What To Do After A Job Interview

So, the job interview is over. Now what?

Congrats! You’ve just endured a job interview. Maybe this was your first one ever. If so, double congrats. It wasn’t so scary, was it? You’re probably feeling pretty good about yourself, and you should. Savour this wave of relief.

The worst is yet to come.

Yep, what no one tells you about the job hunt is that the real test comes after the interview, when all you can do is sit and wait, as if you’ve just texted your crush confessing your love and they’re taking their sweet time getting back to you.

The radio silence can be interminable. You'll start wishing they call you to officially say you didn’t get the job, because then at least the tension would be over. You keep eyeing off your phone and refreshing your email inbox over and over again, as the frustration slowly builds. And you know what they say about watched pots? Boiling isn’t really their thing.

Sorry. There’s just no sugar coating the waiting game. However, the last thing you want to do is feed your paranoia with made-up reasons as to why you’ve not heard back from anyone. Instead, put all that negative energy to good use. For those needing the distraction, here are some tips on what to do once the job interview is behind you.

Did They Give You A Timeline? If So, Stick To It

This advice is more helpful to those heading in to an interview than those on the other side of one, but it’s worth repeating: make sure you ask the interviewers when you can expect to hear back from them. At the very least, this will give you an indication of how long you should wait before panicking.

Write Down Everything

The first thing you should do when you return home is write down everything that took place during the interview, from introductions to farewells (especially if this is your first ever job interview). Often, you’ll be asked back for another interview before being offered a job, which is why it’s important to prepare for the potential follow-up by noting down all the questions you were asked and how you answered them, to improve your responses for next time. Try to remember the names of those you spoke with and what you spoke about, in case any of it gets called back at a second interview.

Send A ‘Thank You’ Email

‘Thank You’ notes require very little effort and are an effective way of establishing your professionalism and politeness, while conveniently opening up email as a channel of future communication. (It’s worth considering going the extra mile and posting a hand-written ‘Thank You’. It’s so quaint, it might earn you further favour. Delivering it by carrier pigeon is probably a bit much though.) Address the note to those you met with during the interview and simply thank them for taking the time to chat. Personalise it a touch by mentioning something that was discussed in the interview. However, don’t go too casual on this. Close by letting them know you’re looking forward to hearing back from them soon. Smooth.

Check Back In

Depending on the timeline they established at the end of your meeting, you’re well within your rights to send an email or place a call after a reasonable amount of time has passed – let’s say, one week – to see if they’re any closer to making their decision.

... But Don’t Stalk

It’s important at this point to state a truth many job-seekers like to deny: if you’re wanted for a job, the employer probably won’t leave you hanging. That said, there are sometimes totally valid reasons for a delayed response. Perhaps the human resources representative went on holiday. Maybe they’re interviewing other applicants. Depending on the size of the company, each round of interviews may require approvals from a whole bunch of different business owners. Plus: people get sick! If the HR rep needs to take a week off to recover from the flu, you may not be endearing yourself to them by constantly calling and emailing.

You’ve got to hang in there and not pester prospective employers. Patience isn’t just a George Michael album; it’s a virtue.

Prep for Round 2

You may end up waiting weeks to hear back and then are suddenly called in for a second chat with just twenty-four hours’ notice. It’s also not unusual to receive a call soon after your first interview where you'll need to clarify some answers over the phone. This is why it’s essential to go over your previous interview and evaluate what you did right and what you did wrong. NB: This isn’t about second guessing yourself or trying to figure out where you might have turned them off. Rather, it’s about taking a constructive approach to your interview style and figuring out how you can 'wow' them the next time around.

Keep An Eye On LinkedIn

No, LinkedIn isn’t just for people who are too frightened and confused to use Facebook. Professional networking site LinkedIn lets you see when people have glanced at your career profile page, which makes it essential for those who want confirmation a company is investigating you further. This – okay, pretty creepy - feature can skew your hopes unfairly. Still, it’s pretty much the only way to gauge whether or not you remain in contention for the gig when you haven't heard back otherwise.

Apply For Other Jobs

There are plenty more fish in the sea. No point keeping your boat on the water for weeks at a time just to see if this one particular fish will bite back. Cast a wide net – and other marine-puns – and use this time to take other interviews. You’ll only get better with each successive one. This’ll also help you to stop fixating on any one particular job. If you discover a few different opportunities that appeal to you, you’ll be able to deal with potential rejection from one of them a lot better. And, when you finally get that offer you’ve been waiting for, you’ll feel even more certain that it’s from the right place, because you’ve seen what everywhere else has to offer.