I was recruited for a job I initially was luke warm toward. But the recruiter seemed very enthused and urged me to come talk. So I went thinking they really wanted me. They really tried to sell the job to me during the interview so I was surprised afterwards when they didn’t give me an offer. Did I played it too cool?
Without more details, it’s hard to say whether your initial reluctance to pursue this job affected the final outcome. What mattered was whether you were reluctant during the face to face interview. It shouldn’t surprise you that organizations do not want to hire someone who doesn’t want to be there.
I can tell you that I’ve interviewed many people who I thought were perfect on paper, but seemed hesitant about the position. During the course of a face-to-face interview, that lack of enthusiasm will always come through to the interviewers and may put you at a disadvantage over other candidates who are more eager to join the company.
But I think that’s ok. You should view the interview as an opportunity to learn about the position or the employer. Perhaps, during the interview, you will become excited and enthused because you learned something new and unexpected.
Even if that change doesn’t happen, going through the process of the interview will still benefit you. There is an art to being a successful interviewee and the more practice you get, the better you will become at it. At Dear AAPAAN, we’ve written a number of blog on interviews. You might check them out. Also, you had the chance to meet a new recruiter or a new employee — they may think of you the next time a position comes up that better meets your interests. So, don’t measure this interview with a scorecard where you “lost” because you didn’t get the offer. Rather, you can best advance your career when you remain open new challenges and opportunities like this interview.
Curtis