How to Recover From a Job Interview Mistake

Everyone has had an interview that didn't go as well as it should have. Luckily, there are things you can do before, during and after an interview to ensure that your mistakes can be avoided or negated.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet access

Prepare Adequately Before the Interview

1. Leave your house early. Arriving late can end your chances before they even meet you. Make sure you know how to get to the interview, your car has gas and that you allow plenty of time to deal with traffic or emergencies. As a last resort, you can call and reschedule the interview rather than show up late and make a bad impression.

2. Plan your outfit in advance. Make sure that all your clothes are clean and ironed the night before the interview rather than waiting until that day. If you are buying new clothes for the interview, realize that it can sometimes take up to a week to have things tailored to fit properly.

Conduct Yourself Professionally Throughout the Interview

1. Avoid unprofessional actions. Chewing gum, fidgeting, wisecracks, dressing inappropriately or giving too much personal information are all indicators that you are not ready for a professional position. Having a cell phone go off is also a red flag to employers.

2. Answer the employer's questions. Going off topic, not responding directly to questions or speaking negatively about a former employer can lead your interview in the wrong direction. If you realize this is happening during the interview, try to recover by incorporating what you should have said into later answers.

Recover After a Bad Interview

1. Make up for unprofessional behavior by acting professionally after the interview. A hand-written thank you note within 24 hours of your interview is always a good idea, but it is especially necessary after a job interview mistake.

2. Use future correspondence to ask or answer questions you didn't get in during the interview. It is always important to close an interview with a question about the next step in the process or when to expect a decision. Call to thank the interviewer and use the opportunity to recover from an interview mistake.

Tips & Warnings

• Get job interview advice from an online job search site such as Monster (see Resources below).

• Do thorough online research about the company and the position. A big mistake is not being knowledgeable about the job. Visit the company's Web site and read recent articles published about the company.

• Do not lie about any information in your job interview. Providing dishonest information on your application or in your interview is cause for dismissal and can lead to legal action.

• According to the Equal Opportunity Employment legislation, you do not have to answer any questions about your age, sexual orientation or marital status during a job interview.