Finally, it is the day you have been waiting for. You dress to impress, look very professional and go to your interview location. During the interview, you answer all of the questions as best as you can. Now, you think it is time for you to sit back and wait. Actually, it is not. You need to follow the post interview rules so you can still stay in the game and increase your chance of getting the job.
1. When you are leaving the interview, ask when you can hear back from them. Therefore, you can follow-up if you don’t hear anything from them by the specified time frame. Also, don’t forget to get their business cards. If they don’t have any business cards, ask for their email addresses.
2. Send a thank-you letter within 24 hours after the interview. Sending a thank-you letter shows your interest. It shows that you are interested in that position and in that company. Also, it is a good way of showing your appreciation to the person who took the time to talk with you and meet with you. Keep in mind that the common way of sending a thank-you letter is through e-mail because it is fast and easy.
3. Keep looking at other jobs. You should always keep your options open. While the employer is deciding on which candidate to hire, you should not sit back and wait. You should keep applying at other jobs and scheduling other interviews. You never know what the outcomes will be. Also, who doesn’t want to have multiple offers to choose from?
4. Follow-up within a few weeks. You should follow-up if you don’t hear anything within two weeks. However, if their specified time-frame is longer than two weeks, you should wait until that date to follow-up. Email is the preferable way to follow-up. Still if you don’t hear anything back after your final email, then, it is time for you to move on.
5. Get interview feedback. So they call you back and unfortunately, it is not the news that you have been waiting for. They have decided to hire someone else instead of you. If this is the case, ask for their feedback. Try to get feedback that you can improve upon for future interviews. Don’t forget to be polite when you are asking for criticism and control your temper. Don’t get defensive when you are hearing the feedback.
