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4 Things to Do While You’re Waiting to Hear Back After an Interview

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Yes, it is an excruciating experience, waiting to hear back from the company after a job interview. Did you make it? Did you falter? Do they want to move forward with your candidature? It’s a period of thumb-twiddling and nail-biting, but you can do something on your end, instead of just ending up with swollen fingers and uneven cuticles.

Time

(Photo Credit: Stuart Miles/freedigitalphotos.net)

The first and most important way to minimize your anxiety after a job interview is to do a little prep before. So, if you can: get information up front.

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When your recruiter is setting up a time for the interview, you could ask her about the hiring process to get a sense of what to expect. You can also do this after you’re done with your interview. Even if they are unsure about the timeline to close the position, they can tell you about the process and let you in on what you can look forward to.

Once, the interview has taken place, you can:

1. Reach out to them

After your interview, if you have the contact information of your interviewers, reach out to them and thank them for their time and let them know that you’re looking forward to the next steps. You could also use your note to clarify any answers in the interview that you think may have caused some confusion.

You can also follow up after the stipulated time stated by the recruiter or the interviewer has passed and you haven’t heard from them. Give it a few days past the timeline, though, and follow up with something interesting about the role or organization, or something in the news that is relevant, as you ask about your candidature.

2. Don’t beat yourself up, and be ready to move on

There are several reasons why you may not have heard back right away – there’s been a re-organization in the company, they’re interviewing other candidates, there’s been a new product launch, the hiring manager’s time is diverted to a project with a tight deadline and so on. So cut yourself some slack if you haven’t heard back from them within the stipulated time-frame. If you do hear back and it’s not favorable news, try to get some feedback on your candidature. If you ask nicely, many hiring managers do share honest feedback and their tips can help you prepare for your next interview.

3. It could be them

Once you send a follow-up note, wait it out. If they’re serious about your candidature, the role, or hiring for the position, they’ll let you know. If you don’t hear back, don’t get desperate. But, the way the company handles its candidates can give a pretty good insight into how the company actually works – how professional the recruiters are, how they’re prioritizing the position you applied for, how they operate. If you don’t like the way you are being treated as a candidate, maybe it’s time to reassess your candidature with them.

4. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Continue your job search. While you don’t want to be randomly applying to all companies, make sure you’re not pining over just one option. If you’re just not able to get through to the recruiter or through any of your contacts in the company, move on and explore other opportunities. Even if it’s your dream job, make sure you have an option B, in case it does not work out.

Tell Us What You Think

Did you have to deal with the quiet period after the interview? What did you do? Share your experiences in the comments section below or join the discussion on Twitter.

Padmaja Ganeshan Singh
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