You’ve just given your interview and the suspense is killing you. Will they, or won’t they — and what should you do while you’re waiting to hear back? Whatever you do, avoid these eight post-interview mistakes that could affect your candidacy.
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- You don’t send a thank-you note: Honestly, this is not a requirement, but it is the polite thing to do. Many a time candidates do not follow up with a thank-you note either because they feel they’ve aced the interview or because they believe that they’ve tanked it and in either case, the thank-you note seems just redundant. But the truth is it is a very simple gesture that can leave a strong impression on your interviewer, if written well.
- Your thank you note is too long and/or has a lot of errors: Your thank-you note should just be that – a thank you. Let your interviewer know that you appreciate his/her time and reiterate your interest in the organization. You don’t have to go on and on about why you would be a great fit. You had your chance at the interview. And remember to spell-check and proofread your notes before sending them off. Grammatical and spelling errors reflect poorly on your attention to detail and can go against you.
- You use your thank-you note as an explanation sheet: If you think you answered some question during the interview inaccurately and want to clarify, do it during the interview. Don’t wait till the interview is over and use your thank-you note for the purpose. Don’t draw unnecessary attention to a point that the interviewer may or may not remember.
- Your thank-you note is gift-wrapped: Do not send a gift after an interview. This is not professional and worse, it can be interpreted as a bribe to move your candidacy forward.
- You try and connect with your interviewer on social media: Keep it strictly professional, even if there was that funny joke during the interview. If the interviewers did not voluntarily provide you the information, you don’t want to seem like a stalker by reaching out to them on Facebook or on their personal pages.
- You follow up immediately and a lot: Check with the interviewer or the recruiter on the timelines of the recruitment process and whether they have a preferred method of follow-up. Do not follow up constantly. If you absolutely must reach out, add a few days to the interviewers’ specified timeline, as a buffer, and then reach out if you haven’t heard back.
- You don’t keep your commitment: If you have promised to send in any supporting documents of your candidacy or any references by X days, send it by X days. Your prompt and responsive nature can be a strong reflection of your work ethic.
- You just can’t take rejection: This might sound preachy, but if you are not selected for whatever reason, take rejection in your stride and move on. I have seen rejected candidates send emails sent to interviewers, saying “It’s your loss,” and maybe it is, but exhibit maturity and professionalism and don’t get too emotional and express your feelings as a rant to your interviewers. It is not in good taste and you will not even be considered for any future roles.
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