Post Interview Strategies

            You’ve self-reflected and discovered how to control your stress levels in an interview. You’ve taken the time to develop strategies on how to become a desirable candidate to the firm your applying with. You’ve interviewed, and you nailed it! Now what? Believe it or not, your work is not complete. There are critical strategies that can still be implemented that may increase your chances of acquiring the position.

            Follow Up E-mail: Regardless of how you feel the interview might have gone, an immediate follow up e-mail should always be sent. Most people recommend you send an e-mail within 24hrs after the interview. Always get the business card of whomever you spoke with. This way you have the correct spellings of their name and e-mail address.  Don’t be over eager, quickly type something up, and send it out. Often people make grammatical errors and typos in these situations. The follow up e-mail doesn’t need to be long, but it should be personalized to the point that it doesn’t read like a standard form letter. I recommend is length is approximately 2-3 paragraphs of 2-3 sentences each. As an alternative to the follow up e-mail, consider sending a hand written letter or a professional business card. Consider your audience, an older more traditional hiring manager may prefer this and find it intriguing.

            Check In With Your References: It wouldn’t be the best look if an employer contacted one of your references and they didn’t remember you. You should always check in with your references. Also this is a great time to let them know about your professional plans, goals and objectives. If your references are aware of your goals and objectives, they are more likely to say the right things that accommodate you accordingly.

            Review Your Social Media Profiles: It’s very important that you review and update all your social media profiles so that they accurately and professionally reflect your job situation. In today’s cyber society, social media is so easily referred to and is a powerful medium between you and employers.  Consider your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogs, etc. Is there anything on there that you wouldn’t want an employer to see or read? Also, I have read that posting or tweeting about job interview experiences may be frowned upon. Be careful what you put on the Internet.

            Celebrate: Lastly, if you get the job CELEBRATE! You have been through a lot and deserve a celebration. You are about to begin a journey down a new path and have a lot of hard work ahead of you. However, if you do not get the job, don’t be discouraged. Not everyone lands a job in his or her first interview. In fact most people don’t. Remember that determination and self-confidence is pivotal to your success.