What To Do if You Bomb a Phone Interview (And How To Recover)

Working to understand the job interview process requires both introspection and research of interviews and your past interviews. Knowing if you did well or not on your last interview is a good way to help prepare for more interviews in the future. Learning what to do if you bombed a phone interview can help you explore ways you can recover at the moment or work on interviewing tactics in the future. In this article, we discuss how to tell if you didn't do well during your interview and ways to recover if an interview isn't going as well as expected.

How to tell if you bombed a phone interview

If you want to learn more about how your interview went, consider some of the following aspects:

1. You misspoke

If you misspoke in the interview, your interviewer may not have the best first impression of you. Misreading a date, correcting an anecdote, hesitating on the answer or not answering a question at all can negatively impact your phone interview. Because there is no accounting for nonverbal communication during a phone interview, what you say is more important than how you appear. In a normal interview, your mannerisms and ability to look professional may help improve your first impression, but during a phone interview, you don't have these advantages. Recovering from misspeaking quickly can help you overcome these potential obstacles and recover from the interview. Related: 15 Phone Interview Questions (With Example Answers)

2. Heightened tension

If you sense tension during your interview, this may be a sign it's not going as well as possible. Higher tension can be a sign of hesitancy on the part of the interviewer to continue asking questions. Regardless of whether tension is due to a lack of speaking on your or the interviewer's part, a way to reduce the tension is to try maintaining a conversational tone if possible. Try leading in the conversation, taking opportunities to display your skills through anecdotes that relate to the last topic of conversation. Related: 25 Phone Interview Tips To Get You to the Next Round (With Video)

3. The interview ended quickly

If your interview ended more quickly than you expected, this may be a sign that it did not go well. Interviewers may choose to end an interview early if they clearly understand that the candidate is not ideal for the position. When you believe the interview ended early because of this, act cordially in your follow-up response and try to make a good impression in your thank you note. This can help give your interviewer the impression that you're both professional and understanding. Related: How To Start a Phone Interview (With Tips and Examples)

4. Connectivity issues

One obstacle that can prevent your interview from being the most effective is connectivity issues between you and your interviewer. If you miss the interview call or have unreliable reception or connection, your interviewer may not be able to fully understand the aspects you can bring to their company. While connectivity issues may be outside of your control, they can still affect the outcome of your interview. To prevent connection issues, consider performing a connection test on your Wi-Fi. If your connection is weak, consider moving your scheduled phone interviewing place to a better connection area. If possible, consider requesting an in-person interview if this interruption continues. Related: How To Nail Your Phone Interview (With Tips)

How to recover a bombed phone interview

If you want to recover during a phone interview, consider some of the following steps:

1. Thank the interviewer

After your interview, you can potentially recover your impression on your interviewer by leaving a well-written follow-up note. One positive aspect you can give your interviewer is your immediate thanks in your follow-up note. Expressing your gratitude shows that you're cordial and you're grateful for the opportunity to speak with them about the position, even if the interview doesn't result in being hired. Understanding the interviewer's perspective can show that you're professionally minded.

2. Write honestly

When writing your follow-up letter, consider being honest about your shortcomings. If you misspoke, explaining why may help recover your first impression. If you were nervous, explaining this cause for your hesitation may help the interviewer understand more about you as a candidate. If your lack of response was due to a lack of expertise on a subject, explaining this can show them that you're an honest employee.

3. Explain your strengths within your weaknesses

As you write your follow-up letter, consider explaining any weaknesses you noticed in hindsight through strengths that you honestly possess. For example, if you hesitated when asked to provide an example of a workplace event, consider explaining that you had difficulty summarizing the situation due to its details or because you had many examples to choose from. Explaining weaknesses through honest strengths not only can show your expertise even more after the interview, but it can also show your interviewer that you were honest with your intentions.

4. Request an additional interview

If appropriate, consider using your follow-up message to ask for another interview. If you believe the interview didn't go well because of nervousness, asking for another chance to give them a good impression may reinstate you for reconsideration of the role. Asking for another chance to display your skills isn't unprofessional unless the interviewer doesn't give you their contact information.

5. Keep the note concise

As you draft and edit your follow-up letter, consider keeping its contents concise. Because this is a follow-up letter to a decision the interviewer may have already made, keeping this letter short may encourage them to read it even if they have decided not to hire you. Additionally, because this letter thanks the interviewer, keeping it as short as possible shows that you respect their time.