over 8 years ago by Next Generation

No Second Round Interview: Should I Be Worried?

No Second Round Interview Should I Be Worried

A common scenario candidates experience, no second round interview has been confirmed after a number of days and worry kicks in.

QUESTION – NO SECOND ROUND INTERVIEW: SHOULD I BE WORRIED?

I applied for a marketing team leader role six weeks ago. I was successful in my application and completed a telephone interview, then a one-to-one interview followed by a psychometric test.

The interview and psychometric test seemed to go well and I was explicitly told to prepare for the second round. This time it would be a panel interview. However, despite this, I have yet to receive a call to organise the next interview and it’s been three days since the first. I’m concerned that I may have said or done something that ended the opportunity without really knowing it. Is there anything I can do?

ANSWER – NO SECOND ROUND INTERVIEW- NO PROBLEM!

It’s not time to panic just yet. If your interviewer hadn’t specified a time for a second interview, or you didn’t ask, then don’t worry. If you are dealing with a recruitment consultant they should be able to give you a realistic time-frame.

RECRUITMENT CYCLE

Typically in marketing recruitment there is a 12 week recruitment cycle from when you submit your initial application, which can consist of a series of interviews, tests and presentations. Also it’s likely that you are not the only candidate for the role so first round interviews could still be ongoing. What’s more, the fact that you were told to prepare for the second interview is certainly a positive.

LIAISE WITH YOUR RECRUITMENT CONSULTANT

They will be able to talk you through the process, or contact the interviewer/hiring manager in the coming days to clarify what the next step is. Some recruitment processes can take longer than others so try to be patient to hear whether you have been successful or not in progressing to the next stage.

TAKE AWAY THE POSITIVE ASPECTS!

Whatever the outcome, there are positives to take from the experience. First, you shouldn’t allow it to affect you too much. It is disappointing to have your hopes raised in the way they were only to find out something entirely different later on. However, rather than dwelling on it, see it as a learning exercise for the future instead.

Take the feedback from the interview and work on the areas of weakness for your next interview. Think rationally about the interview and try to recall your answers to the questions that were put to you. This will force you to think objectively about how you handled each one and identify areas where you could improve or up skill on.

There may be other opportunities with the firm or with other firms through your agency in the future, so it is important to stay in touch and keep an eye on any relevant opportunities that may arise.