It’s never easy to move on from failing your online job interview, especially if you’ve failed several.
I should know; I also failed several online interviews myself before I started writing for Remote Staff.
There are many reasons why applicants fail their interviews and don’t get hired.
Maybe you weren’t able to answer your interviewer’s questions well. Or perhaps, you just lacked the necessary skills or experience your interviewer is looking for.
Whatever the reason, don’t dismiss your unsuccessful interviews outright. Why not use them to help you succeed at your next one? Here’s how.
Let Your Failures Motivate You to Do Better Next Time.
Remember, it’s perfectly normal to fail your job interviews. You’re not alone in this.
But what separates successful applicants from others is how they respond to failing their online job interview.
Instead of becoming disheartened, they learn from the experience and try harder next time or even branch out to different fields.
After all, if you’re not getting hired in one industry, why not try applying to a related one?
Failing Teaches You Many Valuable Lessons.
“From losing, you’ll learn.” Yes, it sounds smarmy, yet it is very much true.
Once you can overcome the disappointment of failing an online job interview, you can look at your experience more objectively and derive valuable lessons from it.
One such lesson is in constructing your resume. Perhaps you failed your interview because your resume looked all over the place or had significant gaps. You can then apply these lessons by adding more information or removing unnecessary ones.
Another valuable lesson is the value of preparation. Having the right skills and a well-written resume is all well and good. But if you want to ace your interview, you must prepare yourself for it.
This includes researching the company and position you’re applying, so you have a basic grasp of what you’re getting into and so that you can ask some insightful questions at the end.
And if you’re not comfortable talking to someone one on one, you can ask a friend or family member to conduct a mock interview with you.
Failing Can Help You Answer Certain Interview Questions Better.
One of the most challenging questions your interviewer may ask you is: “Tell me about a time you failed.”
Not only does it carry the risk of revealing some of your weaknesses to your interviewer, but it can also feel awkward to discuss your weaknesses with strangers.
However, one upside of previously experiencing failing an online job interview is it helps you provide a good answer to the aforementioned question.
This way, you can talk about the lessons you learned and what you intend to do better, neatly allowing you to segue to display your strengths.
That said, be careful how you phrase the experience, and avoid using the word “fail” as much as possible. Focus more on your response and how you overcome this setback.
These Kinds of Failures Help Us Become More Resilient.
In a perfect world, we’ll never have to experience failure. We’ll succeed and become experts at whatever we want to do with zero effort.
Unfortunately, reality is often disappointing.
None of us are perfect. No matter how skilled we think we are, we’re bound to make mistakes or fail at something, especially in our careers.
Experiencing setbacks like failing your online job interview can help us build our resilience towards setbacks and withstand worse challenges in life. This allows us to power on through and persevere at our goals despite whatever obstacles we encounter.
Failing Can Be a Blessing in Disguise.
Sometimes, failing your interview can help you dodge a bullet.
Perhaps in your eagerness to start your career, you overlooked the red flags of the company you’re applying to. Maybe the company’s leaders follow hustle culture, for instance.
Or perhaps the time isn’t just right for you to start working.
In hindsight, I’m thankful I wasn’t accepted in the places I applied to before the pandemic. Since that would mean I would have lost my job in only a few months since remote work wasn’t that popular then.
Try and Try Until You Succeed.
For many, passing or failing their job interview is a significant step in building their careers. That is why they’re so distraught when they fail.
Yes, it can set your career back a bit, but it can also be an opportunity for you to improve your chances of landing a job the next time. When you follow the tips above, you can turn this setback into a springboard for future success.
If you think you’re ready to apply for another online job, Remote Staff is here to help. Our jobs list has a wide range of positions you can apply for, so you’ll never run out of options.
Good luck!
