My interview was a disaster – should I reapply for a different post?

We have all made a mess of an important interview. Is there a way to try again?

Imagine the situation. You think you have found the perfect position – the one that will get you better money and advance you in your career. You go through the application forms and you know you tick all the boxes. You apply and get that all-important interview – so far, so good.

You then have to get over that last hurdle. You must impress the interviewer with your confidence, your experience, your charm and your general perfectness for the position.

Then the outside factors come in. Another job has materialised from left field – one you did not even have to apply for and the post is even more made for you. You even know the CEO and the head of department is someone you trained!

You are so sure you are going to get this other job that you do not prepare properly for the already-arranged interview – the post you previously thought was totally ideal for you. Within a few minutes of walking in, you know you have blown it. The company is not going to give you the job, which you were desperate for just one day before.

When you were asked about what you thought about the company, its products, its track record, its successes and any points you would like to raise, you were literally speechless. You could not even identify the company’s end product!

The interviewer politely said goodbye, nice to have met you and we will keep your details on file. You were not concerned, as the other company was going to hire you anyway; however, this did not happen. You did not even get an interview.

What happens next? Perhaps you think it might be a good idea to reapply to the first company? After all, that lost job was almost a perfect fit.

In certain circumstances, this might be a good idea; for instance, if you had a good interview but someone else was hired. In this case, there is nothing to stop you checking other vacancies the company may have and applying for one of those.

The interviewer or the HR department might remember you and back your application. They might even have passed on your details, as they said they would at the end of your failed interview; however, this will not happen if your interview was a disaster and you did not make a good impression. If a different HR manager dealt with your new application, they would naturally ask whether anyone in the HR department remembered you.

The previous interviewer would have to say that you were not prepared and that they could not recommend you. In this instance, there is little point reapplying. Chalk it up to experience and learn from it.

Thoroughly research the next position you interview for. Use your contacts and perhaps speak to people who work or have worked there. Most importantly, never go into an interview unprepared again.

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