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I had a job interview today for a software development job as a Junior Developer as it was down to me and another girl, the outcome of the interview was that the girl had one years more experience than me so he choose her. I thanked him for his time and for being straight up about his decision, he told me that they are expanding and will keep ahold of my details.

After the interview on my way home I though of some advice that would have been helpful that I could have asked him and that question was "Do you have any feedback about how the interview went or things that I could improve on".

Would it be ok to send him an email and ask that question from a professional stand point?

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    You can ask , there is nothing wrong in that.
    – Helping Hands
    Commented Sep 16, 2015 at 4:48
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    Not only is it OK, but it is encouraged by some job-seeking experts...
    – komodosp
    Commented Sep 16, 2015 at 7:37
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    You can ask. In the US you are unlikely to get a useful response. Companies are loathe to give further details about hiring practices for fear of litigation.
    – kevin cline
    Commented Sep 16, 2015 at 8:22
  • Kevin is 100% right for US. Fear of repercussions is larger then their desire to help a candidate.
    – Sh4d0wsPlyr
    Commented Sep 16, 2015 at 13:03
  • There's no harm in asking. Just don't argue or try to contradict them if they decide to open up and give you negative feedback, criticisms, etc. That would be unprofessional.
    – Brandin
    Commented Sep 16, 2015 at 15:26

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Sure, there's nothing wrong with that at all, any information is valuable in the job search. The worst that can happen is he won't respond. Keep it brief and polite, and thank him for his time.

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As an interviewer, I have in the past been advised by HR representatives to never provide this sort of feedback. Giving this sort of feedback can be a legal liability.

The potential downside for the candidate asking for this feedback is that it could be perceived as not being self aware. Generally, you should know what questions you know well (and thus did well on), and which you didn't. You should know if you meet or exceed qualifications for the role (or that it was a stretch).

Instead, if you're looking to get feedback or network, I wouldn't approach it as interview feedback, I'd ask instead from the perspective of career advice (which people love giving!).

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  • Not sure how this could be a potential downside. You've already been turned down, why should you care if someone who already rejected you has a slightly lower opinion. Still, good insight into why an interviewer might not want to give feedback, and a good alternative spin on what you are asking for.
    – Francine DeGrood Taylor
    Commented Sep 17, 2015 at 20:28
  • Often, especially in situations depicted in the OP, unsuccessful candidates are encouraged to re-apply as more positions open up. Also, you never know, it is a small world. You're right though, the downside does seem small.
    – James Kingsbery
    Commented Sep 17, 2015 at 20:31

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