After the Interview
When you walk out of the interview, you may feel that all you need to do is breathe a huge sigh of relief, cross your fingers and wait for an offer. However, now's not the time to relax - there's still lots of work to do!
Reviewing the Interview
As soon as you can, and before you forget, write down the names and titles of all your interviewers, your impressions, any remaining questions you have and the information you have learned.
Think about how you could have done better. Was there a question you felt that you answered poorly? Did you forget to mention something, or was there an aspect of your skills and achievements that you didn't emphasize enough? This process will help you to improve your interview skills and the notes you make will also be useful for any follow up interviews with the company.
Following the Interview Up
Follow up the interview with a thank-you letter. Employers will see this as evidence of your attention to detail, as well as an indication of your interest in the position. A short thank you note can also give you a great opportunity to highlight details you only briefly touched on or add anything you forgot to say.
Dear Mrs Bellamy Thank you for taking the time to discuss the Administrative Assistant position at Smith & Co. with me. It was a pleasure to meet you and the members of your staff, and our conversation gave me a better understanding of your organization and the requirements of the job. As mentioned in the interview, I have over eight years experience in administration, with particular emphasis on planning and arranging conferences. I feel that I will be able to make a valuable contribution to your company with my strong interpersonal and organizational skills, and my proficiency in the Anteria conference planning software package will be of particular benefit. In reviewing the interview, I was aware that we did not discuss the area of databases. I would like to add that in my current post I am responsible for developing and managing a number of databases to manage conference and delegate information. I also train the other members of the team in database use and act as a source of reference for any queries. I enjoyed meeting the office staff and touring the facility, and was impressed at your dedication to teamwork and your emphasis on efficiency. The interview served to reinforce my strong interest in becoming a part of your administration team, and I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you again for your time and consideration. Yours sincerely |
Make sure that you write and send your follow up letter within 24 hours of your interview. Although you may be worried that sending a letter may make you seem pushy, nothing could be further from the truth. Employers will appreciate the time and effort that you took and will see your letter as evidence that you are confident, keen and a good communicator - essential skills for many jobs. Demonstrating these talents can only help your application.
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Use a follow up letter to:
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Follow Up Calls
If you do not hear from the interviewer within the timeframe that they indicated, or within a reasonable amount of time after your interview, call the interviewer to enquire about the status of the selection process. When phoning, use the opportunity to show your interest in the position, but don't be pushy. You want to show the interviewer that you're interested in the job, not that you're desperate. Be professional and polite.
If a decision has been made and you are selected, congratulations! If you were not selected, ask the interview if they could give you some feedback. This is a non-threatening way of finding out why you were not chosen, but will also provide you with valuable help for future interviews.