If you typically walk away from a job interview unsure of what to do or where to go next, you’re not alone. It can be hard to know exactly what to do after a job interview to show your interviewer that you’re interested and ready to take the next steps toward landing the job. Here are a few things you should try to do after every job interview.
1. Ask about the next steps before the interview ends.
It’s important that you ask about the next steps in the hiring process as the interview is ending. Make sure you ask when a hiring decision will be made and if the interviewer or hiring manager needs anything else from you to supplement your resume before they make a decision. This will give you a clearer idea of what happens next, and it’ll give you a solid timeframe for reaching back out to follow up.
2. Say thank you.
We’ll talk about sending formal thank you notes later, but don’t forget to verbally thank your
interviewer and anyone else who sat in on the interview for their time. A firm handshake, or in COVID times a fist or elbow bump will suffice. Not only is this common courtesy, but it’s also an easy way to show the company you value its time and resources.
3. Analyze your interview performance.
Once your job interview is over, take some time to reflect on how it went. This is the ideal time to write down anything you want to remember from the interview, as well as any questions you might still have about the job. Write down any areas or questions that you did not have experience in to help prepare yourself for a potential second round interview. The main purpose of this exercise is to help you improve on future interviews, especially if you land a second interview with the same company. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself while you’re analyzing your interview performance:
How confident did I feel throughout the interview?
How well did I handle difficult questions?
Did I ask thoughtful questions?
4. Ask your recruiter for interview feedback.
With the help of a Stratice recruiter, it is a great to ask them if the interviewer provided any feedback. You can use that feedback to gauge how well you did in the interview, and you
can also use it to improve your interviewing skills across the board.
5. Decide how you feel about the job and the company.
After you’ve reflected on the interview and hopefully received some feedback, it’s time to sit down and decide how you feel about the job position and the company. Sometimes, it just isn’t a good fit, and that’s okay. If you decide the position isn’t for you, after all, let your recruiter know and thank them for their time and effort. If you decide that you do really see yourself working at the company, make sure you thoughtfully let your recruiter know.
6. Send a thank you note to the hiring manager and anyone who interviewed you.
Ask your recruiter to send out thank you notes to the hiring manager, interviewer, and anyone else who was present for the interview right after your interview takes place. You can stick with a simple email if the interview was virtual, but it’s smart to send out physical thank you notes
as well. In your notes, make sure to reiterate your interest in the position and your gratitude for the opportunity.
7. Send a LinkedIn connection request.
You’ll want your name to be at the top of the hiring manager’s mind, and the business world is all about networking. Even if you don’t end up getting the job, you’ll still have made a valuable connection that could lead to a different opportunity in the future. Just make sure to personalize your connection request so the hiring manager or interviewer knows your intentions.
8. Let your references know they may be getting a call soon.
It’s always courteous to contact your resume references and let them know that the company you just interviewed with may be reaching out to them soon. If possible, give your references the phone number they should keep an eye out for, so they don’t
miss the call or let it go to voicemail.
9. Follow up with the recruiter.
Remember when we said it’s important to ask about the next steps before your interview officially ends? This is one of the main reasons why. You’ll want to follow up with the recruiter if you haven’t heard back from them within a couple of days. At this point, it’s important to be professional and succinct. You don’t want to come across as desperate– you simply want to let the recruiter know you’re still interested in the position and ask if they need anything else from you.
10. Explore other opportunities.
While you’re waiting to hear back from the hiring manager after your job interview, it’s not a bad idea to keep exploring other job opportunities. This is especially true in the unfortunate case that the company goes in a different direction.
Let our experts guide you in the job search, hiring process, and beyond. We are here to serve you. Contact us to get started today!
