Strategies for Improving Job Interview Success and Achieving Career Growth

Dear seniors,

I have faced a hard time in my career. I have not been successful in my interviews. I have faced nearly 10 to 15 interviews to get a job, but I never got the job I wanted. Hence, I would like to know which areas I need to improve. Why am I not successful in my career? Many times, I feel I am lacking information, knowledge, and advancement in technology. Would you please suggest ways to achieve success?

Thank you.

Dear Prashanth,

From your posting, all that I can gather is that you have not been successful in getting a job you wanted and you have been unsuccessful in interviews.

I am unable to identify your areas of weakness without knowing you personally. I recommend seeking help from your best or very close friend to identify your weaknesses; they will be able to provide insight. Understanding your weaknesses is the initial step towards improvement.

You can search on Google for resources such as "how to successfully face interviews" or "successful interviews" to find information to help you work on your weaknesses. Don't lose hope, keep persevering, and eventually, you will succeed. Personally, I had to wait for 2 years to secure a job after my post-graduation. Success comes at different times for everyone. As John Milton said, every dog has its day!

Stay positive and face challenges with determination and resilience. Best of luck to you.

M.J. Subramanyam

Dear Prashanth,

Have you maintained records of your past interviews? What questions were asked and what replies did you give? Have you noted them down? You need to show the questions asked and your replies to someone so that sound advice can be given on why you were not selected.

The second thing concerns your suitability for the job. Were you a fit or a misfit for the position? Did you apply just for the sake of it? How many times were you overqualified or under-qualified?

Many times, the seeds of defeat are sown in the CV itself. You could have attached your CV to this post.

Lastly, what about your communication skills?

All the best!

Dinesh V Divekar

Prashant,

If you feel that you lack information and knowledge regarding technology and interview questions, then stay updated with such parameters. There are several references/links available on the internet regarding how to face interviews. You can also search for various interview questions related to your educational domains through the internet. For more help, share your query...!

My dear Prashanth,

My friends in citeHR expressed their views and offered a few suggestions which are very much valid and fit for adoption.

To me, this very question shows how far you lack in self-confidence and feel dejected. First of all, you must consider an interview as an occasion to prove your mettle instead of fearing it as an occasion to get rejected.

I have been on the interview panel in my erstwhile organization a number of times, and we, the interviewers, primarily look at the body language and appearance of the people interviewed. Those who are tense would show their nervous manifestations overtly and would not reply properly, although they are good in their subjects. Tension ties you down.

Hence, my dear young man, relax and program your mind in such a way that you attend your next interview boldly with abundant self-confidence. Enter the interview room with a majestic gait and a straight gaze, showing absolute confidence in your attitude and behavior. Understand the questions properly, know what is expected as an answer, and give your reply in short and sharp. Treat the interviewers as your dearest revered friends and feel free to give your replies.

Hope you are confident now! That's good, my young man. The next interview will be successful for you. Intimate me when you get the job.

Best of luck...

Ganesh Ramachandran
Psychological Counselor, Clinical Hypnotherapist, NLP Trainer, Reiki Master-Healer
Founder Life Improvement Mind Engineering (LIME)

Prashanth,

None of us here at CiteHR can tell you why you have been unsuccessful at your interviews. We were not there interviewing you.

Many members have offered suggestions, but at the end of the day, it is YOU who must identify your weaknesses and take action.

Now it may be that you have no weaknesses as such. It could be that you have the skills needed but are just not selling yourself effectively to win the position. We all have times when we come out of interviews and suddenly remember all the good examples of things we have done, etc., and forgot to mention. That is where intensive preparation comes into play. You should know what sort of questions you are going to be asked if you have prepared properly. If they ask stupid questions like how many windows are in the Taj Mahal, etc., instead of proper questions related to the job, you need to ask yourself if you seriously want to work for such dumbass companies.

One of the things you need to do STARTING NOW is to seek feedback on your interviews. Now that is not easy. Many interviewers will not say much due to threats of litigation, etc., from unsuccessful candidates. Here is one of the things I suggest in my training courses. When you are told you are unsuccessful, thank the interviewer for the opportunity to attend the interview and be considered for the position. Then ask politely what areas the interviewer feels you need to improve in to have a better chance at gaining a similar position in the future. It is a less direct way of asking "where did I go wrong" and more often than not, the interviewer will be more forthcoming. You are not accusing them, blaming them, etc., just genuinely seeking some assistance to improve.

The other thing is to apply for jobs that match your skillset and that you have a reasonable chance of being successful. Don't apply for anything and everything. You are just devaluing yourself. Make up your mind about what you want and go for it.

The Office Boy Who Became a Retail Tycoon

A jobless man applied for the position of 'office boy' at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him and then gave him a test: clean the floor. The man passed the test with flying colors.

"You are hired," the HR manager informed the applicant. "Give me your email address, and I'll send you the application for employment, as well as the date you should report for work."

The man replied, "I don't have a computer or an email!"

"I'm sorry," said the HR manager. "If you don't have an email, that means you do not exist. And we cannot hire persons who do not exist."

The man was very disappointed. He didn't know what to do. He only had $10 with him. Once that was spent, he wouldn't have any money to buy food.

He went to the supermarket and bought a crate of tomatoes with his $10. He went from door to door and sold the tomatoes in less than two hours. He doubled his money.

He repeated the operation three times and returned home with $60. He realized that he could survive this way. He started to go out every day earlier and return late.

He doubled or tripled his money every day. Soon, he bought a cart, then a truck. In a very short time, he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.

Five years later, the man became one of the biggest food retailers in the U.S. He started to plan his family's future and decided to have life insurance.

He called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan. At the end of the conversation, the broker asked him for his email address.

The man replied, "I don't have an email."

The broker was dumbfounded. "You don't have an email, and yet you have succeeded in building an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an email?" he exclaimed.

The man thought for a while and replied, "An office boy at Microsoft!"

If you just lost your job or failed an interview, don't worry. Be optimistic. Good days are on the way, and something better is reserved for you. (Collected)