Ever come away from an interview knowing that
you could've done better? Maybe you think you
don't have any recourse or way to remedy a misstep.
But you do, depending on the type of blunder,
although many chapters on interviewing in job
hunting books don't directly address this problem.
Here are some ways to back track and hopefully
improve your chances.
Lilia Babé, senior scientist at Genencor
International Inc., a biotech company in the Bay
area, remembers one extreme and embarrassing example
of what could safely be assumed to be an interviewee's
worst nightmare. A candidate for an academic faculty
position where she once worked fainted after right
after the lunchtime seminar. "It was just
one of those unfortunate things," she remarks.
"Some people, even though they're very comfortable
with what they're talking about, and even though
they have given talks many times before, still
get very anxious and nervous."
He immediately regained consciousness, and fortunately
there was a medical doctor in the crowd. But how
do you recover from this? Babé says that
this candidate was actually a good example of
how you can salvage an interview that has taken
a wrong turn, in the sense that once he came to,
he was quite articulate and apologetic, picking
right up where he had left off in answering questions.
"I was very impressed," she says. (She
doesn't remember whether he got the job or not.)
This particular example does draw attention to
one piece of advice for remedying a mistake: "We
look for someone who doesn't dwell on any problem
that may come up," says Babé. "The
ability to recover from a false step, that's what
you look for, even in less dramatic situations."
So try not to freeze up if you fail to answer
some question properly or if you don't have the
answer on the tip of your tongue, managers advise.
Supplemental Information
But what if you completely forget to provide
a piece of information and think of it post-interview?
"I've had examples where candidates have
sent me preprints later," says Babé.
"They want to give me more supportive evidence
about what they're trained in and what they know
how to do." She says that candidates might
send more references or they might write in a
cover letter accompany supporting material: 'I've
done x, y, and z, and it didn't come up during
the interview, but in hindsight, it's relevant
to my application.'
Adding more detail and evidence of how you're
the right match for a certain position is perfectly
fine, say hiring managers. It's not considered
a strike against you. It usually takes a little
time between the day of the interview and when
the position is filled, so you probably have some
leeway. But do act quickly and respectfully.
"I think any communication from a candidate
who the hiring group is taking seriously, is going
to be looked at and welcomed, unless the tone
is really strange," says Christian Fritze,
senior manager, technology transfer at Covance
Research Products Inc., another biotech in the
Bay area. "I don't think that there's anything
that you could e-mail or phone or leave on a voice-mail
with clarification or information that people
would disregard." There's no stigma attached
to coming back with information after the interview.
By trying to provide the most complete picture
of yourself during and post-interview can also
make you stand out. "We're always trying
to differentiate between candidates, so the more
information we have the better," says Babé.
She adds, with a laugh, remember this is science
and it's all about "data, data, data."
Blowing a Question
Filling in extra facts is one thing. Another
is a misunderstood question or realizing after
the fact that the interviewer might have interpreted
a remark you uttered in the wrong way. This is
a different issue entirely. It needs to be to
handled with another approach, but could be trickier.
"In supplying more information there's already
a supposition that you're a candidate in contention,"
says Fritze. "If that first blunder is serious
enough you may have removed yourself from contention,
so how you address the person in the follow-up
is very important." Also do you want to bring
additional attention to a mistake? The answer
depends on the nature of the oversight and how
much you want the job.
"I would discount the worry about accentuating
the problem," advises Fritze. "I guess
it is true that we retain in memory so much better
the things that we mess up." But in reality,
he adds, probably the other person will realize
a faux pas for what it was, not some fundamental
flaw in the candidate's character. "If that's
the case, then bringing attention to it will show
that you're sensitive to what happened,"
he notes. "So I think the downside to coming
in with a follow-up is usually pretty small."
If you feel you really must correct a mistake,
Fritze recommends a phone call over e-mail. "I
find there's something facile about an e-mail
where a phone call would be better." The
immediacy and less of a chance of being misinterpreted
a second time are two good reasons for a follow-up
phone call versus e-mail. You might say something
like this: 'This morning when we were talking
about issue x,y,z, I think I left you with an
impression that is really the not the way I feel,
or the answer I gave you does not fully reflect
my views on this topic. I'm concerned that it
materially affects my chances in the interview
process and I would really welcome the opportunity
to talk to you again about this issue.'
"I think people would respond to that,"
says Fritze.
Take Home Message
Managers say that avoiding these mishaps in the
first place is the best advice they have to give.
Come to the interview as prepared as possible
to minimize the need to back pedal. For example,
research the company or institution to which you're
applying and match your experience to the position.
Have questions of your own prepared. And, have
answers prepared to such commonly asked questions
as "Tell me about yourself."
One part of the process that many interviewees
forget, says Annette Lewis, scientist at Entelos
Inc. in Menlo Park, Calif. is to follow-up. "If
the interviewer was lukewarm about a candidate
to begin with, one way to help your chances, whether
you botched up or not is to write a thank-you
letter." In addition to demonstrating your
polite and professional manner and reiterating
your interest and fit for the job in the letter,
it's also a chance to correct mistakes and give
additional information.
"The whole process starts when a jobseeker
sees an advertisement," says Babé.
"There's information there. Then there's
a phone interview where they can ask questions
to get more details on the position, and if they're
called for an interview there's more interaction."
So there are plenty of opportunities to exchange
information.
"So much of what we see in interviews is
disappointing because with many candidates the
interest level just isn't there," concludes
Fritze. So when he sees an interviewee coming
back with supplemental information or a clarification,
"that kind of interest is usually appreciated."
Lewis concurs. Part of the problem, she says
is that you have only one chance to show what
you're about in an interview setting, and if you
come across as dull and uninterested in the position,
it's hard to remedy. But, if it's something as
seemingly innocuous as filling in supplemental
information or correcting a misinterpretation,
then go for it, say managers.
Karen Young Kreeger is a freelance science writer
based in Ridley Park, PA.
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