Help! What is the best way to ask were you messed up during an interview?

Dear Aunty,

After an unsuccessful job interview, what is the best way to ask your interviewer about were you messed up during an interview? Or would that be impolite?

Aunty says,

I am not quite clear as to whether you are referring to asking this question during or after the interview. Either way, I do not think it is impolite to ask for feedback on your interview performance. To me, it shows that you the type of person who wants to learn and improve. We all make mistakes in life but those who are able to learn from their mistakes are more likely to succeed. As George Bernard Shaw famously said, “Success does not consist in never making a mistake but in never making the same mistake twice.”

Seeking feedback during an interview

If you are seeking feedback during an interview I would suggest that you ask at the end of an interview. This is the best time to ask and respond to any issues raised.  Also, it is common for an employer to ask the interviewee if they have any questions at the end of an interview so this is often the appropriate time. If you are asked this question you could reply, “Do you have any reservations about my suitability for this role?” This will give you the opportunity to gain feedback about your interview performance and give you one last attempt to convince the employer that you are the right candidate. If you are not asked if you have any questions then you could still say something such as, “Before I leave do you have any reservations about my suitability for this role?”

Seeking feedback after an interview

If you think that you have had a bad job interview please check out this amazing article from Go Zambia Jobs, How to recover from a bad job interview. This article will help you to think about your interview performance and how it can be improved in the future. You should also read the article entitled, How to follow up a job interview. This article outlines the ways in which you can seek feedback after a job interview. Finally, please read the article on Top 10 Interview Questions & Answers as this will also help to improve your interview performance in the future.

I hope that this information will of use to you and others in Zambia and wish you all the best with your job search.

Aunty

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