After the Interview…

There are countless lists and tips on how to prepare for and act during an interview. You can be totally prepared, breeze through all the questions, nail your interview, and leave oozing with confidence … but then what? Is there something you should do after the interview is over to help your chances? Below, you’ll find a couple of tips to not only keep you from sinking your chances, but to help you get the most out of your post-interview experience.

Your interview ends when you’re out of the parking lot.

Don’t light up a cigarette, make a loud personal call in the foyer, or peel out in the parking lot. You must resist the urge to do donuts in your car no matter how happy you feel. Maintain a professional appearance until you are safely away from the building. You never know if your potential employer has a vendetta against smokers, is going to step outside and overhear your personal phone conversation, or is going to look out the window and see you driving away. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Send a thank-you note.

A nice way to show your appreciation for the interview, as well as show your continuing interest in the company, is to send your interviewer a short thank-you note. Email is the preferred method of communication, since mailing a letter will take days to arrive and seems old fashioned. It is best to write your thank-you email an hour or two after the interview. This way, what you discussed in your interview is still fresh in your mind and you are still fresh in the interviewer’s mind.

What to say in a thank-you note.

A thank-you email should get right to the point. Greet them with whatever name they introduced themselves with. Then thank them for the opportunity to meet with them and recap some of the interesting things you learned during the interview about the company or about the position. This will help your interviewer remember exactly who you are and differentiate your interview from others. This will also show that you’re a good listener. Lastly, thank them for their time and say you are looking forward to hearing from them soon.

Keep looking for jobs.

Even if your interview went extremely well and you sent a nice thank-you note, that doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a job. Keep your options open for new opportunities and don’t get your hopes up too high for any particular job you’ve interviewed for. The next opportunity may fit your needs even better than the last one.

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