The Interview Feedback You Need

When you are in the job-seeking pipeline, you often are starved for feedback.

There's a tendency to think,

"If I'd only had just done ONE thing better, maybe I'd have made it."

...and then you obsess over wondering what that ONE thing might have been, that kept you from a job you know that you perfectly fit.

NOPE. THERE WASN'T.

Also, even if there had been one particular thing that might have knocked you out of the competition that time, that doesn't mean that the person who eventually gets the job didn't have the same weakness, along with some other compensating skill that just happened to make the interviewer nudge them along. And it also doesn't mean that the knowing that one thing in the next interview is going to help you with the next company.

Imagine that a date tells you truthfully that they're throwing you back because you prefer dogs instead of ferrets. Is there any reason in the world that you ought to practice your ferret-petting skills? Of course not. Maybe your next hot prospect will be into into hawk hunting! Move along.

At every stage of job hunt, the expectation is that you won't proceed. It's just a fact, based on the numbers. At every stage, more people are knocked out than are retained, so it doesn't even have to be anything wrong with you, if someone else just happened to sparkle in one particular moment.

That's freeing. It's not really about you. No organization is ever deciding "against" you. (Almost.) And no "rejection" is a rejection of you, or anything more than a temporary decision, barring you demonstrating rampant personality disorders. (Like yelling "Love me, damn it. Love me! Or you'll be sorry...")

More importantly...

YOU'RE NEVER THE FAVORITE

When they narrow 100 resumes to 12-18, if yours doesn't make it, then it doesn't make it. There is no reason, and there doesn't have to be. Your resume didn't happen to jump out randomly at the right moment to the right person.

After the phone screen, when they narrow it to 5-7, the odds were still 2 out of 3 that you wouldn't make that cut.

After the second interview, when it's down to 2-3 candidates, it's still not deciding against you. Someone who may never have met you gets to make a final decision in theory based upon a brief description of you and a few other people. It's not about you at all.

And they don't owe you any feedback when they don't move you on... in fact, a cautious organization will NEVER give you strong feedback at any early stage, because as I noted above, when the final candidate is selected, he or she may turn out to have the exact same weakness that took you out of the game at an earlier stage.

So, what to do?

WHAT TO ASK

At the end of the interview, when it's your turn to ask questions, ask this:

"Let's suppose I don't get this role, and another very similar one opens up in three months. What improvements, changes, or additional skills would you like to see in my resume, to make me an even better fit for that job?"

Listen carefully, take notes, thank them, and do not respond to the content. It doesn't matter if what they asked for is already on your resume in four places, arguing never helps you at that point. (See "personality disorders", above.)

You've moved the discussion from your potential personal anxiety, neediness, and "prove to me why I'm a bad candidate", to your pure potential, and "how can I grow to be a great candidate?"

You've put the question to them, and if their first choice doesn't work out, you'll pop up in their minds as someone for them to contact before they put out a new requisition.

HOW TO LISTEN

Have one of your resumes handy when you are getting that feedback, and make notes on it.

If they say "you need more Statistics", and you have a relevant Statistical certification already on there, circle it and write "PUNCH THIS UP!"

Sure, the interviewer can see you circle the information that they missed, but you are not making that moment about the interviewer's error. You're making it about how you can improve your game.

If they say you need something that you know you need more of, draw an arrow to it with the words "NEXT FOCUS".

Your purpose here is to demonstrate that you are internally driven but can be managed and directed. You are not trying to change their minds about any one piece of their perceptions; you are trying to show that you are smart, driven, and a good team player.

YOUR GAP ANALYSIS AND PUNCH LIST

Somewhere I did a long post on your career gap analysis. Here's the short version:

• Figure out what skills and experiences you need to have five years from now, in order to have the job you want then,
• Start a list of whatever gaps you need to fill,
• Work the list.

When you go to an interview, especially as a data scientist, you should already have that punch list of the next five to fifty things you plan to learn, improve, practice, to move forward in your career.

At least two of them you should be actively engaged in practicing every day or week you are on job search.

When an interviewer gives you feedback that you need to learn or improve something, you can pull out that sheet and circle or put a star next to the one that she suggested you need. Ideally, it will be at or near the top of the list already. If not, write it in up there, or circle it wherever it is with an arrow to the top, and then you can engage the interviewer with your list, and say, "These two are my focus right now. Do you think it would it be better for me to move (your suggestion) in front of item 3?"

NEXT QUESTION

After you've taken notes on whatever feedback they can give you, ask them this:

"What other roles do you see being available in the next few months at ((company)) that I might be a really good fit for?"

Again, you've put the bug in their brain to think of you in another light.

Listen to the answers, and make a separate lists to do a gap analysis on that role and prioritize your learning to cover both that and your current focus.

MOVING FORWARD

At every stage, the odds are against any one role becoming your next job. However, the odds are also that if you focus on moving forward and becoming the best general candidate for your five-year career goal, then the odds are that any given week or month, you will come to the attention of someone who will eventually hire you, or who will recommend you to the person who does.

And if you follow this strategy, you will always have a good idea what would have improved your shot at the prior role... instead of having to fruitlessly wonder.