As the Founder of Karuna CV, it is my mission to provide you with impartial advice and guidance to help you with your career planning and job search. It hasn’t always been plain sailing though, so I thought I would share some of my negative job application experiences with you:
The wrong job
I was temping, and enjoying what I was doing, but was nervous about the lack of security that came with being in a week-to-week job. Looking for something more permanent, I answered an ad for people looking to get into marketing, with training offered and a good salary on offer.
I rang the number, had a quick chat, and they invited me for a chat. I took an (unpaid) afternoon off work, put my suit on, and then I couldn’t find the place. After knocking on a side door of a warehouse, I was shown into a dusty office, sat in a chair, and then I found out it was a job doing door-to-door sales for a double-glazing company.
Thanks but no thanks. I made a polite exit.
Badly prepared
There is a saying, “failing to prepare is preparing to fail”. I applied for a job at a university, and was delighted when I got selected for interview. I re-read my CV and application the night before, put my suit on and went for the interview.
I crashed and burned – when they asked if I had anything I wanted to add before I left, I said “that was one of the toughest interviews that I have had”. You know what? It was all my fault, as I hadn’t properly prepared.
Before any interview, don’t just re-read what you have already told them in your application (although that is not a bad starting point); do your research by revisiting the job description and person specification, so you know exactly what the job involved, and what they expect of you. Remind yourself of the key skills and experience they need, and be prepared to answer questions, giving examples of what you have done to prove that you have what they are looking for.
We will cover interview preparation in more detail over the next few weeks.
Right place, wrong time
Sometimes, it feels so right but it doesn’t work out. Another job at a university, and once again I was delighted to be asked for interview. This time I was better prepared, and although I was nervous, I felt confident that I could make a good impression.
I had to give a presentation and interview, and a group task with other candidates for the same job. At the end of the day I was satisfied that I had done the best I could, but although I had no idea if I had got the job, I knew that this was the one that I wanted.
When I got the call, it was disappointment. “Rish, we think you were really good, and really employable, but we need someone who can hit the ground running, and so we have given the job to someone who has more experience than you”.
Obviously I was crushed, but it was also exciting to be told that they thought I could do the job. I licked my wounds and moved on … but then two years later, another job came up with the same employer! I applied again, went to interview again, and I didn’t want to be disappointed again.
When I got there, one of the interview panel from last time was assessing again. She said that she remembered me and was pleased to see me again. When the call came through, I had got the job! My new boss said that she knew I had been disappointed two years ago, but I had made a really good impression and they would be delighted if I took their offer this time.
The moral of the story
It feels horrible at the time, but sometimes you need to keep plugging away. We all make mistakes and we all face rejection when we apply for jobs, but there are so many variables out there. You can control what to put in your application, how to dress for an interview, and how you prepare; but you don’t know who else is applying for the same job, or exactly what the employer is looking for.
If it doesn’t work out, it isn’t personal – keep your head held high, if possible stay in touch with them e.g. via LinkedIn, and you never know when the next chance may come.
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