All About Careers
After Interview
Many people did not realize what to do after an interview will also impact our chances of getting the job. Many candidates spend the time after an interview wondering when they are supposed to reach out, considering whether they should call or email and hoping they present as eager and capable. Be careful! There are things you could do to help you get more opportunities.
01. During your waiting periods
1. It provides the opportunity to present yourself as a professional.
2. It is a chance to elevate yourself as a candidate by keeping your name fresh in the interviewer's mind.
3. It shows your eagerness for the job which can be a deciding factor if you're being closely considered against other candidates.
Why do waiting periods matter?
02: Things you could do in waiting periods
Say Thank You
Send follow-up materials.
Connect on social media
Contact your references
Your most pressing post-interview duty is to thank the people who took the time to talk to you. The message should communicate that you’re even more excited about the job and confident that you want it. You could also personalize the message by “mentioning something positive that happened during the interview.” If your interview took place at the company’s office, you could send an old-fashioned, pen-and-paper thank-you note. If your interview took place virtually, it’s best to stick with digital communication. If you don’t have your interviewers’ contact information but communicated with someone else at the company to arrange the meeting, you can send that person an email letting them know how much you appreciate theirs and the interviewers’ time. Make sure to mention the people you spoke with by name and write your message with the assumption that it could be forwarded to them. You could also connect with your interviewers on LinkedIn and send them messages of thanks there.
If you chose to write a note via email, this allows you to impress by including a link to something current and relevant to your interview and industry. For example, if you discussed management styles, perhaps include a link to a book that talks more about the management approach you take. If you're interviewing in a technical industry that is always changing, maybe provide a link to the community that you use to stay current on technical IT issues. Sending additional information could strengthen your case and help sway their decision. Along those lines, You could send a news article that’s pertinent to the organization. It could be about a technology the company is considering adopting, how the pandemic is impacting their business, or some other relevant trend. By doing so, “you’re subtly saying, ‘I understand your needs.’”
If you're on any business networking social sites, see if you can connect with your interviewer after the interview. If they accept your request, it could be an indicator they are interested in learning more about you. This is an essential part of growing your personal network. Even if you end up in a different position with a different company, growing your network is beneficial and helps you stay poised for future opportunities.
If you submitted references to your potential employer, after your first interview you should let them know someone might contact them. It's customary to only submit references if the person knows you are using them as a reference. However, at this point, if you think they will be called, you should notify references so they know to expect it.
And.......
Get comfortable with waiting......
How to pass the waiting time?
1
Seek positive distractions.
Seek positive distractions. Waiting to hear whether you got the job can be stressful, but try not to dwell on it. While you wait it out, seek positive distractions. Cultivate your hobbies. Get some exercise. Dig into that juicy novel that’s sitting on your nightstand. Lees also recommends spending time with friends and colleagues who “elevate your self-image.” Talk with people in your professional network about how to generate ideas for different job possibilities. Ask them about mistakes they’ve seen other candidates make during the interview process. You can learn a lot about how not to “sound needy or over-communicate,” says Lees.
2
Do due diligence.
Another way to pass the waiting time productively is to figure out whether or not you actually want the job should it become yours for the taking. Even without an offer, there’s still information-gathering you can do in the meantime. You can work your industry contacts to learn more about the job and the organization behind the scenes. Of course, if you’re offered the job, you will scale that up by doing even more due diligence since you’ll need to decide whether to take it. This is also a good time to finalize your job acceptance criteria. Set your minimum salary requirements and develop a plan for how you’ll negotiate other important details. The goal is to be prepared for the call that says they want you, but be careful not to get your hopes up.
3
Keep your options open.
You also need to prepare yourself for negative news. There are dozens of arbitrary reasons that the job will not be offered to you. The organization might change direction; it might have a hiring freeze, or some senior manager could decide they don’t want to fill the position. That’s why you need to continue to explore other opportunities. We stronly suggest you to "anticipate the flattening effects of rejection”. If you’ve got other conversations going, the rejection will have less impact. If you’ve put your life on hold, though, it’s much more of an emptying experience.
Principles to remember
Do not
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Ask for a do-over on a question you flubbed — unless you can offer highly relevant information that speaks to an organizational need.
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Let the stress get to you. Distract yourself during the waiting period by spending time with positive-minded friends.
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Stop looking for other jobs. Keep your options open by exploring other opportunities.
Do:
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Offer gratitude to the hiring manager, with either a handwritten note or an email.
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Provide backup support material, such as samples of your work, to strengthen your case.
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Spend your time productively by doing due diligence on the company and finalizing your personal job acceptance criteria.