Nice job, you have taken the time to study and prepare for that big interview and you feel great as you walk out of the meeting! While the hard part is done, don’t think you are completely finished with your job search, instead implement these ideas before you put your feet up and rest on your laurels.
Connect on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a social networking site geared towards working professionals and we highly recommend that every candidate takes the time to complete a professional profile with a picture. Connecting on LinkedIn allows the Hiring Manager to see a positive social media footprint and also allows them to review any recommendations that previous co-workers have written on your behalf. If the Manager decides not to hire you, at least you will have the future connection and you will be able to view additional posts from the Manager which could potentially include job postings in the future that you might have not otherwise noticed.
Send a Handwritten Note
Writing letters is a lost art and taking the time to sit down and write a personalized letter to the Hiring Manager will defiantly help you stand out from the rest. This must be done immediately, the same day as the interview if possible to ensure that it arrives quickly and while their decisions are still being made. While this is not necessary and many people will say that a follow up email will suffice, taking the time to write a quick paragraph thanking them for their time will surely stand out amongst the rest of the quick emails they receive and could help your name stand out in the future if the company is looking to hire a similar role if they decide to pass on you in this case.
Alert Your References
Providing a reference sheet in the interview along with your resume is always a good idea as it shows that you are being proactive and feel confident that others will be able to vouch for your positive work experience. It is however also essential to make sure that you stay in touch with the references you provide and that their contact information and current employer is correct. There is nothing worse than a Hiring Manager excited to hear a positive feedback from a reference only to find out that the phone number you provided for the reference is disconnected or that they haven’t thought about you in so long that they can’t remember anything positive to say. Stay in touch with your references and if you are in the interview process and expect that they could be receiving a call on your behalf, give them a heads up and alert them to keep an eye out for a potential unfamiliar number reaching out to them so that they make sure to take the call and not assume it is a spam call that they never return.
Keep Your Job Search Open
Ideally you did such a great job during the interview that the Hiring Manager will follow up later in the day with an official job offer although we all know that rarely is that what happens. Companies can take a few days to complete additional interviews and gain additional internal feedback before making a decision and especially if you are in between positions, sitting around for a few days while they make a decision can mean loosing additional time on your job search if the hiring team decides to go with another candidate. While it is rare, I have even heard some cases of candidates accepting a position (more often a contract opportunity) only to find out a few days later that the budget did not come through and the role is no longer approved. Bottom line, you never know if you could be missing out on a better opportunity or maybe your new job does not turn out as it was sold to you, so always keep your resume active and do not stop looking until you actually start your new job and feel comfortable after the first week of work.
If it turns out that the hiring team has decided to pass on you, make an effort to follow up with the person you interviewed with any try to find out why. While you might receive a general reason such as “we decided a different candidate was a better fit,” do your best to push them for feedback that you can grow from. It can be hard to hear criticism on yourself but if they are able to identify a flaw in your experience or presentation, that can be very helpful information to use when you are preparing for your next interview.
Regardless of the outcome of the interview or what feedback you received, within the first 24-48 hours after the interview, take some time to sit down and give yourself an honest critique on how you think you did. Was there anything you felt you impressed them with? Do you see any weaknesses that you can improve? Give yourself an honest assessment and make notes on how to be ready when your next interview comes calling.
Putting yourself in a vulnerable spot and interviewing with a room of people that you have never met before is one of the most imposing and nerve-racking professional settings you can find yourself in. It is important that we take the time to learn from each time we put ourselves in these situations so that we can challenge ourselves and continue to grow regardless of if we are given a new job offer or not and don’t let a positive learning opportunity such as this go to waste.
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