14 Signs Your Interview Went Badly

1. It was much shorter than expected

Unless an emergency came up and the company explained this, it’s usually a very bad sign if the interviewer is shorter than the scheduled time period.

Sometimes initial phone interviews or video interviews are brief, but at minimum, I’d expect them to last for 20-25 minutes. If it ended abruptly or only went for 10 minutes, it’s a sign your interview went poorly.

2. You met with fewer people than expected

Sometimes if an interview is going very badly, the first person you meet will decide to send you home and save everyone else’s time.

This is an extreme scenario but it does happen, and it’s one of the biggest signs that your interview did not go well.

However… before you freak out….

It really depends on how many people you missed out on meeting, and how well they explained it.

Being scheduled to meet 5 people and then only meeting 4 isn’t a big deal. Especially if they give you a reason (like the person being sick, traveling, or tied up in another meeting).

3. They didn’t share much information about the company or position

Usually if an interview is going well, they’ll try to sell you on the company and position. They want to attract you, just like you’re trying to sell yourself to them.

So if they do very little to tell you about the position or what you’d be doing in the role, it’s a sign that either:

A: The interviewer is inexperienced, not very good, nervous, etc.

B: Your interview went badly

So judge this based on who you spoke with. If it’s some HR intern or assistant, don’t worry about it. But if you met face-to-face with the head of the department and they shared nothing about what the organization is doing or what you’d do in this role, it’s a bad sign.