There’s nothing like the rush after an interview. The pressure is off, and you’ll be tempted to want to put your feet up. Before you do, remember, the follow-through is waiting in the wings. After experiencing the pressure of the interview process, it can seem like a big ask to do more. Shifting gears in the waiting period is fundamental not only to show your professionalism but also to fuel your career growth mindset. Let’s discuss how to strategically tackle the job interview follow up beyond the standard thank you email.
Decompressing after an interview should involve a combination of a couple of pats on the back and contemplation on how it all went. We’re not talking about over-analyzing every little thing you said or did (that one cough isn’t a deal-breaker, trust us) but rather the takeaways from the interview. You need to spend time going over what you learned about the job, the organization and your potential boss.
How is this possible to determine, especially if your interview went by in a blur? Or what if you had multiple interviews and met multiple people? Sure, the interview process is designed to evaluate you, but it also works the other way around too! An interview is where you get a sense of the role, the environment, and the expectations.
Writing down key things that stood out to you is critical to fully digesting what went down in that interview (zoom) room. It’s also a great way to create something to refer to later on if your memory fails you. (You have a lot on your mind during this time, it happens!)
Here are a few things to include in your interview takeaways:
That last takeaway might have you scratching your head but hear us out. Some might argue that sending a thank you email should be your first step, but perhaps a personalized note referencing something discussed in the interview will be more memorable. Look no further than your interview takeaway notes!
It’s a common courtesy nowadays to send a thank you email after an interview. It’s one of the most solid interview tips for a reason as it shows your consideration and professionalism. You might even have some standard templates ready to go but before you hit send, let us remind you of some thank you email traps:
After all that, it’s time to endure interview limbo. We know this feels like an eternity as time plays funny tricks on you. This is when you need to enter growth mindset mode. You want to take stock of what you’ve done so far and see if there’s anything you would improve on even if you do get the job.
Like we mentioned, don’t focus on small superficial things. Look at areas you can improve. Was there an answer you felt could have been answered better? Did you do enough research into the company? Make a small (but mighty) list and work on it for a set period of time. Don’t overdo it and burn yourself out. It’s an exercise to help you learn and also to take your mind off when you’ll hear back from the interview.
When you eventually do get that answer, stay in that growth mindset because it’s going to be helpful regardless of the outcome. If you got the job, congratulations! What an exciting time you have ahead filled with lots of learning. If things didn’t work out, then don’t beat yourself up. Pivot, and keep moving forward. It’s the perfect opportunity to also ask for interview feedback. Sound intimidating? Get reading on “How to Confront Fear When Receiving Constructive Feedback to Build A Champion’s Attitude”.
You know what they say, every experience is an opportunity to learn. The same is true of knowing how to handle what to do after an interview. It’s indeed uncomfortable, stressful and everything in between but you’ll handle it like a winner.
