Do’s And Don’t After a Job Interview
You prepared for your interview and stood out during your meeting, now keep in touch.
Maintain a good impression as even after your interview you are still being evaluated.
Following up after a job interview is a good way to:
- Confirm your interest in the position, company, and team
- Show your motivation
- Prove your analytical skills and ability to take an overview of your performance
- Reformulate or improve an answer you gave that you are not satisfied with
- Tie up any loose ends
You need to be constructive in your answer and show your motivation. However, be careful of your tone, you should not be aggressive or pushy.
Below you will find a list of do’s and don’ts after a job interview that will get you through to the next step in your recruitment process.
WHAT TO DO AFTER A JOB INTERVIEW
- Debrief once you arrive home; Take a step back and write down
- The questions the interviewer asked that you had not prepared for
- The questions where you were not satisfied with your answers
- What you did do well and where you floundered
- The questions that occurred to you after the interview
Analyzing your performance from the interview will enable you to give constructive feedback to the interviewer and help you perform better in the future.
Pro tips:
- Evaluate why you did well in order to reproduce it next time
- Analyze your answers to the questions where you failed
- Do some research online to see what the answers to these questions could have been in order to send feedback to the interviewer. It will also be useful for future interviews and help you to not be caught off guard next time.
- Send a thank you / feedback note
- At the end of the day or the day after your interview, send an email to the person who interviewed you. This is a great opportunity to:
- Thank the interviewer for his/her time
- Improve the answer you did not nail
- Ask questions that came to your mind after your interview Finish
- Finish your email by telling the recruiter to contact you if he/she needs any further information.
Pro tips:
- Be careful not to make it too long
- Thank him/her for giving you the opportunity to show your motivation
- Reiterate your interest in the role and the company in a minimum of 4 5 lines maximum
- Use the information that the interviewer communicated during the meeting. It will show that you were really attentive and interested in what he/she told you
WHAT NOT TO DO AFTER YOUR JOB INTERVIEW
- Harass the recruiter.
We know that waiting for an answer can be stressful, but this is not a reason for sending several emails and calling the recruiter 10 times. If she/he has not gotten back to you, it is because the decision on whether or not to hire you has not been made yet. They will contact you as soon as they have more details to give you.
Pro tips:
- Keep in mind that recruiters usually meet several potential matches before deciding who is the best candidate for the role
- At the end of your job interviews, ask recruiters when you should expect to have news from them. This will give you a good idea of how long you will have to wait.
- If you haven’t heard from them during the time frame they gave you, you can give them a quick call or email to ask for an update.
- Stop looking for a job
You should not stop looking for a job because the interview went well. They haven’t offered you the role yet so stay focused. Multiply your chances by applying for other positions you like. This way you will avoid being too disappointed and panicking in case they reject your application.
Pro tips:
- Keep in mind that you will not be the only candidate. Even if you get to the last round of interviews, nothing is guaranteed.
- Do not stop looking for a job unless you have an offer and the contract has been signed by you and the company
- Do not put all your eggs in one basket, apply to other roles that interest you
- Lose touch with the recruiter.
Keeping in touch with the recruiter is important too. You should give him/her feedback on your interview and thank him for assisting with your preparation. Having a good relationship with him or she will work in your favour in the future. They will keep you in mind and could think of you first if they get a role that might interest you.
Pro tips:
- Always send feedback to the recruiter after your interviews to explain how it went with the managers
Even if you do not get the position you interviewed for, keep in touch with the recruiters
- Stay professional and thank him/her for his/her time and support
- Keep in mind that it is not the recruiter making the final decision on your application so they are not responsible for any rejection
- Add recruiters on LinkedIn to stay updated on their latest job opportunities
Whether you have nailed your interview or not, feedback will provide a positive impression.
Now be patient, wait for news and keep looking for jobs
