You prepare meticulously for your interview. You curate thoughtful answers for every hypothetical question that may be thrown your way. You create witty, anecdotal stories which showcase your problem solving skills. And when the interview is over? It’s the waiting game. Or is it?
There’s a certain etiquette to follow post interview. It can make or break whether you land the role you’ve got your eye on. So how to get ahead of the competition and ensure you follow the protocol to success? Read below for our list of do’s and don’ts.
DO
Analyse your performance
While the interview is still fresh in your mind, take a moment to go over how you did. Is there anything that you wished you had said? Is there something you didn’t communicate very well? Don’t miss the opportunity to evaluate what went well and what you can improve on for next time.
Get your thoughts out on paper
When you interview for a position, you are not only seeing if they like you, but if you like them. Make some notes afterwards about how you feel about the company, the work culture, whether you can grow and the position itself. Get some clarity on whether you actually want the role! You may surprise yourself.
Follow up
Always get in touch to thank the interviewer for their time. It’s your chance to not only show good manners but also re-iterate why you think you would be good for the position. Highlight your strengths, explain any awkward moments and slip in anything you accidentally left out. If you interviewed that morning then send an email in the afternoon. If you saw them in the afternoon, then hit send the next morning.
DO NOT
Don’t over communicate
We get it, you really want that job! But don’t let your enthusiasm and determination turn into desperation. You don’t want to come off too confrontational or annoying, exercise some patience. They will make their decision in due course and until then you have no choice but to wait it out.
Don’t Obsess
Once you’ve made some notes and sent your thank you email, just let go. Replaying what happened over and over in your head is not healthy! Neither is fixating on something that didn’t go as planned. What’s done is done. If you’re having a hard time letting go then try meditating, going for a run or calling a friend to take your mind off things. Constantly hitting refresh on your email won’t help you feel better.
Don’t stop looking
Even if you thought you did a killer job and absolutely smashed it, keep looking. Nothing is guaranteed and until you get confirmation that the role is yours, you could be losing valuable time thinking it’s in the bag. Who knows, you might even come across a role that you are better suited to or is offering a substantially larger salary – it’s always good to have
options.
Whether you get the job or not; going through the interview process is a valuable learning experience and will help boost your self confidence. And although it may be hard in the beginning, it will get easier with time. The ability to sell yourself is a powerful tool, especially when you need to get in the room and try convince a potential employer that you are better than anyone else. Always be polite and if you don’t get the position then act with grace. You never know who you will meet, they may cross your path another time with a different opportunity in hand.
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