What To Do After An Interview – “Did I Get The Job!?”

Have you just had an important interview for your dream job?

Depending on how the interview went, you may feel like walking on air or drowning your sorrows. However, completing the interview is only part of the battle to secure your dream job.

In many cases, it can take several days or even longer to get the results of your job interview. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to keep yourself busy and increase your chances of success.

So, let’s find out exactly What To Do After An Interview – “Did I Get The Job!?”…

Immediately After The Interview

As soon as you step out of the interview room, you may want to head to the nearest bar. Hold your horses; you still have some work to do before you can relax. Here are some things you should do before you unwind a little.

Get Contact Information and Next Steps

At the end of the interview, confirm what the process will be going forward. If successful candidates receive a second interview, find out how long that interview will be. Get the rough timeframe for when you will be contacted and if it will be by phone or email.

Before leaving the building, make sure you have the contact information of everyone involved with the interview. This will help you to remember the people’s names if you come back for another interview. You may also be able to work these contacts in the future.

Do an Interview Assessment

Head to a café and write a summary of the interview questions along with your answers. This record will be very useful if you are called in for a second interview. You will have a record of the answers you gave that you can build on in the next interview.

The summary will also reveal anything you forgot to say or did not explain completely at the time. This will highlight the things that you need to talk about the next time around. You may also be able to highlight any weak points during the interview that you can work on.

Send any Supporting Documents

At the end of the interview, you may have been asked to send certain documents. These could be a list of your references, the transcripts from your degree, and copies of special certificates. Make sure that you send these documents as soon as you get home, accompanied by a brief thank you letter.

Follow Up With the Hiring Manager

In most cases, the decision about who to hire is made very quickly. Therefore, it is a good idea to send the hiring manager a follow up email as soon as possible. So, once you get home after the interview, craft and send your follow up email.

Send the hiring manager a thank you note to show that you appreciate their time. Express the fact that you enjoyed meeting the interviewer and think that the interview went well. Keep the note short, ending with the expectation of hearing from them soon.

Connect With Your Interviewer Online

Set your sights beyond the position you are interviewing for and think about future connections. Any contact you make in the industry you work in is a bonus. Therefore, it is important to foster these connections because they are likely to be useful in the future.

If you manage to establish a good rapport with the interviewer, they may make a good future reference. Even if you do not get the job you interviewed for, the interviewer may be able to help boost your career. They may be able to recommend you for another position at the company or through their own contacts.

When you get back home, connect with your interviewer through LinkedIn. Find a way to open a conversation by referring to something that you bonded over during the interview. This will help to make sure you remain fresh in the interviewer’s mind so that you do not fade into the background.

Contact Your References

When applying for many jobs, you are asked to supply two or three references. If the interview goes well, the interviewer is likely to take the time to contact at least one reference. Therefore, it is important to make sure that your references are ready to be contacted.

Try to find out whether your references are likely to be contacted by phone or email. When contacting your references, it is a good idea to provide them with a summary of the interview. Make sure that you thank your references for their time so that they feel appreciated.

Waiting for The Result

Waiting for the interviewer can be a stressful time, and it is easy to lose hope and focus. However, it is important to keep your eyes on the prize and stay focused. Here are some things you can do to stay on track while you wait for your interview results.

Review your Notes

There is a good chance that you will be called back for a second interview or even a third. In some cases, you may have little time to prepare after you get the call. Put the waiting time to good use now by going over your notes from the first interview.

For more useful info on that all-important second interview, check out How to Ace the Second Interview.

Assess your Interview Technique

It is time to go back over the interview and analyze your performance. Try to identify at least three things you did well and a couple of things that could have been improved. Make honest notes about what took place and spend time working on your weakest areas.

Connect on Social Media Business Networking Sites

There are several social media sites that are dedicated to business and networking. These sites can help you to make valuable connections and discover upcoming jobs in your industry. If you have not done so already, join a few of these sites and make connections to prominent people in your industry.

Reach Out to your Team

You may have people working inside the company who helped you to secure the interview. They are likely to have insight into how the interview process is going. Reach out to these people tactfully and see if they can give you an insight into what is going on.

Activate Your Follow-Up Action Plan

Review the next steps that you established at the end of the interview. You should have a rough idea of when and how you will be contacted. If the date has not passed yet, try to relax and wait a little longer.

If the date has already passed, feel free to contact the hiring manager if you want to enquire about the job status. Although you are unlikely to have been given the job, it never hurts to check. Make it clear that you are still interested in the job and ask if there is anything else they need from you.

If you do not hear back, send an email thanking the company for their time. Although not getting back to you is rare and unprofessional, it can happen at times. Make sure that the email is professional to leave a strong favorable impression.

Research Alternative Job Opportunities

While you may have your heart set on one particular job, it is important to keep your options open. Even if you think you have landed the job, it does not hurt to look for alternative options. There could be an even better job out there if you keep searching for job opportunities.

How to Stay Calm While You Wait?

Waiting for anything in life can be stressful, and the stress is turned all the way up to the max after a job interview. While relaxing and staying calm may be easier said than done, it is an important part of self-care. Being able to stay calm while you wait will make sure that you are positive when the next interview comes around.

Spend Time in Nature

This is the perfect time to go on a hiking or camping trip. Spending time in the Great Outdoors can help you to de-stress and recharge your batteries. However, make sure you take your phone in case you get that important call, but try not to look at it too much.

Time to Get Crafty

There are plenty of other ways to stay busy while you are waiting for the big news. This is a good time to practice your favorite hobby. Spending time making something is a good way to focus your energy while taking your mind off things.

Create a Professional Website

If you do not already have a website or blog, this is the perfect time to make one. You can use this platform to promote yourself and display your key skills and attributes. Once this platform is up and running, sending the interviewer a link is a good way to follow up on the interview.

Get Physical

Exercise is a good way to keep your mind off things and boost your energy levels. If you are feeling particularly stressed, meditating or doing yoga can help to balance your body and mind. Hitting the gym and working up a sweat can also lift your spirits and feel ready to face the rest of the day.

What To Do if You Do Not Get The Job?

In the worst-case scenario, you may not get the job. While this can be heartbreaking, it is important to remember that it is not the end of the world. Make sure that you stay positive and start applying for other jobs straight away.

No matter how well your interview went, you simply may not have been the strongest candidate. When you get the bad news, it is important to remain gracious. You need to leave the person who calls with a positive impression in case another position becomes available.

Make sure that you thank the person for taking the time to call or interview you. This is a good opportunity to find out why you were passed over. This could be valuable information that could help you to secure the next job that you interview for.

Looking for a Well-paying Job?

Then you might want to invest in a guide aimed at the industry you’re interested in. I would personally recommend checking out 6 Hours to 6 Figures, Art of Commercial Morgage Brokering, Millionaire Real Estate Flippers, and How to Earn 6-7 Figures Selling Timeshares.

Or, you may be interested in our useful suggestions on Answering Tell Me About Yourself in Interview, as well as how to best respond to questions such as Why Do You Want to Work Here as well as Why We Should Hire You to set yourself apart from the rest.

Or, if you’re planning to change your career to look for your dream of a high-income position, find out How to Write a Resignation Letter. And for some light relief, I thoroughly recommend How to Quit Your Job Gracefully, Work Sucks!: A Funny View of a Serious Problem, as well as Good Luck Finding Awesome Coworkers Like Us Again.

Back to today’s topic…

Final Thoughts

No matter what happens during the interview process, it is important to remain professional at all times. While waiting for the interview results is not fun, it is all part of the game. It is your responsibility to use the time productively so that it is not wasted.

Your main job during this time is keeping your energy up. In this way, you can be ready for the next interview or even be ready to start work when you get the call. Whether you choose activities that can help boost your career or simply want to relax, it is important to stay active.

The very best of luck with your next interview.