These feelings are completely understandable and I am sure that the majority of people on this forum can relate. Here are my thoughts as someone who has been applying for three years:
- Sometimes, you finish an interview and can't tell if it went well or not. At other times, your impression of how it went might not be accurate due to nerves and stress, regardless of your general self-awareness. Remember that sometimes how we perceive our performance might not align with how our interviewers did, especially if they are comparing us with the pool of candidates they interviewed that day or week. Not to mention people's personal biases, mood before and during the interview etc. So, you might feel that you've bombed it, but equally it might be that you've done amazingly well. Try not to rush to conclusions until you hear back from the firm.
- The point is that you can only control how you prepare ahead of an interview. You cannot control what you will be asked or what the outcome will be. While this is frustrating, coming to this realisation can also be therapeutic. What matters is that you can tell yourself that you did your absolute best given the circumstances.
- For this reason, it's important to try and compartmentalise. Stressing over something completely out of your control is a natural reaction, which is very difficult to ignore. However, there is no point in lingering on what was and what could have been, because nothing will change at this point. On the contrary, spiralling like that will only drain you and distract you from your day to day activities and other goals. Try to remind yourself that you did your best and that you cannot control what happens from here. If you fully accept this, you might be able to temporarily put intrusive thoughts to the side and focus on other things until you hear back from the firm.
- I genuinely hope you are successful, but if you are not, ask for feedback when you hear back from the firm. Take this feedback with a pinch of salt, but also try to genuinely understand it. It might be that something went completely wrong, or perhaps you did nothing wrong but the competition was so fierce that only the top 1% of applicants received an offer. Maybe you were very good, but some other candidates were exceptional. That's not to say that this is not disappointing, but at least you can tell yourself that you performed well and then work on what can be further improved.
- Familiarise yourself with the concept of rejection. It's only natural, you might be an exceptional candidate but not a cultural fit for the firm and unfortunately this is something we all have to accept.
- Even though it is exhausting, every interview is a learning experience. When you go to the next one you will be more prepared, both practically and mentally.
- Try to keep a long term perspective of your career goals to stay motivated. Remember, it's a cliché, yes, but you only need one 'yes'! It will come!
