In a recent episode of the HigherEdJobs Podcast, Dr. Joseph Brennan joined co-hosts Andy Hibel and Kelly Cherwin to talk about why a bad interview is not necessarily a failure, but often a valuable lesson about fit, and what candidates should be paying attention to during the interview process. The discussion was inspired by Brennan's article, "What I Learned From My Worst Interview Ever," a personal reflection on a hostile interview early in his career and the lessons it still offers years later.
The article received significant feedback from the HigherEdJobs audience, inspiring a deeper conversation about what candidates can learn from interviews that do not go as planned.
Reading the Room and Trusting Your Body
Brennan began the conversation by explaining that not every interview is designed to help candidates succeed. Often, the first signals that something is off appear internally, and not through direct feedback.
"Always check in with the body because the body knows faster than the head knows," Brennan said.
He explained that while nerves are normal, feeling defensive, fearful, or unusually activated can signal that an interview is no longer focused on learning about the candidate. He also encouraged listeners to observe interviewer behavior, including things like dismissive body language or questions that feel more performative than evaluative.
Drawing from her own interview experience, Kelly described how an interview can shift when questions start to leave a candidate feeling put on the spot.
"I could see that he [the interviewer] wasn't really interested in learning about me as a candidate," she said, "but almost was trying to embarrass me."
The Impossibility Test
Brennan described what he called the "impossibility test," or instances when interviewers outlined challenges that already sounded unrealistic. These questions paired high expectations with limited resources, offering a peek into what working in the role might actually feel like. Andy connected those moments back to how candidates should be evaluating opportunities.
"When you go into an active job search, you have one major goal," he said. "Can I succeed, thrive, and grow in this role?"
Brennan noted that these moments were often not about the candidate at all.
"There may be other agendas in play," he said.
Those agendas, he explained, could include internal conflict, a preferred candidate already selected, or a workplace culture that normalizes burnout. He also described performative questions, where interviewers focused more on demonstrating their own expertise than learning about the candidate.
"Really what's happening is that interviewer is showing off their knowledge and expertise in front of their peers and not so genuinely interested in helping you as the candidate," Brennan said.
Interviews as a Two-Way Conversation
Throughout the episode, Andy and Kelly emphasized that interviews are not one-sided evaluations, and that candidates can forget that they are also evaluating the employer when the focus is only on getting an offer. Andy pointed out how easily job searches become unbalanced.
"I think it's so much seen that the only goal is to get the job," he said, "whereas when you set that as a goal, you sometimes lose sight of being able to do the other side of the interview where you're interviewing them."
Brennan reinforced that mindset, encouraging candidates to stay curious instead of defensive.
What To Do When an Interview Goes Off Track
When interviews start to feel uncomfortable, Brennan shared strategies for staying professional. He talked about using the redirect technique to acknowledge a concern and bring the focus back to your strengths.
"There's nothing that says you have to answer exactly the question the way it was asked," he said.
He also emphasized the importance of slowing down in the moment.
"Take a breath," Brennan said. "You're telling your body that everything's okay and it doesn't need to go into fight or flight response."
Knowing When To Step Back
Later in the conversation, Kelly asked how candidates know when it is time to mentally disengage from an interview that no longer feels viable. Brennan explained that intuition often provides that answer.
"I think your intuition will tell you that this thing's reached the point of no return," he said.
He emphasized the importance of still maintaining professionalism throughout the process.
"Higher ed is a small community," Brennan said. "You want to always show up as a professional."
Finding the Bright Side
For listeners who have already experienced a difficult interview, the conversation offered a way to look back with less self-blame. For those currently interviewing, it showed what to watch for and how to respond when an interview does not go as planned. Rather than framing these moments as failures, the episode instead encouraged candidates to see them as useful signals that can inform better decisions moving forward.
"If you can get some learning out of a bad situation, it's not a bad situation," Brennan said.
To hear the full conversation, listen to the episode below
To read the article that inspired this conversation, click here: "What I Learned From My Worst Interview Ever."
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