Screwing up in an interview doesn’t always mean you lost the job.
面试失败并不意味着完全没有机会补救了。

It’s not something we like to reflect on, but the truth is that there’s plenty of things that can go wrong when you submit an application and start the interview process for a new job. But even if the stakes are high, you can’t let the fear of making a mistake hold you back–there’s a wonderful new job out there with your name on it, and the only way to get it is to take a risk, submit the application, and do your best in the interview.
尽管我们都不喜欢思考下面这个问题,但事实上每次申请面试时都会发生很多意外。尽管这时候大家很容易犯错,我们也不能因为害怕就停止前进,丢掉寻找完美工作的机会,唯一的办法就是放手一试,投出简历,尽力做到最好。
 
Only . . . what if you feel like you didn’t do your best? Or what if you know for sure that you made a misstep?
但是•••如果你觉得自己没有尽力而为呢?或者,如果你确定你犯了一个错误怎么办?
 
If you think there’s a chance you messed up during the interview process, you need to implement some damage control right away. Here’s what Halai Shukran, director of talent management at Viant, Inc., has to say about the five most common interview mistakes she sees when working with prospective job candidates.
如果你觉得自己可能会搞砸面试,你需要进行一些损害控制措施。Viant公司的人才管理部门主管Halai Shukran说,应聘者最容易犯以下这五个最常见的面试错误。
 
MISTAKE NO. 1: MISSING THE PHONE SCREENING OR INTERVIEW
错误一:错过电话面试
 
“A huge pain point for recruiters is putting all this work into finding a stellar candidate and scheduling a phone screening to feel them out for the role, only for the candidate to miss it,” says Shukran. “Missing the phone screen and not following up to reschedule shows a lack of professionalism, time management, and follow up, and these are key skills a recruiter looks for when assessing someone for any role.”
Shukran说:“招聘人员希望找到一位完美的职员,并且先用电话面试筛选候选人,但很多候选人会错过这个面试。”“错过了电话面试,之后又没有重新预约面试的话,会显得你缺乏专业精神、时间管理经验、不能持续跟进项目等,这些正是招聘人员在评估某个人时所需要的关键技能。”
 
How to recover. If you’ve already made this mistake, it’s not a complete loss: Follow up with your contact as quickly as possible, take full responsibility for the slip, and explain the mitigating circumstances. Anything less–like dismissing it as no big deal or assuming they’ll reschedule quickly–won’t win you any favors (or second chances).
如何补救。如果你已经犯了这个错误,这并不意味着就没有机会了:尽快跟联系人联系,对这一失误负全部责任,协商出解决方案。不能认为这是件小事,或者认为公司可以马上重新安排面试都是不可取的,也不能帮助你得到再一次的机会。
 
MISTAKE NO. 2: SENDING A GENERIC FOLLOW-UP OR NOT FOLLOWING UP ENOUGH
错误二:后续反馈过于平淡
 
Shukran notes that another common interview mistake is sending a bland follow-up note or not following up at all. This causes you to miss out on an enormous opportunity to stand out among other prospective hires and–more importantly–to continue the conversation and build a relationship with your interviewer.
Shukran提到的另一个常见面试错误是发送一个泛善可陈的后续情况给联系人或者根本没有发送。这会让你错失一个机会,让你在未来的招聘中不能脱颖而出——更重要的是——不能继续与面试官的交谈,从而无法与面试官建立关系。
 
How to recover. If you made this common interview mistake and haven’t followed up to an interview yet, do so! Just make sure it’s unique to the person with whom you interviewed and shows you’re paying attention to the conversation: “Whenever possible, think back to something an interviewer said about the company and comment on it, or follow up for more information or to share an interesting article tied to the role. A follow-up that showcases whether or not you’re a fit shows more interest post-interview than a generic one,” remarks Shukran.
如何补救。如果你犯了这个常见的面试错误,而且还没有对面试进行反馈,那么就这样做吧!只要确保你的这份反馈在面试人看来是独特的就可以,其中需要表现出你对面试过程的关心:“只要有机会,就可以回顾一些面试官对公司情况的介绍,对其作出反馈或者评论,或者自己搜集更多信息,分享相关文章等。Shukran说:“在后续反馈中表现出自己适合这份工作时很吸引人的。”
 
“I know of a candidate that was interviewing with a company, and while they were waiting in the wings to hear back from the recruiter, the company received some good reviews in the press,” remarks Shukran. “The next morning, the candidate reached out just to say congratulations on the big win. That thoughtful gesture showcased that person’s passion for the company and helped that candidate stay top of mind.”
Shukran说:“举个例子,有一名求职者在面试一个公司,等待面试结果时看到公司的媒体评论很好。第二天早上,这位候选人主动联系面试联络员,对此表示祝贺。这种体贴的姿态显示出了这个人对公司的热情,使得面试官对这位候选人印象深刻。“
 
MISTAKE NO. 3: FOLLOWING UP TOO MUCH
错误三:后续反馈过度
 
“When a candidate follows up too frequently, I start to wonder about what’s going on,” says Shukran. “Did they get turned down by another company, so they’re latching onto this job? Did they not hear when we said we’re going through first round of interviews and will get back to them next week? Either they’re not listening or they’re too aggressive, and either way that’s a turnoff.”
Shukran说:“当一个求职者太频繁地发送反馈时,我开始怀疑到底发生了什么。他们难道被另一家公司拒绝了吗?当我们说我们要进行完第一轮面试、下周回复他们的时候,他们没有听到吗?他们要么不听,要么太咄咄逼人,要么就是让人倒胃口。”
 
How to recover. Aside from chilling out and stepping back, you can’t recover from too much follow-up. Your best bet is to learn your lesson and apply a more moderate approach to following your next interview (or better yet, ask your interviewer what the follow-up schedule looks like and act accordingly).
如何补救。这时只有放松一下、减少反馈信息了。这时候的最好做法就是从中汲取教训,采用一种更加合适的方法对下次面试进行反馈跟进 (或者更好的方法是,问一问你的面试官接下来的安排是什么样的,然后采取相应的行动)。
 
MISTAKE NO. 4: NOT ASKING ANY QUESTIONS
错误四:闭口不言、没有任何问题要提
 
If it seems like asking questions at the end of an interview is optional, Shukran wants to be clear that it’s not: “An interview is more of a conversation than anything else,” she says. “When you’re really listening in an interview and having an insightful conversation, you have an opportunity to dig deeper. If you’re not asking questions, it shows a lack of interest and passion.”
有人认为面试结束时是否提出问题是没有影响的,但Shukran表示并非如此:“面试是非常重要的一场对话。当你在面试中认真倾听并有深刻见解的谈话时,你就有机会深入挖掘。如果你不问问题,那说明你缺乏兴趣和激情。”
 
How to recover. If you find yourself in the middle of an interview and you really can’t think of any questions, it’s okay to ask to circle back with questions later.
如何补救。如果你发现自己在面试中真的想不出任何问题,那么你可以要求以后再提问。
 
“Not everyone can think on their feet,” Shukran says. “When you’re still in the moment and you can’t think of any questions, it’s okay to say, ‘This is a lot of info to digest, I’d like to think through the questions and follow up by email.’ That would show me a strong sense of self-awareness that you know you’re not the person to think on your feet but you know what you need to do to get the job done.”
“不是每个人都能独立思考,” Shukran说,“当你想不出任何问题时,可以这样说:‘有多信息要消化,我想通过这些问题来思考,然后通过电子邮件来跟进。’这会让我感受到你有一种强烈的自我意识,你知道你不是那种能马上思考的人,但你知道你需要做些什么才能把工作完成。”
 
If you didn’t ask questions in the interview, all is not lost. The next time you’re in touch with your interviewer–whether that’s a scheduled follow-up call or a check-in a week or two after your interview–ask if it’s possible to take them up on their offer to ask questions and include a few thoughtful ones in your email.
如果你在面试中没有问问题,之后也还有机会这样做。下次你和面试官联系的时候——不管是预定的跟进电话还是在面试后一到两周的签到——问一问是否有可能对他们进行提问,在你的邮件中加入一些深思熟虑的问题。
 
MISTAKE NO. 5: NOT SHOWING INDUSTRY KNOW-HOW
错误五:对公司了解不全
 
The best way to impress a recruiter or hiring manager is to do your research in advance of the interview–that means doing your due diligence and reading the company’s website, performing a web search for articles mentioning the company or recent press releases, and reviewing all interview-related email correspondence.
给招聘人员或招聘经理留下深刻印象的最好方法是在面试前做好调查——这意味着你要全面搜集信息,阅读公司的网站,在网上搜索关于公司的文章或最近的新闻发布,并回顾所有与面试相关的电子邮件。
 
 “I work in ad tech, so what’s always very impressive to me is when candidates come in from outside our industry with a strong understanding of the business,” says Shukran. “There may be gaps or mistakes in how they’re addressing what we do, but whether they have the details right or not, it shows me that they have a strong passion for the potential opportunity and a strategic, business-oriented way of thinking.”
Shukran说:“我在广告技术公司工作,所以对我来说,那些对我们公司了解很全面的外行应聘者最让我印象深刻。虽然他们可能对这些信息了解不透彻,但这都表现出他们有很大热情,做事情时具备战略性的、以商业为导向的思维方式。”
 
How to recover. This is yet another common interview mistake where the best approach is a preventative one. Research the company and the position as thoroughly as possible in advance of your interview so you’re prepared to have an intelligent discussion about the position and the role it plays in the company’s big picture.
如何补救。对于这个常见的错误,最好的方法也是提前预防。在面试前尽可能深入地研究公司和职位信息,这样你就可以对面试职位在公司的大环境中所扮演的角色进行正确的讨论。
 
If you made the mistake of taking the interview cold, make sure you show that you’ve done your research when you follow up. Mention a recent press release or acquisition, or ask a question that shows that you’ve put some thought into how the position will play into the company’s long-term goals. As Shukran explains, “When you can connect your day-to-day to the bigger picture on an ongoing basis, it’s much more valuable compared to someone who is focused on the tasks associated with the job.”
如果你已经犯了这个错误,一定要在跟进反馈时表明你已经做了调查。提到最近的新闻发布或收购信息,或者问一个问题,表明你已经考虑到这个职位将如何影响公司的长期发展。正如Shukran所解释的那样,“将你的日常生活与更长远的规划联系起来,比只专注于与工作相关的任务来说,前者更有价值。”
 
If you blew an interview with one of these common interview mistakes, take heart. You’re not alone, and the mistake can likely be fixed. And if it can’t, you’ve learned a valuable lesson that will serve you well for future interviews. Don’t give up, and you’re bound to find the job that fits your life.
如果你在面试中犯了以上这些常见的面试错误,那就鼓起勇气进行补救吧。很多人都会犯这些错误,而且可能会经常如此。如果不能补救,那么可以从中学到宝贵的一课,为以后的面试做好准备。不要放弃,你一定会找到适合自己的工作。