We’ve all been there. You’re interviewing for a new position and speaking with the recruiter, hiring manager, or cross-functional panelists. Things seem to be going well and you’re feeling good about your prospects. Then out of left-field comes a question you weren’t prepared for. “Ummmmm, uhhhhhh, gaaaaah…” Talk about a 1960s Batman episode gone horribly, horribly wrong. You’ll eventually stumble across an answer, but deep down you know you dropped the ball. Cue the panic train: What was I thinking? Did I just lose the job? Is there anything I can do to fix this? The respective answers are I don’t know, maybe, and yes!
Step 1: You should already be sending thank-you emails to interviewers at every step of the hiring process. My suggested format is 4 concise sentences: sincerely thanking them for their time, highlighting your biggest strength, identifying an area of improvement, and again expressing gratitude and enthusiasm for the next stage. That third sentence is key in this situation. Own your mistake, but also include a plan or promise to rectify it. For example: “I realize I didn’t answer the question about pediatric asthma management very well. I promise to familiarize myself with the latest ATS guidelines so I can better answer this question in the future.” Who can fault you for that rebuttal?
Step 2: If you’re invited to the next stage of the interview process, take a moment to address your previous mistake. Sometimes this will be initiated by your interviewers (e.g., “I have a follow-up question to something you said last week…”) but if not, take the initiative yourself. For example: “During my presentation last week, I stated hyperthyroidism is the most common adverse event. After reading the PI in detail, I realize it’s actually hypothyroidism. I apologize for the mix-up in terminology; this won’t happen again.” I also recommend you bring it up as early as possible, as you don’t want any lingering doubts about your competency to taint how the interviewers process any new questions and answers.
Step 3: Regardless of whether you’re invited back or not, or whether you’re ultimately offered the job or not, don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s improbable a single mistake on your part ruined your chance with that company. Hiring managers are looking at a constellation of factors, including familiarity with the TA, field experience, and “fit” with company culture, among others. Do, however, take it in stride as a learning opportunity. Write the question down and then practice a better answer so it doesn’t happen again. As the old adage goes, bit once, shame on you, bit twice, shame on me.
In closing, we’re all human and we all make honest mistakes. Companies know this may be your first interview or first time reading their clinical data. Add the stress of a short turnaround and a competitive job market and one can practically guarantee at least one screw up. I think what’s important to all hiring managers and cross-functional partners is that you have the EQ to recognize when you’re wrong, the humility to admit it, and most importantly, the maturity to take corrective steps to prevent a recurrence. Life, after all, is learning from our mistakes- embrace it!
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are that of the author and do not represent any position by Sanofi or its subsidiaries
About the author:
Nabhan Islam, MD
Nabhan Islam received his BMSc from Western University in 2002 and his MD from St. George’s University in 2007. After completing training with the MSL Society, he broke into industry as an MSL with GSK in 2019. This was followed by an MSL position at Syneos Health on behalf of VBI Vaccines from 2021-2023. As of 2024, Nabhan is an MSL with Sanofi, representing autoimmune Type 1 Diabetes in Western Canada. In addition to contributing to the Journal, Nabhan has hosted workshops for Aspiring MSLs at the MSL Society Annual Conference, delivered a keynote presentation at SEAK 2023, and is a regular guest on the MSL Talk podcast.
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