What to do after an interview

You dressed in your best clothing, gave a confident handshake and answered every question succinctly and precisely. In short, you nailed the interview. Now, you may be thinking what to do after an interview. What you do next—what happens post-interview—can impact your chances of locking down that dream job. 

Now for the good news: YOU steer this ship. By ensuring you’re checking each of these three boxes after the interview, you’ll increase your chances of landing that great new gig. 

1. Identify key takeaways 

Immediately after the interview, note anything unique or personal that you discussed with your interviewer(s), such as something you had in common or a memorable joke that was made. These details help you further personalize the “thank you” emails that you’ll send later. 

You could also take note of the questions you were asked and didn’t know how to answer. If they or another company ask you a similar question, you’ll be ready for it the next time around. 

2. Send a “thank you” email the same day

Send an email the same day post-interview thanking the interviewer(s) for their time—and bonus points if you also send emails to any assistants or HR employees you met as well. Be sure to personalize each note based on what you discussed with each person. Don’t wait until 5pm though, try to send these emails as soon as you can. Not only will this likely catch them by surprise, but that personal touch will reflect positively on your character, demonstrating you’re thoughtful, caring and mindful of other people’s time. These three traits can differentiate you from other interviewees and be the reason you get the offer over another well-qualified candidate. 

In your email, mention something positive you observed about their company’s culture and remind them that you’d be eager to use your skill set to propel their company. Then, indicate that you hope to hear from them soon. 

3. Follow-up

Keeping your name at the forefront of the interviewer’s mind is key to improving your chances. If your interviewer gave you a time frame and you still haven’t heard from them, it’s time to send a follow-up message. 

Keep it short, simple, and to the point without directly asking, “When will I know?”

Mention a reason that you’re excited about the opportunity, and are open to sending any more information they might need to make the final decision. Conclude the email with something like, “I look forward to hearing back from you,” and thank them again for their time. 

Most importantly, learn from YOU

And most importantly, don’t be hard on yourself. We’re all guilty of scolding ourselves for saying or doing the wrong thing during an important event. Instead of agonizing over your performance, identify what went right and what went wrong, and take what you’ve learned into your next interviews.

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