Acceptable Ammount of Times To Call Post Interview?

bugzy3188

Hello,

I had an interview last Wednesday for a position that I was really gunning for. I have mixed feelings about the interview, I feel I did well but didn’t knock it out of the park as I would have hoped to. I called and left a voicemail this past Monday thanking the interviewer for his time and following up on whether a decision had been made yet. As I still have not heard back I am wondering if it is considered acceptable practice to call more than once, assuming it’s done professionally and not every day. Ultimately I want to use my failed interviews as a learning experience, I would really like to know why I am not being selected for the positions and what I can change to improve my odds and this has so far proved nearly impossible. Any advice here would be appreciated.


Thanks!

TomkoTech

Well typically sending an email/snail mail letter thanking them for the interview including a short "I look forward to hearing back from you" type message is what is recommended. At least in the classes I have went to on interviews/resume writing calling them is never recommended.

As for finding out "why" you aren't being selected you likely will never get that answer. Anything they say can be used against them in court and are likely to not want to say anything.

If you are getting the interviews that would at least suggest that your resume is pretty good. If you are getting 1st interviews, but failing to get any second round interviews that would point towards your interview skills.

Are you making eye contact? Are you fidgeting? Do you perspire excessively when nervous? Do you lack conviction in your responses to questions?

If you feel you didn't knock the interview out of the park, then what makes you think they would feel you did? It could be as simple as they interviewed someone else with similar qualifications that interviewed really well.

bugzy3188

My second to last interview was a round 2 interview, I was sure that I had that job but something hit their radar and I am not sure what it was. The only reason that I feel as though I didn’t nail my last interview was because of my inability to demonstrate real world experience with scripting and PowerShell, I studied like mad the night before and gathered as much information as I could but I wasn’t prepared for them to ask me specifically when I had used these tools. Like most people in our career, I tend to research topics of interest to no end including interviewing, I am also continuing to adapt my skills in this very difficult realm, feedback would make this a thousand times easier but I see your point on why employers are not inclined to provide it. I do get nervous however, my hands tend to shake when I am nervous I try to avoid reaching out for things or doing anything that would require precise hand eye coordination. With that being said I maintain good hygiene, don’t sweat, speak clearly and with conviction, have a firm handshake, make eye contact, ask questions, and over all do my best to show my interest in the company and the career. I know that not having a degree is hurting me, but I feel as though there is something else that I am not doing right to make a good impression. It’s very difficult without perspective, I feel that I am making a good impression but for all I know I come off as a pompous jerk with a side of narcissism (I don’t think this is the case, just illustrating a point J).
As far as this position goes, I was contacted via phone so that is the only contact information that I received, is it OK to ask for contact information during an interview?

scaredoftests

Call/email just once.

Antonio72

I would always ask for their card right around the end of the interview if they hadn't offered one yet. That way you know what email to send the thank you letter to and you don't accidentally misspell their name or names.

Also, I think any type of follow up should just be done once, you already called and left a message so the ball is in their court now. They may be considering you but if you try to contact them too much you could come off as pushy and they might lean towards someone else.

Good luck!

TomkoTech

First if they were asking specific questions about scripting and powershell, and you had no practical experience with using them then that very well could be why they did, or will pass on you. That could be something that is a large part of the position.

Why would you not be prepared for them to ask you about using them? If they list something on the desired qualifications, whether you have it on your resume or not you should be prepared to speak about it. If it is on your resume you need to be ready to specifically explain that topic and what experience you have with it. If it something not listed then you need to be prepared to state what it is you know about the technology/tool and what resources you have or can use when you come across and issue with it.

As for being contacted via phone. Did you not have the companies name? Do they not have a website? In today's day and age they would literally have to try and hide people's contact info for you to not be able to find it.

bugzy3188

Regarding PowerShell, I did prepare myself to answer questions, however, I was not prepared for questions regarding my personal experience with these tools. This was obviously a mistake and caught me off guard, I did my best to tell them that I had used these technologies in lab environments but simply had nothing to offer in a professional manner.

Regarding the email address, actually, the company does actively try to hide this information. This particular institution is a financial institution so security is a very big deal. A vast majority of employees at this particular company have private Linked In profiles and I would guess that this is part of their security policy, so no, the email address was not readily available.

I will be sure to ask for a card next time however.

Xyro

bugzy3188 wrote: »

Ultimately I want to use my failed interviews as a learning experience, I would really like to know why I am not being selected for the positions and what I can change to improve my odds and this has so far proved nearly impossible.

As it likely always will.

One can only make assumptions as to why someone did not select them for a position. You will never really know. Also, they may not have selected you because of something that is impossible for you to change such as your race, age, or appearance.

Do the best you can do during interviews and let go of the rest, would be my advice. Anything else becomes far too unmanageable.