Once your
interview is over, don’t think it’s completely over. There are still some more
things you can do in order to make yourself more memorable to the company. Make
sure that before the interview comes to an end, you know when you can expect to
hear from the company again or how they would like you to follow up. Let them
know one more time before leaving that you are seriously interested in the
position and that you really want to make a great contribution to the company’s
success. These are the things you should do after having attended your
interview.
- 1)Reflect about your experience.
Ask yourself the following questions:
a)Did I turn up on time for the
interview?
b)Was I respectful and kind to
everyone throughout the interview?
c)How did I present myself (was
my business attire appropriate for the company)?
d)Would I be a good fit for this
company?
e)Would I really enjoy doing this
job?
f)Would I get along with the
people working there?
g)Would I feel happy working in
this company?
h)How confident was I when
answering the interviewer’s questions?
i)How did I feel during the
interview?
j)How did the Hiring Manager
perceive my questions?
k)What is my overall impression
about the company?
l)Did I make any mistakes? If so,
which ones and why?
m)What did I learn from this
experience?
n)What would I do differently
next time?
- 2)Take notes of your interview
experience. Write down who you talked to, what you talked about, what you
learnt, the impressions you got from that workplace etc.
- 3)If the interviewer asks you to
send some references by tomorrow or to make a follow up call next week, make
sure you stick to your promise. If you don’t, they will instantly get an impression
about your reliability.
- 4)Send a thank-you note within
the next 24-48 hours. Here you have several choices: writing an email, a
handwritten letter or send them a video.
A
thank you video is something that would show your creativity and would make you
stand out instantly. You might be the very first candidate ever who took such
an approach! So, if you want to make sure they remember you (also visually)
send them a video.
But don’t just thank the interviewer for his time, try
to emphasise one more time your real interest in the job, mention few points
that you discussed during the interview and show your gratitude for the
opportunity. If during the interview you learnt more about the company’s
problem and needs, try to promote yourself as a consultant rather than a job
applicant. Make a proposal in which you clearly explain how you would solve the
company’s issue. This would proof your passion and knowledge in order to make a
real contribution.
- 5)In case you met more interview
panel members, try to write each of them a personalised follow-up letter. Having
collected their individual business cards would have been a good idea to
address them by their name! This could be a further opportunity to mention important
achievements or other relevant points which have not been discussed during the
interview. Make sure you customize your text accordingly and don’t write the
same text to everyone.
- 6)Follow them on Twitter (if you
have not already done so before going to the interview) and show them again
that you are interested in their company.
- 7)In case you will be invited for
a further interview, don’t stop doing your research about that particular
company. Think back at what your conversation was about and try to find out
more detailed information about the topics you discussed. Come up with further
interesting questions that you can ask in the next interview stage. This will proof
to the recruiter that you are really keen on working in their company.
- 8)If in your network you have any
contacts who are working in that company or who are associated with the company,
use it to your advantage. Ask them to recommend you and influence the recruiter
in their final hiring decision.
- 9)If you get rejected, don’t burn
all your bridges. In life you never know. The person who got the job offered
might quit or be fired soon afterwards or another vacancy might open up later
on. You might not get the job today or tomorrow, but maybe later on.
- 10)No matter how the interview
went, keep on applying for other jobs. Until you don’t get a confirmation from
a company that they are prepared to hire you, you need to keep on looking.
Every interview
is different and no matter how experienced you are in giving interviews, there
is always something to learn!