What to do after a job interview?

At the end of a job interview, you, as a candidate, must not let yourself go and imagine that that everything is over and that all that remains is to wait for an answer. On the contrary, you have to stay focused and demonstrate your motivation throughout the hiring process until you get a definitive reply. For this, certain steps must be taken in consideration after a job interview. 

To help you, in the following article of Talent2Win, we will show you 3 key elements that you should do if you do not know what to do after a job interview. We hope you will put them into practice if you participate in a recruitment process! 

3 key elements to follow after a job interview

1. Analyzethe job interview

At the end of the job interview, you must take a step back to the positive and negative aspects of the interview. It is in your interest to quickly write down your impressions and any questions that made you uncomfortable. It is necessary to take this opportunity to note everything down accurately. 

Writing down your thoughts allows you to choose the right terms to describe your feelings, which is a strong point when reviewing your notes. It is also an effective way to review and work on your weaknesses. 

In this case, objectivity is very important since you will identify positive elements that you can mention again in future interviews without neglecting the weak points that you will have to improve.  

It would be relevant to use the notes taken after a first interview and then compare them with those of your recruiter to expand your personal evaluation. Be sure to make good use of the comments and information obtained from the recruiter. 

2. Followup after an interview 

When concluding a job interview, do not forget to ask the recruiter about the company’s recruitment procedure and the date on which you will be contacted to get the employer’s answer. 

You can wait until that date to receive an answer or you can contact them first so they can see that you are very interested in the proposal. All you have to do is send an email with a greeting and thanks for the time spent during the meeting while confirming your interest and motivation. 

It would be relevant to use keywords from the ad or that came up during the interview to place them in your email. Furthermore, do not forget to recall your skills and your most imminent experiences to refresh the memory of the recruiter. 

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If after a week, no response has been sent, then it is better to call to make sure that the hiring process is still on track. If the answer obtained remains vague, it is possible that the recruitment process is still in progress and that the employer is waiting for the end of all the interviews before communicating their decision. 

A short thank you message stating the advantages of your profile and a confirmation of your interest in the position will have a very good effect on the recruiter, especially knowing that few candidates think of doing so. Keep in mind that this thank you message should be sent as soon as possible after the job interview. 

3. Learn how you should respond when you are contacted again

In the case of a positive response 

If you have been selected for the position offered, you must therefore prepare for the trial period where your skills will be assessed and your personal aptitudes examined. You must learn more about the company and the various benefits related to the position. 

Indeed, you must speak with the employer about the components of your salary, social benefits, working conditions, schedules, etc. You have to know how to negotiate but with a certain flexibility in order to obtain the highest priority items. 

In the case of a negative response 

You will be interested in obtaining information from the recruiter about the reasons and justifications for the rejection of your application, specifying your weaknesses. It is possible that another applicant has higher skills or is more suited to the position, as it is possible that your arguments were not clear enough or strong enough.  

You should consider all the observations made to improve your speech in future interviews. Consider the recruiter’s comments to improve your weak points and be able to evolve.  

Don’t forget that getting to the interview stage is a strong indicator of your skills, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t continue in the hiring process. Stay positive and be prepared for the future. 

At Talent2Win, we strive to align your company’s business goals with the best Talent Acquisition strategies available. We increase added value providing coaching to final candidates before the customers’ interview. For more information about our services, don’t hesitate to contact us.