Interview Feedback: Ask, but don't expect to receive

With so much emphasis on the “how-to” of interviewing, one area lacking in the market is extracting valuable feedback. Of course, if you’ve gotten the job, there’s always an opportunity to ask, but what if you felt you “nailed it” in the interview, and then……..nothing? How do you know what, if anything, you’ve done wrong? More importantly, what on earth do you fix if you have no idea what’s broken?

A plethora of sites will tell you to ask for feedback and they are right you should ask. Just don’t expect to receive it because you have. There are a few standards that hold true when interviewing for positions:

1. Make sure you are an excellent fit for the position, and don’t be afraid to tailor your resume in ways that highlight the keywords an employer has placed in the job posting, so long as you are not inflating your qualifications.

2. Preparation is still key in the interviewing process this includes having at least two questions ready for the interviewer that are relevant and hopefully uniquely tailored to exemplify some of your skills in the “wrap-up” section of the interview.

If you get that dreaded rejection call or email after the interview, ask for feedback right then, but remember to be mindful of your tone, interviewers are less likely to provide feedback if you’re confrontational, or argumentative. At all costs keep in mind that this is a courtesy and not a requirement for an interviewer to provide. With so much emphasis in the Human Resource arena being placed on avoiding litigation, do not be surprised if the employer respectfully declines your request.