3 Things To Do After An Interview

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If you’ve been lucky enough to land an interview and survived it, you know what I’m going to talk about: the waiting game. We’ve all had to endure this at some point in our job seeking careers. We stare at our computer screens all day with our e-mail Inboxes open, we check our phones every five minutes (sometimes even less than that), we even check our regular mail boxes – you know, just in case.

Regardless of what we do while we wait for that acceptance or rejection, doing any of the aforementioned will only stress you out.

What To Do After An Interview

It’s important to remember no matter what the outcome of your employer’s response, your skills are valuable and you have plenty to offer. Spending your time doing the things that reaffirm your many talents should be your focus when waiting the hear back from a potential employer. Here are some suggestions on how to do just that:

1. Keep Looking

Just because you’ve had the interview, you know you’ve done well, and now you’re waiting to hear back from your interviewer, doesn’t mean you should stop looking for work. Though our unemployment rate has lowered to 7.8 percent, we are not out of recession just yet.

Looking for work is also a good way to note some additional things employers include in their job descriptions, which could be beneficial when writing your cover letters and preparing for future interviews in your job industry. Do you meet those demands? Do you acquire the skills the company is looking for? Great, now go back and revamp that cover letter!

2. Network

According to recruiting information website, ERE.net, “referrals accounted for 28 percent of the external hires last year.” Knowing people in your industry can only benefit you as a job seeker, and even as an employed individual.

Look for job fairs in your area and try networking with people in your industry there, use social media to build an online presence with potential employers, follow-up with some of the networking contacts you already have to strengthen your relationship with them. Whatever your networking tactics are, keep building and enhancing those contacts to further establish yourself as a professional.

3. Work On Personal Projects

You can’t fortify your skills if you don’t use them, plain and simple. So, while you’re waiting for X employer to get back to you, why not work on something you love? If you’re a writer, start working on that book you’ve always wanted to publish. If you’re an educator, find some schools you can volunteer at and tutor the young minds of our country.

If you’re a painter, whip out those brushes and bring that blank canvas to life. Whatever your passion is take some personal time to develop it and make it your own. It’s better than stressing out about whether you got the job or not, right?

The next time you find yourself agonizing over an employer’s response, try not to think about the outcome and start focusing on how you can be a master of your skills.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

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11 Comments

1. 

   Dan Bogdan

   January 24, 2013 at 5:40 PM

   Good post. Sometime, waiting is…the most dificult “job,” when you are without a job.

   Filling that time in a usefull and menaingfull way is very important if you still want to be effective and efficent in everything you do.

   Reply
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     Belen Chacon

     January 28, 2013 at 12:11 AM

     Thanks for reading, Dan! I agree, it is the hardest part.

     Reply
2. 

   Krishna Matadeen

   January 23, 2013 at 11:27 AM

   In agreement with you. Excellent advise.

   Reply
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     Belen

     January 23, 2013 at 12:08 PM

     Thanks for reading, Krishna! I am glad you liked it.

     Reply
3. 

   Josh Tolan

   January 22, 2013 at 2:07 PM

   This is all great advice. Sure you might have nailed your job interview, whether it was in person or even through online video. But this doesn’t mean it’s time to hang up your job seeker hat and prepare yourself to humbly accept a job offer. Use the time after your interview to keep looking and keep networking. After all, your job search isn’t over until you’re putting up pictures in your new office!

   Reply
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     Belen Chacon

     January 22, 2013 at 8:59 PM

     Thanks for reading, Josh! I also think these are good ways to keep you in a positive mindset, you know, in case you don’t get the job. Sometimes reminding yourself of your talents can really help the job searching process.

     Reply
4. 

   Nancy Hesch

   January 22, 2013 at 11:16 AM

   I would like to add follow up. After an interview, I send an e-mail (If the email address is available) to thank the interviewer for their time. I also do follow up by phone. In one case I was working with a recruiter and went through him with follow up. I also did a pre interview phone meeting with the recruiter. I have only had 2 different company interviews, one in person and one company with 2 different interviewing people. There is a fine line between excellant follow up and being a pain in the neck. Timing is also important. I didn’t call or email first thing Monday morning, I allowed time for them to get in and get settled. I also didn’t call or email last thing Friday afternoon, I didn’t think anyone would want to address a potential new hire last thing Friday afternoon. I did communicate every 2 days, to keep myself fresh in their minds without being a pain.

   Reply
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     Belen Chacon

     January 22, 2013 at 8:58 PM

     I completely agree. Following up is important.

     Reply
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     Peter M.

     January 23, 2013 at 6:27 PM

     Following up is a tricky issue which I think is often misunderstood and unfairly perceived by the interviewer. Especially, if they know you are currently out of work (not someone looking to make a job change), collecting unemployment or it may have run out and you now relying on savings, then how can they perceive you as being a so called pain in the neck if you follow up frequently? If they give you an answer after you have already thanked them for their time to meet with you then you don’t follow up any more. A simple response as in no we have selected another candidate, or we will let you know by such and such a date would suffice. Bottom line is they have a job and you don’t yet. Obviously, you have to continue your job search and networking as is wisely advised in this article but for them to leave you hanging, ignore your follow ups, not tell you anything, and perceive you as “being a pain” is simply unprofessional. Unfortunately, I have come across many interviewers who are like this.

     Reply
5. 

   C

   January 21, 2013 at 8:27 PM

   OK article but nothing in here suggests how to make the interview results more favorable. I guess i was expecting to see more “write thank you notes”. “follow up in 5 days etc.”

   Reply
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     Belen Chacon

     January 22, 2013 at 9:01 PM

     Thanks for reading, C. Sorry if the article was misleading. It was meant to provide advice to those who have a hard time waiting for an answer from a recruiter post interview.

     Reply