Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

(Part 2 of 2)
In Part 1 of this post, I shared my personal story of how I did not get a job that I interviewed for (Part 1). In this Part, I will discuss my thoughts on potential reasons of why I may not have gotten the job.
First, I can tell you that I was disappointed. I can tell you that I didn’t spend too much time thinking about my interview. After all, I did well enough to be one of two finalists. I decided that whatever the reason was, it didn’t matter. The reality was that I didn’t get the job and there was nothing that I could do to change that. I considered myself to be fortunate in that I was happy in my current position.
So, what could have been the reason?
Perhaps the superintendent had already decided on the other candidate before my finalist interview? Perhaps. There really is no way for me to know. Either way, being named a finalist is an accomplishment in itself. I choose to focus on this truth.

Maybe I didn’t do well in the first interview? Highly unlikely since I was named one of two finalists. Besides, I would think that I would have known that I had not done well.

Maybe, this decision was driven by politics? Maybe the School Board did not approve of my recommendation. This is a possibility. Politics abound in every place of work. I personally don’t lend too much credence in politics. I go with what I know. I interviewed well and I was named finalist.

The reality is that there are countless possible reasons as to why the superintendent did not offer me the job. In the end, none really matter. I would be guessing as to why I didn’t get the job and that, in itself, doesn’t help me in any way.

My advice to anyone in this position is to keep the faith. Know that you are worthy. Know that it just wasn’t meant to be.
It is okay to look back to see if you could have improved in any way. It is not okay to dwell in this. Lingering in your negative feelings will not help you in any way.

I think that every individual walks out of an interview knowing if they did well or not so well. The confidence level after an interview should be an indicator of the eventual outcome. I also believe that every individual knows why they didn’t do well in an interview. In most cases, it is not being well prepared or not being experienced enough. Knowing which was the case can only lead to a better interview in the future.

For those that interview well and don’t get the job offer, feel good that you were interviewed. I am sure that there were many that applied but did not get interviewed. Getting interviewed is an accomplishment and a sign of your worth. Look forward to the next.

It’s like the saying goes, “You gotta get back in the saddle…”
Best of luck to all of those pursuing other positions…. to those trying to improve their situation.