Failing interviews: 6 tips on how to make the most out of them

Let's be real - I have had interviews that have gone terribly, so much so that when I think back to them, I still cringe. But I have also had interviews that went so well that I surprised myself.

In 2020, when it felt like rejection was the norm, I had a change in how I perceived rejection. It took a toll, I started to question my abilities, if I was good enough and maybe I should look into non-tech roles. The imposter syndrome was very real, and I was lacking any hope.

I decided to go to a lot of self-development sessions, started reading again, and spoke to people who gave me great advice. I've always had big dreams and ambitions, and was determined to make it happen for myself.

That's when I decided to look at interviews as a great learning opportunity that can point me in the right direction in terms of key skills I needed to know, understanding the interview process, and areas I needed to improve in.

So here is a guide on how to do exactly that! So in no particular order:

1. Make sure that you know what type of interview you are doing so you can be as prepared as possible.
   
   I had a first stage interview at a company for a software engineer role where I thought it would be a more getting to me and I prepared everything I knew about the company.
   
   Can you imagine my absolute shock when the interview happens, they ask me one question about myself and then proceed to tell me that it's a technical interview and I'll be doing a coding task.
   
   I was so shook and unprepared - I felt so put on the spot and my head was spinning. It was my first front end interview, and it simply did not go well.
   
   This is actually the interview that I still cringe at to this day. But it was a great learning lesson into how front end interviews go and what I needed to learn in order to succeed in my future interviews.
   
   
2. Document the questions you are being asked. I learnt to do this from my friend, we were both applying for roles and I was asking her about her strategy and she said she writes down all the questions to every interview that she has.
   
   I was so impressed and inspired by that, so from that conversation and onwards, I started to write down the questions I was being asked so I was extra prepared to answer them in the event a similar question came up.
   
   When I was learning how to code, I didn't know the importance of knowing certain topics and the terminal really scared me - let alone learning how to properly use git.
   
   There was one interview where the interviewer asked me to list git commands, and I didn't have a clue. I had to swallow my pride and admit I didn't know - how could I possibly make up git commands. She was really understanding, and said it was okay as they knew I didn't have a technical backgroud which put me at ease.
   
   After the interview, I learnt all about the terminal - and a few weeks later I got accepted onto the Sky Get into Tech scheme were we covered git and felt confident using it. I sought out a mentor to help guide me on the areas to focus on to help land me that first technical role.
   
   
3. Have questions prepared to ask at the end of the interview. I truly believe that interviews are a two way kind of deal, and that you should make sure the company you are interviewing at is a great match for you.
   
   Some of my favourite questions to ask are:
   - Is there anything you think I could answer more clearly? (This used to be the first question I would ask when it came to it being my time to ask questions. It's a great opportunity to get a better chance of passing the interview round and to get feedback on how you did)
   - What projects have you been working on and what did you enjoy about working on that?
   - What does career development look like and how does it work?
   - How would you describe the culture at the company?
   - What skills are needed to succeed in this role?
   - What are the best and worst things about working at this company?
   
   
4. Make sure you do your research about both the company and the role.
   
   Back in 2019 I was doing an internship at a marketing tech (they call it martech) company and I was tasked with shortlisting my replacement as I was going back to university.
   
   This was a great experience as I finally understood what interviwers were looking for. So many interviews I felt like candidates did not come prepared as they didn't know much about the company and answers to their questions didn't match the job role.
   
   When you have an interview, make sure you are aligning your current skills and interests to the job role.
   
   
5. Use websites like Glassdoor to learn more about the kind of questions that are most likely to be asked in the interview you're going for.
   
   If you search for a company on Glassdoor, they have a section where people review the interview process that they had with the company and it's very insightful.
   
   In some cases, depending on the size of the company, they may not have many reviews on Glassdoor. This is when its best to google typical interview questions for the role, or even reach out to people from the company expressing your interest for the role and asking for advice on how you can prepare for the interview.
   
   
6. Create a brag list. When interviewing, it can be easy to forget to mention all the incredible things you have been doing.
   
   I created a document where I document most of my wins and organise it by month.
   
   Before an interview, I would always look over my LinkedIn to remind myself what I've been doing and to make sure I speak about it during the interview.

If you found this helpful - do let me know! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this and what you would add to the list.