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> I've had plenty of them remark "you are the only candidate that has answered that question correctly" and then never speak to me again. Stop right there :-)

> I've had plenty of them remark "you are the only candidate that has answered that question correctly" and then never speak to me again. Stop right there :-) I think that's where you need to do some deep introspection. There's A LOT more to a job than technical aptitude. It appears that you're excelling in one aspect of the evaluation but failing in another. There's a reason WHY they're not following up. Find out what it is. Consider doing mock interviews with seasoned folks that you trust who are willing to give you honest feedback. You might discover a lot and improve your interview game.

quicklyfrozen 11y ago
Good advice. I know I've turned down candidates that aced the technical questions but were so opinionated that it seemed unlikely they'd able to work as part of the team.
- kafkaesq 11y ago
  Maybe they're not all that opinionated in real life. They just get nervous in interviews, and unconsciously feel the need to show their individuals in ways that they otherwise (under less confrontational circumstances) do not.
logfromblammo 11y ago
I'm pretty sure that if a company cuts off all contact after an interview, there is at least one problem on their end that I cannot fix, no matter how hard I try. Believe me, I have tried to find out why they vanished from the face of my planet. But there's only so much effort I can put into throwing politeness and courtesy into the void of unimaginable rudeness. You have to do mock interviews to get real feedback. Real interviewers are so absolutely terrified of telling you even one thing that might help with your next interview that I have never heard anything, good or bad, about myself in the wake of a real interview. This is not an occasional problem. This is epidemic in every city I have tried looking for full time employment, to the point where I am actually shocked--shocked--if someone follows up with me after an interview when they do not want to extend an offer. The only reason I can think of for this is that someone out there is actively counseling companies and HR managers to conduct their interviews in this manner. Perhaps it is to cut costs. Perhaps it is to minimize liability exposure to workplace discrimination laws. Perhaps I am on some sort of blacklist. Maybe something on my credit report is bad. There is literally no way for me to find out, because I am already blackholed by the time I might get a chance to ask, and I have no expectation that they would answer honestly if they would even answer at all.
- crispyambulance 11y ago
  Yes, a serious problem but not insurmountable. It is something that you can at least address with yourself if you understand what it is. It is true that you can't expect actionable feedback in a real job interview. Mock interviews when done with the right person really help. Of course it means that you have to be open to criticism and handle it with grace. Some folks have reported success with a career coach for this stuff, but that will cost you. There's also another way to get some feedback. If you develop some rapport with a 3rd party recruiter who sets up interviews with their client, you _might_ be able to get debrief on how it went and what your strengths/weaknesses were.
kafkaesq 11y ago
It appears that you're excelling in one aspect of the evaluation but failing in another. There's a reason WHY they're not following up. If he failed some other part of their interprocess -- that's fine, they can send a polite and professional rejection letter. Even a soulless form letter will do. But to not follow up in any way with the candidate, after that? Unless the candidate vomits in the interviewer's lap, or something similar -- that's just pure rudeness, on the company's part.

quicklyfrozen 11y ago

Good advice. I know I've turned down candidates that aced the technical questions but were so opinionated that it seemed unlikely they'd able to work as part of the team.

kafkaesq 11y ago
Maybe they're not all that opinionated in real life. They just get nervous in interviews, and unconsciously feel the need to show their individuals in ways that they otherwise (under less confrontational circumstances) do not.

logfromblammo 11y ago

I'm pretty sure that if a company cuts off all contact after an interview, there is at least one problem on their end that I cannot fix, no matter how hard I try. Believe me, I have tried to find out why they vanished from the face of my planet. But there's only so much effort I can put into throwing politeness and courtesy into the void of unimaginable rudeness. You have to do mock interviews to get real feedback. Real interviewers are so absolutely terrified of telling you even one thing that might help with your next interview that I have never heard anything, good or bad, about myself in the wake of a real interview. This is not an occasional problem. This is epidemic in every city I have tried looking for full time employment, to the point where I am actually shocked--shocked--if someone follows up with me after an interview when they do not want to extend an offer. The only reason I can think of for this is that someone out there is actively counseling companies and HR managers to conduct their interviews in this manner. Perhaps it is to cut costs. Perhaps it is to minimize liability exposure to workplace discrimination laws. Perhaps I am on some sort of blacklist. Maybe something on my credit report is bad. There is literally no way for me to find out, because I am already blackholed by the time I might get a chance to ask, and I have no expectation that they would answer honestly if they would even answer at all.

crispyambulance 11y ago
Yes, a serious problem but not insurmountable. It is something that you can at least address with yourself if you understand what it is. It is true that you can't expect actionable feedback in a real job interview. Mock interviews when done with the right person really help. Of course it means that you have to be open to criticism and handle it with grace. Some folks have reported success with a career coach for this stuff, but that will cost you. There's also another way to get some feedback. If you develop some rapport with a 3rd party recruiter who sets up interviews with their client, you _might_ be able to get debrief on how it went and what your strengths/weaknesses were.

kafkaesq 11y ago

It appears that you're excelling in one aspect of the evaluation but failing in another. There's a reason WHY they're not following up. If he failed some other part of their interprocess -- that's fine, they can send a polite and professional rejection letter. Even a soulless form letter will do. But to not follow up in any way with the candidate, after that? Unless the candidate vomits in the interviewer's lap, or something similar -- that's just pure rudeness, on the company's part.