What To Do After The Interview

Believe it or not, once the interview is finished, there is still more work to do. You cannot just sit back and wait for a job offer. There are actually more strategies that you can employ once the interview is over that will put you over the top of your competition.

At the end of the interview ask the interview when they expect to make a hiring decision. This helps you to plan out your after interviews strategy. Following up will give you an edge over your competition. Before arriving for the interview or before leaving get the correct titles and names of all the people who interviewed you. It's easy to do this when you ask for their business cards. These should have their correct name, job title and address.

Within the first 24 hours write in individuals thank you note or a letter to each person with whom you interviewed. Although they can be essentially the same if you are able to they should be substantially different. Most interviewers will compare are notes and see the letter that you sent to the others. Try to make a comment that is specific to the interviewer and the interview they conducted. This means that once the interview is completed you should make immediate notes before moving on to the next interviewer.

Do not ever fail to send a thank you note, even if you believe the job is not for you or that you will not be offered the position. Individuals who have good etiquette may have their names past two other managers or other businesses who are looking for individuals to fill their positions. You can look at each interview as a potential networking possibility.

Do not worry if you cannot access a computer in order to type a thank you note and must hand write the note. Whether hand written word typed it should never be sent through the wrong medium. This means you must ask to be sure and know the best method of reaching the employer whether that is regular mail, e-mail or fax.

Quick note here: if your handwriting is worse than your doctor's then make the effort to have it typed or ask a friend who has great penmanship to write the note for you.

Be very careful with your follow-up letter because this is potentially the last thing they will see of you before they make their decision. Have someone else proves the letter is necessary to ensure there are no grammatical mistakes or spelling errors.

Be sure your references know they may be contacted in the near future. Although your references are not a complete reflection of you if they seem unaware that you even gave their name out it does reflect poorly on your ability to be organized and accommodate others.

Once you know the employer's timetable be sure to call and follow-up within a week to 10 days to ask about the position. This is a perfect opportunity to continue to build rapport and sell your strengths during the call. But remember to also be patient because the hiring process often takes longer than expected.

With any communication you have with a potential employer, whether it is your thank you note or follow-up phone calls, always be professional. You should be courteous which show enthusiasm. You must be able to communicate your desire for the job as well add your ability to do the job without appearing to beg for the job.

Too often companies do not share with you their hiring decision unless you are the person they have hired. Often times they hope you will just give up and go away because they find it too difficult to tell someone that they did not make the cut. If your e-mails or voice mails are not being returned then let it go and presumed there is no offer.

This is a great time to remember not to burn your bridges behind you. While you may be disappointed that you didn't get the job or that the company didn't pick up the phone and tell you that you didn't get the job is not a time to dash off a scathing letter or push a button on an equally disastrous e-mail. Remember that although you might not have been the right person for this position potential employees who are courteous, enthusiastic and appear to know their business may be approached for a new position in the near future.