5 Powerful Tips to Propel Your Purpose after an Interview
- Powerful questions you must ask at the end of the interview.
What is your #1 concern about my candidacy?
What are the next steps in the interview process?
Asking about their #1 concern shows guts and confidence that you are the right person for the job. You can also follow-up on your answer to their concern in your thank you letter and/or email.
Asking about next steps insures you can strategically plan your follow-up thank you notes and helps you understand their hiring timeline. This will help ease your post-interview stress.
- Make it your business to get their card.
If the interviewer does not give you their card, make sure to take the lead and ask for it. The business card can have helpful information on it such as their Twitter or LinkedIn handle. Bonus tip: Make some inexpensive business cards on Vistaprint that you can use when interviewing and networking. Make sure to include your areas of expertise, your blog or online portfolio and your contact information, including your LinkedIn address.
- Be twice as nice and double down on your thank you note.
Now that you know the next step in the process and you have a better idea of their hiring timeline, you can strategically plan your follow-up. If you are in development, management or sales, for example, I highly recommend dropping off a personal handwritten thank you note after the interview. Make sure to include why they should hire you and address their #1 concern again. You can follow-up via email 24 hours after your interview as well.
- Create value with each of your follow-up messages.
7-10 days after the interview and you still have not heard anything? It’s smart to stay on their radar and re-state your interest. Show the organization you were listening during the interview when they said they wanted more data collection help or creative ideas for their next annual gala. Send them some data collection tips or a short list of creative events they could host next year. Did your interviewer mention something about loving sushi? Email them Opentable’s top 10 local sushi restaurants. Going the extra mile in your follow-up strategy can separate you from the competition. You are not the only candidate following up with them, but you can make your follow-up memorable.
- Keep forward momentum by staying connected and active.
Now that you have strategically followed up, you need to stay connected to your network and keep up the momentum. Grab a coffee with your mentor, folks in your alumni network, or your neighbor. Continue to network and stay active in your sector. Does your targeted organization have a Facebook group that organizes regular outings/events/seminars you could join or attend? Get to the gym, do some yoga and continue to apply for other positions. Staying active will keep up the momentum and help distract you a bit from the past interview.
Follow these tips and take action after each of your interviews. Learning new strategies and thinking outside the box are important at work and with your job search. Career coaches are a great resource as you are preparing and searching for new meaningful work. Stay connected with us on Twitter or Facebook.
