Wait or Act: 5 Actions to Take After a Job Interview

So you’re finally done with the interview you’ve been getting ready for days, if not weeks. You walk out wondering if you aced it…or failed it. And the agonising waiting begins. Even though you asked the interviewer when to expect an answer, you simply have to wait and see whether the company is interested in you or not.

After a couple of days you start asking yourself whether you should call back? Should you call or email? Should you invite the interviewer to your LinkedIn profile or send him/her a thank you message? Or will the interviewer get annoyed and think you’re harassing him causing the chance of landing the job to disappear completely? Maybe someone else should call on your behalf and ask whether you’ll get the job?

I’m pretty sure that most of us go through one or two of these questions after not hearing back for a couple of weeks. So, here are 5 things you can do when you don’t hear back from an interview.

1. Be Proactive

First and foremost you have to be proactive. Being passive will most certainly not get you the job. So start by asking the interviewer when you should expect an answer and what the next steps would be. Maybe even ask the interviewer whether he is comfortable if you contact him after two weeks. If he gives you the ‘dont-worry-we-will-contact-you’ answer, you’ll automatically get a clear indication of a low chance of success.

If nothing else, send a short thank you note to the interviewers. Nothing desperate, just a courteous note thanking them for their time, expressing your interest in the role and that you’re looking forward to hearing back from them.

2. Be Interesting 

David Meerman Scott, the guru on social media marketing, has written a number of interesting pieces on how to transform your job search from outbound to inbound marketing. His principles can certainly be applied for a follow up interview.

I personally would be blown away if an interviewee sent me a follow up email on any of the following:

• Ideas on how he would address some of the job challenges that he could face at my company
• An interesting article on a topic we discussed during the interview
• An introduction to a person in his network that I might be interested in meeting

That would certainly make a difference and show interest, passion and commitment. If possible the email should be sent to your potential line manager and cc’d to the interviewer since the former is the one you have to convince that you’re the right fit.

3. Check In

If you haven’t heard from the interviewer after the date he mentioned you have every right, and even need to check in. Again this should not be a cranky email, but should include that you were under the impression that you would be informed after two weeks and that you haven’t heard back yet.

Also confirm that your personal circumstances haven’t changed. If you’ve got travel plans coming up or other important engagements, let the interviewer know. It portrays a professional image about you and also gives you an opportunity to assess whether the company is interested in you.

4. Move Up

Recruitment managers are often swamped with interview schedules and sometimes forget to inform people about the status of their job application. So if you don’t get an answer after a couple of weeks, don’t lose your cool but try to connect with the line manager by moving up the chain.

My experience is that the more senior a person is the more respectful he is to interviewees. Don’t harass the person but try to find ways to add value by sharing something that could be of interest to the line manager. In the process build a relationship and get feedback on where you stand. If you’re not recruited for this position then maybe he will remember you in the future for something more suitable.

5. Let Go

If you’ve tried all the above points and you’re still waiting for an answer after 4 weeks – don’t despair, just move on. The company’s clearly not interested in you and you shouldn’t be interested in them either. The fact that they didn’t reply regarding the interview provides an indication on how they treat employees. Focus on the next opportunity and spend your energy on companies that are worth it.

If any of these tips help you out let me know below. And if you’d like to receive more HR tips and tricks subscribe to the newsletter. As always, I look forward to hearing from you.

Good luck!

Photo credit: Vincent_AF via photopin cc