How to know if the job offer is a mistake …

My client is worried that the job offer is a mistake! Last week, Eleanor* called to give me the amazing news that she’d been for an interview and had been offered a job. Not just any job but her dream job! She told me that she’d been soooo nervous before the interview. She had convinced herself she wouldn’t get the job and was simply attending for interview practice. In fact she didn’t even tell me about the interview. Now she’s worried that the job offer is a mistake!

First she had to undergo a technical test and this was followed by a 3 person panel interview. Before they started, the HR manager informed her that they had further interviews at the end of the week so not to expect immediate news. Which explains why my client was stunned to get a phone call the very next day offering her the job.

But listen to this … my client is now worrying that the employer made a “snap decision”; that she didn’t deserve the job; and that she isn’t “good enough” for the role; that the employer made a mistake.

How to prepare for an interview

Here is some insight into how my client prepared for this interview. She has years of experience in technology. She was moving into a more specialist role – a role she’d done previously as part of a more generalist role. She researched by talking to other specialists in this field. She spent hours preparing and revising for the test (even though she didn’t know what exactly the test would cover). She travelled from London to Nottingham for the job interview demonstrating her commitment. She reviewed the LinkedIn profiles of the interviewers and the organisation to get a better understanding of their background, their values and the type of projects she might be involved with. After the interview, she prepared and send a well-written thank you note (by email), highlighting her skills and strengths, and expressing her excitement about the potential opportunity.

Eleanor prepared extremely well for the interview.

Is that job offer a mistake?

What do you think? Do you think that the employer (remember, a panel of three) made a snap decision? Or were the interviewers so impressed with what Eleanor could offer and what she is able to bring to the role that they decided to make a speedy offer so that they didn’t miss out on a valuable candidate. Perhaps in the past, they had hesitated and missed out on a great candidate.

You might have good reason to wonder if the job offer is a mistake if:

you have no relevant experience or qualifications AND
the job offer is made during the interview AND
if you are being offered a salary and benefits that are WAY way way over and above what you’d expect for this role

Good employers don’t generally make snap decisions when they offer you a job. They will have invested a great deal of time and resource … particularly for this job interview: organising the test, the 3 person panel, the HR resources, the cost of the job advertisement.

If you are offered a job after a professional interview ….

AND you want the job. AND it’s a location that works for you. AND you have the relevant skills and experience. AND they’ve seen what you can do because you had to complete a test. AND they’ve seen your CV and checked out your LinkedIn profile. CONGRATULATIONS!!! You got the job. Time to do a happy dance. Stop worrying about whether the employer made a mistake and now go and prove to them that they absolutely made the right decision.

Congratulations Eleanor! I feel proper proud that you have taken on board the lessons from my Back to Work Confidence programme.

What about you?

If you’re stuck feeling overwhelmed or unsure about your back to work decisions and preparation, don’t stay that way – let’s have a conversation about what’s working, what’s not working and if that’s confidence related … Book in here.