Following up
It can be helpful to send a thank-you email within 24 hours after the interview. Will this influence the hiring decision? Not always. But your competition is likely going the extra mile. Of course you will need the email address of the interviewer. If you don’t have it, ask for it or request a business card before leaving the interview.What to include in the thank-you email?
Thank the interviewer for their time and reconfirm your interest in the role. Offer references if possible to back up case studies and to confirm what you said during the interview. Provide further evidence that you can solve their biggest problems by referring to your past experience. If you feel you forgot to mention something important during the interview, include it in your thank you email. You don’t want to correct everything you said; just address what you forgot if you feel it’s important. If the interview went badly, there’s no harm in citing nervousness and addressing the points you wished you had discussed. Thank-you email sample template: _Hi [Name of Interviewer], _ Thank you for your time today. It was a real pleasure learning more about the team and the [Job Title] position. I’m thrilled at the prospect of joining [Company Name] to help [Include the most important aspect of the role: For example; generating new business, managing a team]. _After the interview, I had a think on what you said about [Reference an ongoing issue/challenge that was mentioned by the interviewer]. During my previous role as [Job Title] at [Company Name], I [Give details about how you managed a similar problem successfully in your previous role]. _ As your new [Job Title], I am confident my experience and skillset will allow me to achieve similar results at [Company Name]. _I look forward to hearing from you regarding the next steps in the hiring process. _ If you need me to provide any additional information, feel free to reach out. Kind regards, [Your Name]Waiting for results
If you haven’t received a response from the company by the date they said they would get back to you, follow up with them one or two days later. Ask for the decision timeline as you are currently interviewing elsewhere (shows you’re in demand, making you more desirable, and can help speed up the process). Email template: _Hi [Name], _ I hope all is well. I haven’t heard from you in relation to the [Job Title] position. I understand you’re in the middle of finalising your decision, but let me know what the timeline is looking like. _To maintain transparency, I’d like to inform you that I’m also in talks with a few other companies, but I’m reluctant to progress any further as my priority is landing the [Job Title] role with your team so we can begin executing on [Insert what you’ll be working on in the job]. _ Looking forward to hearing about the next steps [Hiring Manager’s Name]. _In the meantime, I came across this [Article / Podcast / Video] on __, and it really ties into the discussion we had about __. _ _I have attached a summarised version of the [Article / Podcast / Video] below with some of my observations. _ Kind regards, [Your Name]Handling rejection
If you are rejected for a job: The company said not now, not never. They just found someone who was a slightly better fit for the job. I recommend keeping the door open. This may sound like wishful thinking, but if their number one choice decides to take another offer, you could be next in line. Every opportunity to keep engagement open with the hiring team should be taken. Many companies will have a profile of you on their hiring system (ATS) with notes added. By remaining professional throughout the process, you give yourself the best chance to be considered for other roles in the future. If you are rejected, thank them for the opportunity and try to obtain actionable feedback from the hiring manager. A lot of feedback from hiring teams is unhelpful. What company is looking for may differ from others. If you are making it to the 2nd and 3rd round interviews, it’s likely you’re doing little wrong, and more likely that the person hired was just slightly more qualified than you. There’s usually only one position available and it’s a painstaking decision deciding which person gets it. Instead of asking, “Do you have any feedback for me?” you could ask: “Would you be able to give me something that I could work on for my next job interview? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.” Sample email template: Hi [Hiring Manager’s Name], Congratulations if you’ve already found the right candidate. I enjoyed meeting with everyone on the team. It only reaffirmed my desire to be part of your company in the future. I hope we can keep in touch, so let me know if there’s anything I can do moving forward to be considered for future opportunities. As I’m continuing my job search, would you be able to give me something that I could work on for my next job interview? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Kind regards, [Your Name]Reminders
If you made it to the second or third round interview, you have likely risen above hundreds of other candidates. You are in the top 1%. If you make it to the final round, you’re in the top 0.2%. On a different day, the hiring manager could have easily chosen you. When you get to the later rounds of the interview process, it’s not that you lack the skills and experience. Sometimes the other candidate is just a slightly better fit. Perhaps they worked on a project recently that was highly relevant to the one the hiring company is about to launch. They might have a specific skill that the hiring manager wants to develop themselves. It could also be the case that the chosen candidate just connected more deeply on a personal level with the interviewer. Some hiring decisions are based on emotion and justified with logic. Be proud of yourself. If you made it to the final round, you’re on track to get a job offer. This is a victory with plenty of lessons learned. You will now be better equipped for your next job interview.Mastering the interview process through self-analysis
By self-analysing each interview you attend, figuring out what went well, what could have gone better, and what changes you need to make for the next one, your interview performance will improve exponentially. Of course, you can ask the interviewer for feedback, but much of it is usually generic and unhelpful. So you need to take matters into your own hands. The best way to self-assess your performance is by recording the interview using an app on your phone and then playing it back afterwards. If you don’t feel comfortable recording the interview, immediately after each interview, take out a notepad and run it back. To guide your interview self-evaluation, consider asking yourself the following questions:What aspects of the interview went smoothly?
- Were there moments when you felt a strong connection with the interviewer?
- Were there specific answers or topics that seemed to resonate with the interviewer? When did they ask follow-up questions?
- Did the interviewer open up to you personally? If so, what was discussed that sparked it?
Where did you falter?
- What questions caught you off guard?
- Did you find yourself rambling or losing focus at any point?
- Did the interview conclude shortly after a specific comment you made? If so, what did you say?
- What did you forget?
- Did you feel you didn’t get a chance to mention something important?
Were there any points of confusion?
- Were there moments where the interviewer looked puzzled or asked for clarification?
- Were there topics or answers that seemed to re-engage them if they had drifted off?
- Were your questions well-received, or did they seem to fall flat?