How to Know You Got the Job?

When you’re on the hunt, knowing that you’ve got the job you were after is a massive relief. It lets you prepare for the next stages in your life. It’s also a nice boost for your confidence, and of course, it puts an end to the stress of searching and interviewing for positions.

But How to Know You Got the Job, for sure? While sometimes there’s no way to be certain, but there are some big clues that can give you a healthy level of confidence that the position is yours.

You need to be sure, so this isn’t just a list of subtle hints and positive body language. These are the best signs that tell you if you got the job.

1 You Are Told They Want To Hire You!

Well, that’s a pretty clear sign. If during or at the end of your interview, they tell you in clear terms that they want to hire you. That’s about the best signal you can get. It’s also an incredible load off because you don’t even have to sit at home biting your nails and waiting for the call.

Why would they tell you right away?

Hiring and interviews can take up tons of precious time and resources. And especially if they’ve met with many candidates before you who didn’t impress them at all. Then you walk in and do; it might be a clear sign to them that they shouldn’t waste time looking any further.

Sometimes they also just get a great feeling from you and know you’ll be a perfect fit. And sometimes, they’ve already decided in advance but have to give a few interviews just to run through the motions. Lots of companies have strict rules about that sort of thing.

It’s not up to the interviewer…

Now, in some circumstances, the person doing the interview doesn’t have the final say. If this is an HR manager and not the actual supervisor or boss you’ll be working for, maybe hold off on doing a victory dance just yet. But it’s still the best signal you can hope for!

2 You Receive A Written Offer

If you get an email offering your terms of employment, you’ve sewn up that job. I’ve never heard of any company sending out two or more formal written offers to see who answers them first. In fact, I’m sure there’d be some very serious legal ramifications to doing that.

So if you get a formal written offer…

These are pretty obvious signs, but you’d be surprised how often people look past them or don’t let them sink in. The next signs, though, aren’t quite as clear cut, but they can still give you a fair amount of confidence that you’re the candidate they’ve selected.

3 Your References Get Checked

It’s pretty standard to ask for both professional and character references along with resumes and applications. If they don’t ask at the application stage, however, almost every company will ask you to provide references when you’re invited in for an interview. And they usually let you know that they will check your references, too.

Double-checking your contact details…

But if they start to double-check the contact details with you at the end of an interview, that’s a great sign. Most interviewers aren’t going to try to get anyone’s hopes up. Suggesting that they will go through with checking your references is a sign that you’ve at least impressed them enough to make it to the final round.

But if in the next few days, your references are contacted by the hiring company, then you know for sure they are serious. Why? This takes time, that they’re just not going to waste unless they are very interested in you.

Keep in contact…

So it’s always a good idea to keep in close contact with your references when you’ve made it to the interview stage of a job. They might even call you right afterward to tell you they’ve just been contacted and how it went.

4 You Are Asked Where Else You’re Interviewing

This is another telltale sign that you’ve done something right in an interview. When the interviewer asks if you’ve applied anywhere else or if you’ve had interviews for other companies, what they’re truly saying is this:

“We want you, so who are we competing with to get you?”

…and that’s a great position to find yourself in! Now, of course, this has to happen towards the end of the interview. If they ask at the start of the interview, it could be anything from casual small talk to a check on how serious you are about this job.

After all, if you tell them you’ve applied all over the place, especially for varying positions, it can sound like you’re not all that focused on the available position.

Be careful not to fall into that trap

But if it happens at the end of the interview, nine times out of ten, they are giving you a serious clue that they are interested in hiring you. And what do you say if you have been asked?

If you have applied or interviewed elsewhere, just mention one or two of the most prominent but also relevant companies. A direct competitor’s name might give them some extra motivation to hire you quickly.

5 You Are Asked Your Salary Expectations

This is yet another point that can be very different depending on the stage in the hiring process that they ask you.

Let’s look at three different scenarios:

Now, if they ask you what you think you’re worth towards the end of the interview, things are different. There’s no reason to ask this question of a candidate they’re not interested in.

So, in other words, they are interested in you if they take the time to ask. It might not mean you’ve got the job sewn up, but at least you can be assured that they’re seriously interested in you.

6 The Job Posting Is Taken Down

Just like taking down the Help Wanted sign in a window, pulling down a job posting is a normal thing for a business to do if they find the right candidate. If they’ve read your application and resume, met you, and talked. Been assured you are available and want the job, and decided that you’re a great fit. Why would they leave the job posting up any longer?

This isn’t always a surefire sign that you have the job. Many job postings are time-sensitive, meaning that they set a date from the start for when they will stop accepting applications. After that, a job posting may be taken down automatically, so take note of any dates they give.

Right after your interview?

However, if the posting comes down very soon after your interview and before the closing date they originally posted, this can be a very good suggestion that you’ve done yourself proud. For this reason, it’s a good idea to monitor the postings of all jobs that you’re currently vying for.

What You Can’t Trust?

You know some of the top signs and clues that let you know you got the job. Now, I want to talk about some of the things you can’t trust. There are a few other points that many people will tell you are sure things. But I want to debunk a few of them – not to rain on your parade, but just to help you be realistic.

The Interviewer Seems to Like You

Look, you’ve only just met this person whose job, by the way, is to create rapport quickly and effectively with strangers so they can get the best information out of them. But that doesn’t mean it’s personal. Don’t rely on your personal interaction with the interviewer UNLESS it’s the actual supervisor who you will end up working with.

They Tell You About the Perks

Insurance, medical plans, 401Ks, and other perks are just some of the ways that employers keep their employees happy and loyal. However, telling you about what they provide isn’t personal in any way. This is just one of the ways companies attract quality workers, so they let all applicants know.

You Heard It Through the Grapevine

The grapevine, also known as the rumor mill, is one of the best ways to get inaccurate information. Yes, maybe your friend who works there heard from the guy in the mailroom that they are planning to hire you. But do you want to bet your future on a bit of gossip?

Got The Job, But Not Prepared Yet?

No problem! I’ve put together my top interview guides on How Would You Describe Yourself, Why Do You Want To Work Here, What Are You Most Proud Of, or how to Answer Why Best Candidate Position, How Do You Handle Stress, What Are Your Career Goals, and why not the Best Questions To Ask In An Interview, as well as my Strengths And Weaknesses For Job Interviews in 2023.

And for the more creative job positions, our How To Answer What Are You Passionate About, and What Makes You Unique?

We also found amazing online advice for acing that interview with INTERVIEW with DESIRE and GET HIRED!: How to Ace the Interview, Sell Yourself & Get Your Dream Job, the Get That Job!: The Quick and Complete Guide to a Winning Interview, How to Answer Interview Questions: 101 Tough Interview Questions, as well as my favorite Amazing Interview Answers: 44 Tough Job Interview Questions with 88 Winning Answers.

You can never go wrong with the proven S.T.A.R Interview Method. So, check out The STAR Interview: How to Tell a Great Story, Nail the Interview and Land Your Dream Job, or even The STAR Method Explained: Proven Technique to Succeed at Interview, also available online today.

Or try the STAR METHOD INTERVIEW: Interview Journal: Notebook designed for job seekers to use as a guide for interview prep and as a tool for interview questions and answers during interviews to make your notes beforehand.

Final Thoughts

Rather than listening to rumors or relying on body language in an interview, look for something that’s much more reliable. If an employer tells you they want to hire you or gives you a written offer; you can be absolutely sure you’ve got the job.

Checking your references and asking for your salary expectations. Or checking where else you’re interviewing and taking down a job posting are all strong clues that you’ve been chosen, especially when many of them come at once.

Ultimately, these signs are there to help you prepare to make the necessary changes related to beginning a new job. Enjoy the excitement that these changes will bring!

All the very best with your future Job Search!