Thanks Jaysen.
Also any tips on how to improve on post AC feedback such as ‘you answered questions such as why this firm just like we expected you to do so’. When I asked HR to explain this further they said I need to personalise my answers a lot more coherently. Which I felt I did as I related my answers to personal experiences/work placements etc.. Any tips on how to improve with this type of feedback? Thanks in advance.
Great question.
I used to find feedback tough to hear, but it can be really valuable when it comes to finding blind spots. I say
can because feedback often feels vague and unhelpful. That's not because a firm doesn't want to help you but because it can be hard to give students feedback. Often the reason they don't get the place is not that they're a bad candidate but rather the firm has a limited number of spaces and others simply stood out better or you weren't quite the right fit. So when it comes to giving feedback they have to retrospectively find reasons that could have improved a candidate.
At the same time, it's good to focus on what they do tell you because there are often gems in there. It can be frustrating because often it sounds like such a minor reason but you can usually draw a fair bit from that.
In your case, it's hard to know what they were referring to without seeing your answers. I would say the comment about personalising your answers suggests you may have been very good at discussing the firm and what makes it different, but they may have been less convinced about the reasons why you wanted to go there. For a long time, I used to have that problem. I'd spend most of my answer talking about what makes the firm different and how it successfully competes in the marketplace, but when it came to linking it back to me, I was less clear. Later I tried to balance the two. I would spend more time talking about the people I've met at the firm (if you have the opportunity, this is a great way to personalise your answers) or areas such as why a small trainee intake appealed to me.
Alternatively, if they felt that you did that fine but it wasn't coherent enough, you could consider making your answers tighter, for example, I often suggest students answer those questions in 3-4 points. So you'd say something like "there are three main reasons why" and "firstly...". That can help interviewers keep track of your answers and it shows a thoughtful approach, though it's important to make sure it's not too rigid.
All that said, sometimes the fit just isn't quite right. You could well have given the same performance at another firm and got the offer. So try to think carefully about whether there's some truth to their comments, but if you really don't think it's appropriate, I wouldn't worry too much. It may have just not clicked on the day.
