When I know I won't get the job

I'm sure everyone has known at or right after you didn't get the job. I can usually tell at the interview whether I am a no or possible.

  1. They don't look you in the eye. When I go for an interview (pre-covid obviously) I was greeted by a handshake and eye contact. Yes, it starts from the beginning, employers often know whether you are a possibility or a no way (and are just interviewing you for a variety of reasons). If they do not at least look at you and smile, not getting the job.
  2. They thank you for coming in and are pleasant. Sounds obvious but an employer who is considering you will be nice to you. They might offer you a bottle of water or ask you to sit down. Employers who don't do any of this aren't hiring you.
  3. They ask questions about you and your skills and mention they saw your portfolio or ask to see it. In my experience employers who don't ask about your skills aren't interested. Depending on your field it might be a portfolio or asking credentials. If they ask none of this you probably don't have the job. On the opposite, if they ask to make copies, it usually means you are least being considered.
  4. Related to this, but if they ONLY ask assessment questions. I have never gotten a job where this occurred. I've gotten a mixture of skills and assessment but never just behavioral ones,
  5. Playing on their phone during an interview. Had this one and yep I got home to a rejection. It's downright rude.
  6. Randomly leaving the room without telling why. Had this one too.
  7. When you leave they mention "we are still interviewing other candidates". I don't think I ever got a job from this. It's code for "thanks but no thanks" usually. Related to this one, when they mention "we'll be making choices next week" to me it almost always means "thanks but no thanks".
  8. Walking you out and thanking you. If an interviewer doesn't do this, you likely don't have the job.
  9. Honorable mention but when they bait and switch. I have gone on a few interviews where they started talking about another job at the interview and sometimes it's a higher level, it's usually much lower. I did have an interview where they told me I was much higher skilled for the higher job and will submit my resume for that. Most of the time though it's a lower job and they lure people in to take that job.

I know there are exceptions to the rule but this has been my experience.