If Interviews Went Well, Why Didn’t I Get the Job?

It’s super frustrating to prep for interviews, have them go well, and then hear nothing! Why didn’t you get the job? You may meet the qualifications and experience, but a lot goes in the sausage-making of how employers hire. Here are some factors that could explain the result other than they went with someone with a better fit: 

1. Managers favor their own background and training. If they started their career at a top firm, then they think that’s the best kind of training and prefer candidates with that background.
2. If managers had a bad experience with lawyers from a certain company or industry, then they shy away from those people. For example, if they don’t like a big company’s legal culture or policies, then they prefer not to hire people from there.
3. The market is now in flux, and budgets or reqs are being changed, so managers may not have the green light to hire. They may be hopeful circumstances will change so they prefer to stay quiet for now.
4. Companies have different risk tolerance and styles. You may be perfectly reasonable but not exactly what the company is looking for, e.g., business wants Legal to take an active role, or the opposite: business wants Legal to advise only, not advocate, or business wants someone to have a specific background or style.
5. Your message may not have resonated with interviewers. You need to find out what is essential versus a plus for the job. Then talk about relevant experience and skills in a concise and interesting way that aligns with what the manager is looking for. Get focused before you interview.

Three things you can do after you find out you didn’t get the job: fill in missing holes in your experience, ask for feedback, and practice your answers. See here for more nuance.