final and the candidate should move on.

Another common response concerns the view that the candidate is overqualified. I think every professional has heard this at one time or another. The fact is in a professional business context the risk for both parties is enormous. The candidate wants the job and is exclusively focused on that, disregarding the potential consequences of a position clearly not up to the candidates' standards. Drawing parallels between past positions and the open job description might help clarify the situation.

Experience does demonstrate the risk of hiring an overqualified candidate. You cannot ignore the concern. Don't forget, hiring a full-time employee is a long-term and often expensive investment. The hiring manager, however, knows very well that a new hire whose strengths and capabilities go well beyond the job description will inevitably get bored and could turn into a serious liability. Rarely will this candidate be hired and placed in a temporary job, while the real position is being prepared.

The company will often consider a candidate for some contract work, but not as a full-time employee. Reasons may be a result of company policy, a short-term internal problem or genuine concerns about the candidate, even though the job hunter's credentials and interviews are positive.

It may be prudent to inquire why the hiring manager does not want the candidate on the permanent payroll. Approaching the question from a "learning to market yourself better" perspective could be helpful. There are a number of factors that may influence this and trying to figure it out can be a hopeless exercise.

Job hunters are often faced with opportunities that have no career path. If the hiring manager tells this to a candidate it is likely certain that this is indeed the case. There has probably never been a promotion from this slot and consequently the interviewer sincerely believes this. So should the candidate. The options are simple -- take the job, learn what you can and then move on, or reject it.

So why do I raise these issues? Many who are looking for jobs may view hiring-manager statements as being open to interpretation, when in fact they may be diplomatic and delivered with sensitivity. This attitude can create enormous frustration and even anger when the plain fact is the hiring entity is being as open, honest and as candid as possible.

Many managers have been there themselves and understand. So the lesson is clear: Take the interview, do your best and listen to what you are being told.
