After the Interview

Thank Your Interviewer

Send an email to thank your interviewer within 24 hours of meeting. This thoughtful gesture shows your professionalism and continued interest, and provides a good opportunity to include a few highlights from the interview as you thank them for their time.

 

Self-Reflect and Self-Assess

Consider using the post-interview phase to reflect on what you learned about the job, how the interview experience has informed your perspectives and feelings about it, and your overall performance. Revisit the checklist for qualities of a strong interviewee to assess how you did in your interview. Consider connecting with your mentor and colleagues to debrief on your performance.

Endure the Waiting Period

The hiring team’s decision-making process may feel like it is taking a long time, and this is likely to leave an uneasy feeling. Continue to be kind to yourself, and practice self-care and patience.

Do you have any updates to share? If you have a professional achievement or other news that may influence the hiring team’s decision, consider reaching out to your contact at the organization. For example, you may have authored a newly published manuscript or received a new certification. If you receive a job offer from a different company during the waiting period, explore these tips from Indeed on how to handle the situation in a way that is effective and professional.

For more tips on how to navigate the post-interview process as you wait to hear back about your candidacy, read this article about learning to wait for a response. 

Manage Various Timelines

Depending on the career path and level, you may find yourself applying to multiple jobs simultaneously. Keep track of the information you have for each organization (e.g., important contact information, past and upcoming interview dates), as well as their timelines (e.g., when they hope to fill the role, at what point you can expect to receive updates, acceptance deadlines). Should you receive multiple offers, your organizational system will provide a helpful structure for weighing your options.

 

Consider Alternatives

What should you do if the date of when you were supposed to receive an update from the hiring team has passed without any word?

• Consider following up with the appropriate point of contact to see if they can share a status update.
• Think about your “Plan B” which could include one or more of the following:
  • Apply for a different job.
  • Press pause: Stay in your current role for a certain period of time that makes sense for your situation before applying again.
  • Speak with a mentor to get advice.
  • Request feedback: While you are unlikely to receive extensive feedback from an interview that does not result in an offer, you may consider requesting feedback to improve your performance in the future.

Additional Reading:

Check out this resource from the NIH on how to navigate with resilience news that is not ideal and preserve with a new plan.