Post Interview Strategies
Post Interview Strategies can help you get a job offer and leave other job candidates floundering. Remember: Job interview strategies don't end when the interview does!
Congratulations! The hardest part (the actual interview) is behind you. But that doesn't mean you can just wait around for the phone to ring. You've still got work to do that will further enhance your chances of getting that job!
POST INTERVIEW STRATEGY #1: Immediately send a Thank-You Letter.
Write a thank-you letter as soon as you get home from the interview. You'll use it for several purposes:
- To re-emphasize that you really want the job. This is assuming, of course, that you do want the job. If, after the interview, you don't think it's the right job for you, don't bother sending a thank-you letter.
- To provide further explanation of something discussed at the interview. For example, if there was some discussion of your leadership skills but you forget to mention a great example from a previous job, put this in your letter.
- To say thank you. You really should be thankful. There may have been dozens (or even hundreds) of applicants for that position. Even though your qualifications are what got you the interview, be humble and appreciate the opportunity you were given to show them in person what a wonderful asset to the company you will make!
- To take another opportunity to make yourself shine in comparison to the other candidates. A short thank-you letter can be written in less than 30 minutes, but only a small percentage of job seekers actually bother doing this. So by sending this letter, you will create another favorable impression that sets you above the rest.
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If you're not sure who to address the letter to, call the Human Resources person who scheduled your interview. Get the names (and spelling) and mailing address of whoever conducted the interview. Your letter can be handwritten, but I'd only recommend this if you have wonderful handwriting. If in doubt, do it on a computer. It's better to send it as a regular letter through the mail than to do it by e-mail. People get so much email these days they may ignore yours. As email becomes more popular, real letters become rarer, and thus more special. A letter will get their attention when an email message may not. But send your letter as soon as possible. You want it to arrive before they've made their final decision. |
POST INTERVIEW STRATEGY #2: Don't be shy about making follow-up calls.
It's often sad but true that many companies take forever to fill a position, and keeping applicants informed of the process is a low priority for them. They may tell you after the interview that they'll make a decision within two or three days, and let you know either way. Hah! Don't count on it! They will call you if you are selected, of course. But the process may take longer than expected. And if you are not their number-one choice, they'll take their time in sending out your "notice of non-selection" (if they bother sending one at all).
So don't wait -- take action! If the allotted time has passed and you haven't heard anything, call the company and ask about the status of that job.
POST INTERVIEW STRATEGY #3: Don't worry, be happy.
If you've followed the strategies you've learned, the chances are very good that you will be selected for the position. But should wondering about it keep you up at night? No. The process is now out of your hands, so worrying about it won't do you any good. There are only two possible outcomes. Either you got the job and you will be notified in due time; or you didn't get the job.
Even if you didn't get selected for that particular position, don't consider this as a "failure" -- it is not. No interview is a failure, or a waste of your time. Each one should be considered a valuable opportunity to practice and sharpen your interviewing skills.
And if you believe in "fate," maybe you just weren't meant to get that job because a better one is waiting for you!
POST INTERVIEW STRATEGY #4: Negotiate your salary when you are offered the job.
Sometimes salaries are set; you take the job, you take the stated salary. But other times the salary is open to negotiation and the employer has a range to work with, based on your skills and experience. Most often you will be offered the lowest salary in that range. But don't be afraid to request a higher starting salary, particularly if your skills and experience warrant it. There is a fine art to salary negotiation. For more information, check out this web site:
POST-INTERVIEW STRATEGY #5: If you got the job, go celebrate! If you didn't, don't despair, just start again.
Even during bad economies, there are usually a number of job openings in a wide variety of fields. If you didn't get hired this time, that just means there's a better job out there waiting for you. Go find it! Check out the JOB SEARCH and CAREER PLANNING pages for useful information and tips.
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Additional Job Interview Q&A; Info
For even more information about job interview questions and how to answer them, consider the "Job Interview Success System."
One of the 5 key components of this system is a 31-page report entitled "How to Give Job-Winning Answers to Interview Questions." In addition to giving more tips and strategies on general answering techniques, it lists 45 of the easiest, toughest, silliest and most common job interview questions as well as how to respond to them.
