I had an interview for a job where I had 2 years extra experience than they were asking for and a higher level qualification than what they asked. The feedback was that I seem very intelligent, capable, with great experience and well spoken, but they decided I am too junior for that role.
Additio...
Did they phrase the feedback specifically like that? "We were looking for someone more senior"? Or did they give you more specific feedback such as: "We are looking for someone with more experience in domain X and with technology y"?
@zmike that is the phrasing they used, for the interview feedback they didn't expand (maybe I should ask?). for the redundancy they did elaborate they want someone to do x and y, and they wanted someone more senior with more experience in it (but then hired someone with similar experience to me). I should also note that it would be more client-facing but it is things I have done before under my old manager
"Seniority" is not just "X years of experience with technology Y"; it often involves "soft" skills like leadership, dealing with stress, handling difficult clients, navigating company's political landscape etc.
Situation sounds unfair. Re: any strategies - Dress more in the direction of business-formal, and pretend to be older in terms of mannerisms, basically.
Sometimes more than just "years of experience" are needed to distinguish more senior folks from junior folks. Sometimes it's your depth of experience, or even just the ability to express your knowledge well. It's often difficult for each of us to judge that part about ourselves very well.
"I am a female in my mid twenties and I am quite young looking, I think my voice sounds younger than I am as well, but I can speak well. I can't help but think this is why I might be perceived as too junior. Are there any strategies I can use to be perceived as more mature?" - do you have some friends in your professional network that you could ask, to see if they agree with your assumptions?
Avoid uptalk. (Where every sentence? Sounds like a question?) It makes you sound unsure of yourself - i.e. lacking the confidence & experience of a "senior" => "junior".
Bear in mind that people who are interviewing aren't that good at telling a good employee from a bad one, that's why epic developer tests are in fashion. But its also why and how age/sex/race/cultural biases creep into the process. Just because these interviewers say these things, doesn't mean there is any truth to it or that they know what they are talking about.
What specific questions did they ask, and what is your role? Always try to route the interview towards specific questions about your competence and experience and away from generalities or subjective questions.
I would also, before assuming several interviewers in a row were this biased, ask myself whether the level of experience (and not only the length of it) was good enough. It is possible to become a "permanent junior" (people with junior-level skills even after working for several years). I have met (and work/ed with) several people like that and am facing becoming a "permanent medior" (not skilled enough to be a senior, but better than juniors and good enough for solo work).
Discussion on question by k--: I thin…
Discussion on question by k--: I thin…