Asking about the next steps in the process at the end of the job interview can help provide a lot of clarity for your follow-up actions. Image: lilgrapher/Shutterstock.com
Interviews can be stressful and it is not uncommon to make mistakes.
Here are some of the most common interview mistakes I see:
• Not begin prepared. You’ve heard it dozens of times; research the organization and its mission and pain points, the position itself, and reach out to connections to see if you can learn any “inside scoop.”
• Failing to review the job posting and having CCAR (context, challenge, actions, results) stories that demonstrate your successes relevant to the job.
• Sharing too much personal information about your family, disability, and other things that do not support your candidacy.
• Trashing your current (or former) boss / organization. If you’re talking negatively about a current or former boss, that begs the question of what you will say about the organization / boss you’re interviewing with.
• Arriving late. You should show up for your interview (assuming it’s in person) ~10 minutes ahead of time. If your interview is virtual, sign on 5 minutes ahead of time, turn on your camera and microphone, and check your background to ensure it looks professional.
• Dressing inappropriately. Even if you already work for the organization or you know their dress code is casual, take your attire up a notch to show respect for the process and that you’re serious.
• Not having questions to ask. You should have 5 questions prepared to ask (some may be covered during the interview and you don’t want to run out). The questions should be focused on the position and demonstrate that you understand the organization have done your research—don’t ask questions about salary, remote work (especially if the job was not advertised as remote), how soon you can get promoted, etc.
• Neglecting to follow up. This includes a thank you note as well as further follow up if you don’t hear back when anticipated.
All of these mistakes are easily avoidable. Don’t be one of those people who claim they have gotten every job they ever interviewed for. Competition is real and interviewing is a skill; take this opportunity—and your career seriously.
How to Follow Up
If you interviewed for a job a few days ago but haven’t heard anything, here is some guidance for how — and when — to follow up after a job interview.
The best time to decide how to follow up is in the interview. Asking about the next steps in the process at the end of the job interview can help provide a lot of clarity for your follow-up actions.
Near the end of the interview, ask the interviewer when you can expect to hear back from them about a hiring decision or the next step in the hiring process. This will help guide your follow up. If the interviewer doesn’t have a specific timeline, ask if it’s okay for you to check in with them. Ask if he or she would prefer you to call or email. And determine a specific date for doing so — usually a week or two at a minimum.
If you do establish a specific follow-up follow up process, make sure you follow it. That can solidify you as an even stronger candidate when you follow up at the time and manner you established you would.
If you don’t hear back from the interviewer on the date promised, that’s not unusual. It doesn’t mean you weren’t selected for the role. Often, things come up that can delay the hiring process. Sometimes an organization’s priorities for hiring have changed. If the interviewer is also a manager, other job responsibilities can have an impact. Maybe they got sick or had a family emergency. All of these can impact the hiring timeframe — and may not necessarily be communicated to you.
For situations when there was a definitive schedule provided — but that date has passed — an email follow-up is often the best way to touch base (if you have an email address for the interviewer). Write a short email reiterating that you interviewed for the job on [date] and are still interested in the position and would like to know if anything else is needed.
If you didn’t ask the interviewer about the next step(s), and the interviewer didn’t mention a timeframe for making a hiring decision, then wait.
You’ll generally want to wait at least a week. But you won’t want to wait more than 10-14 days before you reach back out to inquire about the status of the hiring decision.
If you waited at least a week, then send an email or perhaps call the hiring manager or HR. If you’re having trouble connecting with anyone, it might be helpful to get some “inside information.” If you have a contact at the organization, reach out and ask if they know anything about the hiring for the position. You may also want to reach out to your references to see if they have been contacted.
Keep Applying — and Interviewing
Even while you’re waiting to hear back about this job opportunity, keep your job search going. Focus on the things you can control (applying and interviewing for other opportunities) rather than the things you can’t control (an employer’s hiring timeline).
Nancy H. Segal is a federal job search expert. Following her own senior-level federal HR career, she founded Solutions for the Workplace LLC to provide a HR management perspective to astute applicants to U.S. government positions.
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