Failed Contract Interviews
Most contractors suffer failed contract interviews. However, if you are smart you can turn failed interviews to your advantage.
Making the Most of Failed Contract Interviews
Many IT contractors and permanent employees go for interviews, and when they don’t get the job they simply write the company off. They don’t expect ever to work there again. Failed interviews are something that happens to just about every contractor.
However that’s not the approach to take. If you take the approach, when you go for an interview, that you want to get work from this company, even if not now, then sometime in the future, then you are more likely to succeed.
This will change the way that you think about the interview.
Database of Clients
To get some direct contracts in the future from the company you will need to ask some questions and get some information from the interviewer. Here are some ways that you can use to help make it happen after failed interviews.
1) Start a database of all job interviews that you go to. Have the name of the company, interviewer and the agency on it.
2) When you go to an interview, tell the interviewer at the start that you want to work for the company some time in the future if you don’t get the contract now. Say that you will ask for some details during the interview to facilitate that. Ask their permission to do this. It won’t do your interview prospects any harm by showing that you work professionally and methodically
3) Ask the interviewer if you can approach him or her in the future, if they are not able to hire you this time round. Take contact details from them, like phone number and email address.
Preferred Supplier Agencies
4) Ask them if they only take from preferred supplier agencies. If they do, try and find out which ones they are and who the contact is at each of the agencies. Some agencies are more preferred than others. So, make sure that each of these agencies has your CV in the event that a requirement comes up again.
5) Try to find out which agency did manage to get the position in the end. As I said before, there are some agencies that are more preferred than others. So, it is important to make sure that this agency gets your details after failed interviews.
6) If you know people with similar skills to yourself, which match the client’s site skills, then ask them if they would mind you putting some other contractors forward in the future as they became available. Tell them that you know some really good people with the skills that the client wants.
7) Ask the interviewer if there are other project managers at the company who might be looking for IT contractors at the moment and in the future. If you feel that they are keen to help, ask them for contact details of those project managers.
Leave Your Contact Details With Client
8) Give the interviewer your contact details and tell them that you would be happy for them to contact you at any time in the future should other requirements come up.
9) Tell the interviewer that you would be happy for him or her to pass on those contact details to other project managers at the company.
10) Hopefully you will have got the contract, but even if you haven’t, drop the interviewer a line to thank him for all the help that he or she gave you at the interview and that you hope that they will keep you in mind for the future.
Receiving your communication may even prompt him to keep your details on file and to pass them on to other project managers. If you send the communication by email, he can simply forward your request to the others
Large Database after Failed Interview
Over time, even after failed contract interviews, you should be able to amass quite a database of contacts. Every time you become available, or on regular basis (e.g. every three months), contact them to see if they have any requirements.
When they say ‘No’ to you, often what they are saying is ‘Not now’. Make sure that you are still in touch with them when they change their minds.
So, you can see that you can even put failed contract interviews to good use.
Read also Contract Interviews – I Keep Failing Them Says Contractor
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Previous Clients – How to Get Work From Them
