You’ve successfully completed the interview and you’re feeling good about it. Now all you have to do is sit back and wait for the company to call, right?
Not exactly.
You may be surprised to learn that the post interview phase is equally as important as the interview itself.
You should continue to take a proactive approach to help you secure the job. If it’s between you and another applicant, how you conduct yourself now can either make or break you.
So how exactly can you continue to impress the employer once the actual interview is complete?
What you need to do is take what you’ve learned from the meeting and use it to help solidify the employer’s decision of bringing you onboard.
We are going to get into more detail on this by showing you the 4 things that successful people do after every job interview. Use them to your advantage immediately after the interview to increase your chances of getting hired.
1. Notes, Notes and More Notes
This is where that pen and paper that you brought to the interview will come in particularly handy. As soon as you finish the interview, you should take notes of everything that happened in the meeting.
You definitely don’t want to forget important details of what you covered with the company. Don’t wait until you get home; you’d be surprised how much you can forget in that time.
Take notes in the lobby, outside or in your car – wherever you find suitable.
Important Pieces of Information
First, write down names of people you interviewed with or important pieces of information you found out about the company. Make notes of anything that you wouldn’t want to forget.
This information will be useful to you if you get called for a second interview. It will also be helpful for following up with the company yourself, which we will get into shortly.
Interview Questions and Answers
It’s also a good idea to briefly write down the all of the questions that you were asked in the interview, as well as your answers. This may sound a little tedious, but even just summarizing the interview can work to your advantage.
You never know if you’ll be called in for a second interview or another meeting.
In that case, it’s best to stay consistent with everything you said previously. Not only will this remind you of everything that happened in the first interview, but it will prepare you for the next time you potentially see the employer.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Lastly, go through your answers and analyze the interview. What do you think went well and what could you do better at next time? Try to be completely honest about exactly what worked and what didn’t.
Did you thrive with some questions and not with others? Did you feel that your communication was great, but your body language needed some work?
Maybe your nerves got the best of you and you rambled on a bit more than you needed to. Give it an honest assessment and remember that these things can easily be worked on.
Employer Feedback
If the employer gave you any feedback, that’s important to take note of as well. Jot it down after the meeting and save it to work on later.
If you were given feedback, it doesn’t mean that you didn’t get the job. Remember that nobody has a perfect interview.
However, the employer is handing you valuable information that will be helpful for you to work on in the future. If they bring you in for a second interview and you show that you’ve taken their feedback into consideration – this can work in your favor.
By reading back over these notes, you can become better aware of your strengths and weaknesses. This process should be done with every single interview. Use your notes to help you improve upon the interview process in the future.
2. The Follow Up Thank You Email
In our previous article, we mentioned asking the employer for a business card at the end of the interview to follow up. If you don’t have a business card, you can probably find this information on the company website.
But what you want to do to help secure the position is send a follow up email saying thank you. This can really set you apart, because it’s unbelievable how many people actually skip this step.
An Advantage Over Most Candidates
In fact, one study from iCIMS showed that a shocking 74% of recruiters do not receive thank you emails or notes following the interview. The same study showed that employers were 63% more likely to hire someone who wanted more money over someone who wanted less, if they sent a thank you note.
This just goes to show you how much of an impact a little courtesy can have in your job hunt. Show the person you interviewed with that you value their time and that you want the position.
The Timing Must Be Right
We should mention that this should be done shortly after the interview. It should never be sent a few days or one week later. Send the email within 24 hours following the interview at the very latest.
If you follow up with the company days later, the employer may have already made their decision. It’s best to do it when you are still fresh in their minds.
If you interview in the morning, it’s acceptable to send the email that evening. If you interview in the afternoon, you can send it on the following morning.
Personalize It
When sending the email, make sure it’s tailored to whoever you interviewed with. Using a generic thank you template will just show the employer that you didn’t take the time to really say thank you.
With that being said, you can still view sample thank you emails for inspiration and rewrite your own.
Make sure the email is personalized and addressed with their name. If you met with multiple people, then be sure to send a personalized thank you note to each person. You can assume that their notes will be shared if they are all involved in the hiring process.
Just remember that the same thing could be said for thank you emails. All the more reason why it wouldn’t be a good idea for each person to receive an identical thank you letter.
Express Your Appreciation
Begin the email by thanking them for their time and expressing your appreciation. Let them know that you really enjoyed meeting with them. It’s also a good idea to keep this piece related to something you talked about in the interview.
You might say something like ‘Thank you for taking the time to meet with me yesterday. I learned a lot from your suggestions about <insert feedback>’ or ‘I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your time today. I really enjoyed learning about the company’s <insert topic>.’
Keep the introduction brief and sincere.
Remind Them Why They Should Hire You
Next, be sure to reemphasize why you would be the best candidate for the job. You only need to keep it to a small paragraph. Just remind them of the skills that will help you excel in this new role and explain why.
You might say something along the lines of ‘I’m very excited about this opportunity with <insert company>’. I know my <insert skills> would make me a great fit for this role.
Bring the Email to a Close
Lastly, let them know you’re looking forward to hearing any updates from them. Remind them that they can give you a call if they have any questions or concerns in the meantime.
That’s it!
It doesn’t have to be a lengthy email; many employers have a lot going on. Just remember that following up with a thank you is simply good interview etiquette.
Failure to follow up could even appear as a lack of interest in the position and cost you the job. Sending that email could be the deciding factor on whether or not you move forward in the interview process.
Also Note
Make sure that the email is tailored to the type of position you are applying for. If it’s a formal work environment, your email should reflect that.
On the contrary, you can keep the email slightly more casual, yet still professional. Use your discretion based on what you learned about the employer and the company in the interview.
3. Learn the Tools You May Be Lacking
Above all, interviews should be viewed as a learning experience. Over time, you can apply these skills to feel more confident in any future interviews to come.
Consider Feedback
During the interview, did the employer give you any feedback on anything you need to work on? While you’re waiting to hear back about the job, focus on learning some of the tools that were discussed that you may be lacking.
How can you use the experience to improve next time? Also remember that, even if you’re lacking certain tools or experience, the job may still be yours!
A positive attitude, professionalism and eagerness to learn can go a long way.
Go Over Your Notes
Refer back to the notes you took right after the interview. What aspects of the interview did you think were your greatest weaknesses?
Did you struggle with certain questions the employer asked? Think about how you can come up with better answers to those questions next time.
Now is the time to work on any areas like these where you need improvement. Even if you get hired for this role, you can use this information in case of future interviews.
4. Continue the Job Hunt
The most successful job seekers don’t stop looking until they land a job. Even if you think you have a good chance at getting hired with the company, you should continue looking for jobs while you wait to hear back from them.
It’s always a good idea to have a backup plan, because you never know what can happen. The employer may be interviewing a lot of other potentials and somebody else may end up being the one they choose.
We will have another article dedicated to handling rejection coming later.
Be Open to Other Opportunities
Those who are successful at obtaining work quickly will keep their options open until they’ve been officially hired. It’s never a good idea to put all of your eggs in one basket.
One could even compare interviewing to modern dating. You probably wouldn’t go on one good date and immediately take yourself off the market. Most people would continue looking until they found the best fit.
The same can be said for interviewing and job hunting. While you’re looking for other work, you may even come across another job that is better suited for you in the meantime.
The best thing you can do is continue to seek work until you are officially hired with the company that is right for you.
Stay Positive
For now, keep a positive attitude that the employer will call and continue your job search.
By meeting with other companies, you can continue to hone your interview skills. These are skills that will last you a lifetime.
Regardless of what happens, that’s a win-win.
The Bottom Line
By taking this proactive approach in the post interview phase, you will already be a step ahead of most candidates. Small gestures like a follow up thank you email can go a long way with an employer.
Above all, use this experience to improve on interviews to come.
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