You’re home from the interview. What’s next?
- Thank-you note
- Analyze how you did
The Thank-You Note
It may be old school, but thank-you notes work. I don’t think you need to handwrite the note; email works fine. Email also allows you to send the note quicker. I recommend sending a note to each person you talked to. What to include:
- thank the person for the interview
- explain succinctly how you are the best fit for the job
- mention something specific from the interview about the company or position that excited you
The Analysis
What worked and what didn’t. Go back through The Interviews posts – 1, 2, 3 and 4. Make a checklist to include:
- Did you dress appropriately
- How early did you arrive
- Did you have your interview kit
- Did you greet the interviewer properly
- How were your questions about the company
- How were your questions about the position
- Did any questions surprise you
- Did you answer any question particularly well
- Did you bomb on a question
- Did you bring any of the forbidden items with you
After going through the checklist, give yourself a grade. Anything less than an a A means you need to continue to work on preparing for an interview. Don’t be upset with yourself. It takes a while to be comfortable interviewing and be good at it. You can always learn.
Finally, what did you think of the position and of the company? Is it a place you want to work? Remember, you’re interviewing them too. Don’t take any job just to have a job.