You’ve Just Left Your Interview, Now What?

Whether you feel like you’ve aced your interview or not, these next few steps can play an important role in landing the job.

1. Thank-you notes 

A well handwritten thank-you note will go a long way in making you stand-out to potential employers. You’re probably wondering why you should mail a thank-you note when it’s faster and more convenient to send an email. Well, for one, an email is not personal, and it can easily get buried in people’s inboxes. Meanwhile, a handwritten thank-you note shows you care and are willing to go the extra mile. 

A few key things to include in your note: the name(s) of the people who you interviewed with, thank your interviewer(s) for taking the time to meet with you, mention one to two things that were discussed during the interview (this shows that you were engaged and interested), and express your interest in joining the company. If you don’t live nearby, bring a blank card with you to the interview to fill out and drop off at the nearest post office after the interview. Make sure you mail the note the same day as your interview, so it arrives the next day.

2. Review

Take a moment after the interview to take some notes. Write down some of the questions that were asked, things you think you could improve on, and any answers you think were good. This can help you prepare and do better on future interviews or make a better impression during a second interview.

3. Clean up your social media accounts

Ideally, you should do this as soon as you start looking and applying for jobs. Social media can be a huge factor for getting a job offer or not. Make sure you go through all your accounts with a fine-tooth comb. Delete any inappropriate, illegal content and images. You can also go a step further and make all your accounts private. Keep in mind that people can also see your activity (i.e. likes, shares, comments, etc.).

4. Follow up with an email

It’s been two weeks since the interview or after the date you were supposed to hear back from the interviewer(s) and you still haven’t heard back. Chances are they are still interviewing other candidates. Whatever the reason, this is the perfect time to send an email to remind them that you are still interested in the position and eager to work for them. Unlike the thank-you note, you can go into more detail here. Thank the interviewer(s) for taking the time to meet with you, tell them you enjoyed learning more about the company and position (be specific), mention why you are qualified, anything you forgot to say during the interview, and ask a question or two. Include any work examples and a link to your online portfolio or website, if you have one.

5. Keep applying

Don’t put all your eggs into one basket. Make good use of your time, while you wait to hear back, and keep applying to jobs. This will give you more experience with the interview process. And who knows, you might find another job that seems more interesting.