Moving Interviews and Moving On

Job interviewing is very unnerving for many people, so having to reschedule an interview or having to deal with an unsuccessful interview could set some people into panic mode. Don’t fret! These things happen! Here are a few tips when you are faced with such a situation.nnThe Don’ts of Rescheduling Job InterviewsnnUndesirable as it may be, it sometimes happens that people need to reschedule job interviews. Unexpected events may come up that make it impossible for them to be there at the agreed time. Here is some rescheduling advice you might find useful, should you ever be in a similar situation.nnFirst of all, you should not resort to rescheduling unless this is absolutely unavoidable, particularly if the interview has been set for over a month. On the one hand, the job interview should be a top priority for you. On the other hand, you should be aware of the effects this change will have on the company’s interviewing schedule. The complications are even greater if it is a group interview. However you look at it, canceling or postponing such an appointment does not put you in a very favorable position. Reliability is one of the most desired characteristics of an employee, and changing arrangements will not help you make a good impression from that point of view.nnIf you decide that you have no alternative and you simply cannot be there on the established date, you should call the company and let them know about the change as soon as possible. At least one week in advance would be preferable, so that the people involved in the scheduling process will have enough time to solve the complications arising from this. nnThere are, of course, situations when even this one-week notice is impossible. For instance, if the change is required as a result of an accident or some unexpected health problems. In such cases, you should explain why you need to have the interview rescheduled, so that at least your image won’t have to suffer because of that. In the end, communication is everything in job interviewing.nnUnsuccessful Interviews: Moving OnnnMore than becoming just an unpleasant memory, an unsuccessful job interview can be a disheartening experience. The demoralizing effect is even stronger when you have to deal with several such situations, or with repeated failure to be short-listed for an interview. Still, since you do need a job, you clearly can’t afford to stay discouraged forever. Instead of feeling discouraged, you can try to analyze things objectively in order to see if there’s anything you need to change in your strategy.nnWhen it comes to finding the explanation for the unsatisfactory result of an interview, three suspects are usually on trial: the interviewer, fate and yourself. It may be that that the interviewer had a bad day and took a subjective decision, or that you had a bad day and couldn’t make the good impression you would make under normal circumstances. This is obviously a very comfortable interpretation, and that’s another trap too. Make sure you have enough reasons to support the conclusions you draw. Many people might advise you not to give it too much thought, and assure you that that it’s more the company’s loss than yours. This can temporarily boost confidence, but you need more than that. Believing in yourself may be a requisite for success, but it is not by far the only one. Holding fate responsible for the failure is not the answer either. It may relieve pressure, but it does not guarantee future success. As for blaming yourself, that is certainly not going to build up enthusiasm and courage for future interviews.nnThe problem with all the attitudes presented in the previous paragraph is that they all leave the matter unsolved. None of them can ensure that you’ll have better chances next time. The issue is not who or what is to be blamed, but what you can change in the future. For that, you need to objectively evaluate your cover letter and the interview and see if you can identify what went wrong. Change that, and you’re likely to score better next time.nnDon’t forget to also reevaluate the chances you had in the first place. We sometimes aim higher than we can reach. Were your credentials good enough for that job? If not, you should probably settle for a little less for a while, until you gain enough experience to successfully compete for the jobs you aspire to. nnRescheduling interviews and unsuccessful interviews should not be regarded as tragedies, but should be taken into serious consideration. By doing that, you will significantly increase your future employment chances and boost your job interviewing skills.