After the Interview

When you walk out of the interview, you may feel that all you need to do is breathe a huge sigh of relief, cross your fingers and wait for an offer. However, now's not the time to relax - there's still plenty of work to do!

Taking Stock

Take time to write down the names and titles of all your interviewers, your impressions, any remaining questions you have and the information you have learned. Think about how you could have done better. Did you forget to mention something, or was there an aspect of your skills and achievements that you didn't emphasise enough? Was there a question you felt that you answered poorly? This process will help you to improve your interview skills and the notes you make will also be useful for any follow up interviews with the company.

Thank You Letters

Follow up the interview with a thank-you letter. Employers regard this as evidence of your attention to detail, as well as an indication of your final interest in the position. A short thank you note can also give you a great opportunity to add anything you forgot to say or highlight details you only briefly touched on.

Dear Mr Smith

Thank you for taking the time to discuss the Administrative Assistant position at Denby & Co. with me. It was a pleasure to meet you and the members of your staff, and our conversation gave me a better understanding of your organisation and the requirements of the job.

As mentioned in the interview, I have over seven years experience in administration, with particular emphasis on planning and arranging conferences. I feel that I will be able to make a valuable contribution to your company with my strong organisational and interpersonal skills, and my proficiency in the Interia software package will be of particular benefit.

In reviewing the interview, I was aware that we did not discuss the area of databases. I would like to add that in my current post I am responsible for developing and managing a number of databases to manage course and delegate information. I also train the other members of the team in database use and act as a source of reference for any queries.

I enjoyed meeting the office staff and touring the facility, and was impressed at your emphasis on efficiency and your dedication to teamwork. The interview served to reinforce my strong interest in becoming a part of your administration team, and I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you again for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely

Make sure that you write and send your thank you letter within 24 hours of your interview. Although some candidates may be worried that sending a letter may make them seem pushy, nothing could be further from the truth. Employers will appreciate the time and effort that you took and will see your letter as evidence that you are keen, confident and a good communicator - essential skills for many jobs. Demonstrating these talents can only help your application.

Use a follow up letter to:

Demonstrate that you are courteous and that you know to write a thank-you letter.
Show appreciation for the employer's interest in you.
Reiterate your interest in the position and in the organisation.
Review or remind the employer about your qualifications for the position.
Present skills or achievements that you neglected to mention in the interview.
Follow up with any information the employer may have asked you to provide after the interview.

Follow Up Calls

If you do not hear from the interviewer within the timeframe that they indicated, or within a reasonable amount of time from your interview, telephone the interviewer to enquire about the status of the selection process. When calling, use the opportunity to show your interest in the position, but don't be pushy. You want to show the interviewer that you're interested in the job, not that you're desperate. Be polite and professional.

If a decision has been made and you are selected, congratulations! If you were not selected, ask the interview if they could give you some feedback. This is a non-threatening way of finding out why you were not chosen, but will also provide you with valuable help for future interviews.

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