3 Important Things to Do After an Interview to Help Land the Job

Your job interview is over. Time for a sigh of relief. However, your work isn’t done yet. There are still moves you can make after the interview to help you land the position.

Most companies take 2-4 weeks to make a decision once the interview process is done. This can lead to a dead period, when you are out of contact with the company. In many cases, you may never hear from them again.

That’s what makes follow ups so important. Taking the proper action in the wake of an interview lets you take control of this stressful time. You can incrementally increase your chance of getting hired, grant yourself peace of mind either way, and create a longer-term relationship with a potential employer.

With those goals in mind, here are three important things to do after an interview to help land a job:

Taking Notes

Yes, technically, this is something you should do during the interview. Still, it has some post-interview value. The note-taking exercise can provide significant advantages once the discussion ends.

During an interview, your notes can help you get the most out of the discussion. You can impress through simple gestures, like remembering everyone’s name. Keeping track of the conversation will also help you ask detailed questions and craft answers specifically targeted at your interviewers.

Some of these qualities carry over into the post-interview timeframe. You can use your notes to improve your follow-up attempts. The information you’ve documented will help you get the most out of your future communications.

You’ll remember all the players involved, letting you interact on a more personal level. At the same time, you’ll be able to get more specific in future communications.

Finally, good note taking will let you improve your interview skills. You can conduct a comprehensive post-game analysis of your performance. This will let you get better at interviewing over time, making you a better candidate as you seek out your dream job.

Sending a “Thank You” Email

Common courtesy suggests that you should thank people for their time. At the same time, you can also take the opportunity to cement your relationship a bit. This could earn you an edge when it comes to the final hiring decision.

For these reasons, you should take a moment to send a “thank you” note to your interviewer. Here are a few points to keep in mind:

Keep it short. Your interviewer isn’t likely to read 1,000-word description of all the skills you forgot to mention during the conversation. Stay as brief as possible.

Make it personal. Even though you don’t want to make the message too long, try to add a personal touch. After all, you just spent a chunk of time talking to this person. You must have picked up something.

Show continued interest. The best reason for sending a “thank you” email is to signal that you still want the job. Hiring managers gravitate toward enthusiastic people. While you don’t want to go over the top, let them know that the interview only made you more intrigued by the position.

Following Up

After the initial post-interview period, you still want to remain engaged with a potential employer. Have a follow-up strategy in place. Periodically reach out to your interviewers and other points of contact at the company.

During the interview, you should have gotten a feel for their recruitment timeline. Use this to work out a follow-up schedule. Pinpoint times when you should renew contact if you haven’t heard back.

Don’t push this too far. Try touching base after a week or two and then sporadically after that. If they wanted to hire you, they’d get in touch, so you aren’t going to make a last-minute sale during the follow up. Rather, your goal should be to remain on their radar.

Even if you don’t get this particular job, you might qualify for something down the line. By occasionally checking in, you can build an ongoing rapport with the company. Ultimately, this could pay off with another opportunity later.

Finding the perfect job is difficult. It helps to have a good support system in place. A top recruiter, like SmartTalent, can give you the direction you need to drive your career forward.

Contact SmartTalent today to learn more.