Now that the interview is finally over, you can just put your feet up and relax, right? Not quite. The truth is that like how preparing ahead for an interview is important, what you do afterwards can be just as crucial. Taking the right steps not only shows your professionalism as a candidate, but also helps you to prepare for what comes next.
Send over a thank-you note
This is one of the more important things you should do post-interview, and should be done within one to two days after the interview. Not only does this keep you fresh in the employer’s mind, but it also helps to reiterate your interest in the job position.
In it, be sure to first thank the interviewer for their time, as well as add any additional information that’s missed out from the interview. Personalising your message will help too – it’ll be more impactful as compared to following a template to the letter.
However, keep it short and to the point. You don’t need to write a full essay on the experience, and it’s unlikely that the interviewer has time to look through it all!
Do a performance review
Once you have some time to process the interview, it’s a good idea to reflect on how you did during the interview. Whether you did great or not, it’s still important to note down what you did well and what could be improved to better prepare yourself for future interviews.
One way to do this is to recall the questions you were asked and how you answered them. Additionally, think back on if there was anything you wanted to say at the time, but didn’t. This way, if you get a second interview or are in the midst of writing your follow-up, you can be sure to mention it then.
Be patient and keep looking
Even if you think you’ve knocked the interview out of the park, it doesn’t mean that you’re an immediate shoo-in for the job. After all, the decision is ultimately up to the company, and they likely have other candidates to assess too.
It can be nerve-wracking, and you may even feel tempted to send another follow-up message about it. But don’t do that, at least for the time being. Instead, try to channel your energy into something else. For example, you could try to keep the momentum going and continue job-hunting.
It can be easy to get complacent, especially if you think you did well. But don’t put all your eggs in one basket; keep on job-hunting and applying.
Accept what comes next
By this point, the results could go a few ways. Ideally, the best case scenario is that the recruiter gets back to you with a job offer. But there will be times where you end up with a rejection letter, or worse, nothing.
Respond to the rejection gracefully and try to stay in touch if possible – even if they cannot give you an offer currently, there is still a chance that you may be considered for future roles, so long as you keep things positive between you and them. If you’re still waiting for a response, a simple follow-up will do, but leave it at that. Spamming them will only result in you looking unprofessional or worse, blacklisted from the company itself!
In the end, while your interview skills are important, staying professional throughout the application process goes a long way. Even if you’re frustrated when you get ghosted, or upset over a rejection, it isn’t an excuse to jump to conclusions or be rude to the company. After all, with the working world as inter-connected as it is, you never know how your actions could impact your future prospects.
