These are the Top Five Signs That Your Video Interview Went Badly
These five tell-all signs will reveal if your video interview went as badly as you think it did.
Your video interview is nerve-wracking enough without being in the dark about how it went. Odds are you think it was a bad, awful experience. But you could be completely wrong.
Our minds can fixate on the negatives and ignore the positives.
So let’s go through the most common signs that your interview was super bad. And if you relate to all five of these… I can only wish you luck for your next interview.
1 – It Was Cut Short
So we all know that interviews are just awkward conversations between a few people. So it’s safe to say that if your answers left your interviewer running for the hills – or the end call button – it’s a bad sign.
But this is a bit deeper than that. If you were expecting a 30 minute interview and you realise it finished after 15, your interviewer could have rushed through the questions.
And before you beat yourself up about this, it’s not your fault. Odds are, they’ve already interviewed a few people for this position. Maybe they had a really great first interview that day – sometimes the cards just aren’t in your favour.
So if you think that your interview felt rushed, cut short or just like a game of 21 (or 5) questions, your interviewer might not be calling you back to offer you the job. But on the plus side, the interview was probably just as bad for your interviewer too.
2 – Your Interviewer Wasn’t Comfortable
The trouble with video interviews is that is so much harder to create that all-important rapport. This mystical thing can make or break your interview, and it’s one of the hardest things to master.
But the basics of rapport are actually quite easy, it’s just about being friendly. In a video interview this is that little bit more difficult. So if your interviewer was sat up, leaned in and looking at you while you were speaking it’s a good sign.
If they were smiling, looking into their camera to give you eye contact and not scrolling through Twitter on their phones, you can count this sign out.
3 – They Weren’t Interested
On a similar note, were they actually listening and liking your answers? A good way to gauge this is to think back at their reactions.
Did they ask follow-up questions? Or relate to any of your stories or experience?
Again, an interview is a conversation. It shouldn’t really just be question-answer-question-answer. It should be more natural, flowing and easy. And it should be quite easy to tell if someone likes you or not!
This is the harder element of rapport, so it might take you a few interviews to master. I still suck at it, so you’re not alone!
4 – You Didn’t Feel Prepared
Now take this one with a little pinch of salt. I always feel like there’s more that I could’ve done.
What I’m talking about is the way you feel in the interview. Were there any questions that completely took you by surprise? Or worse, did you have no questions to ask at the end of the interview?
These things happen to the best of us. And there are actually things called ‘curveball questions’ that are meant to throw you off.
But if you’ve felt this way in a few interviews now, the problem might be on your end. We’ve written an article all about preparing for interviews. I seriously recommend checking it out.
5 – You Don’t Know What’s Next
And the biggest sign of all is that feeling when you exit the Zoom call and have no clue when you’re going to hear back from them.
Just think about it. When you meet someone and really want to see them again, you make plans. If your interviewer really wanted to hire you, they would try to keep you interested.
They’d be excited about inviting you to the next interview or to complete the task. And they would at least let you know when to hear from them next.
And if they forget to mention these things – please ask! People can be forgetful and a simple follow-up email can do wonders for your chances.
I hope that these top five signs that your video interview didn’t go well will help you feel at ease. And if you’ve realised that it was actually a really bad interview, we’ve got you covered.
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