Great Interview! Now What?

By Meredith Jannsen

You had an interview. You think you nailed it but you haven’t received an offer even though you were told a hiring decision would take place quickly. You meet all of the qualifications, you wowed the interviewers with specifics on how you’d approach the job and the rapport and chemistry were great. They even said you were one of their top candidates. Though you’ve sent professional, targeted and unique thank you notes, after two weeks, no word.

Let’s face it, there are many frustrating and stressful aspects to job searching but this has to be the worst of all. So, what do you do when a seemingly perfect fit leaves you in the “waiting place”?

First, don’t wait. The most important thing to do is continue your job search. Perhaps there is a logical hold up that will be explained later but you don’t want to miss opportunities in the meantime. Continue to apply for jobs and interview just as you were before. Never turn down an interview unless you have an offer in hand.

Secondly, you can take action without appearing desperate by sending a simple, friendly email to HR. The intent is to check in on the hiring status and express your continued interest. But, let the HR rep know in a polite way, that although this is your top choice, you are continuing your search. You may also ask if there is anything you can do, such as provide examples of work, or references, to help influence the hiring process in your favor. For closure, let her know that you would like their continued consideration but that you will wait to hear from them with their response. This way, you don’t have to keep following up. It’s in their hands.

Finally, if you don’t hear back in the short term, remember there could be a multitude of reasons why, that don’t have anything to do with you. And, you may be surprised a few months later when you get that job offer.