No response yet interview felt good
Hi Ronnie Ann. Absolutely love your blog! You have a lot of great information and advice on your site. If I may, I have a question for you that I am sure you get all of the time. After a good interview, I still get no response from the company. And I’m at a total loss as to what else I should do at this point.
Last Tuesday I had an interview that I thought went really well. After about an hour and a half someone had to knock on the hiring manager’s door to stop the interview for her next appointment. I really like the hiring manager. And she seemed to like me.
Toward the end, she said she was down to 5 candidates that she wanted to have interviewed by the end of last week. Then she said she has been doing this a long time. And I am definitely on top of her list.
Mixed signals, but lots of good ones
The only concern she had was that I might be overqualified for the position. But she wasn’t sure. Maybe that could be to her advantage since I would be able to help her execute some strategic programs she wants to implement.
She said she wanted to have me come back this week for 30 – 45 minutes to get a feel for the position. Kind of a “day in the life of” this management position. Also, she said that the next step after that would to bring the top 2 candidates back for an interview with her team.
So I followed up with an email thank you letter the next day, reiterating my enthusiasm for the position. And why I think it would be challenging given the region and the change in industry.
But I never heard back from her. Still no response at all to my emails. Late Monday afternoon I left her a message on her voice mail. I wasn’t pushy. Just said that I wanted to follow-up with her to discuss setting up a time to come back (like we discussed).
That was 2 days ago. And I still haven’t heard anything. It seems really odd to me. Do you have any thoughts or advice?
Thanks,
Anne
***
What lack of response means
Hi Anne!
Thanks for the kind words. And even though I get lots of question about interviews, each one has its own interesting twist. Like yours.
It really does sound like you’ve done everything well. Great interview. Plus good follow up. And you were able to field the “too qualified” comment with a good comeback.
Although I wish I had a way of figuring out exactly what they’re thinking, truth is … it could be lots of things. Maybe she or someone else critical to the process is sick. Maybe an emergency came up. Or maybe they haven’t been able to finish the five interviews yet.
Then again, maybe they found someone they made an offer to despite what was said. If a perfect fit walked in the door after she met with you, it just could have changed their plans.
Or maybe they just can’t get past all your experience despite how well you handled your answer. Lingering doubts sometimes grow when fed by the input of others. But maybe it is as simple as they just haven’t gotten around to it yet.
Hiring decisions can take a lot of time
It’s only been a week. And so much goes on behind the scenes. Plus time feels very different on the employer end. It’s kind of like dog years!
I like that you’re an action person looking to help yourself. But at this point, you really have done all you can. And so now it’s time to just wait. I know that”s hard — and I’m sorry about that, Anne. But I once waited months for a job I got offered. So patience can be your ally.
For now, do what you can to keep busy with other things. And keep looking. You never know what else might come up in the meantime. If it’s the right job, you will get it. If not, then you might very well have lucked out for reasons you will never know!
I wish you much luck, Anne. Please let us know what happens.
~ Ronnie Ann
More posts about (ugh) waiting
12 Ways to Stay Sane After a Job Interview
Stuck in the Waiting Game After 2nd Interview
I Got the Post Interview Temporary OCD Blues
[Post updated 2021)
About the author …
Ronnie Ann, founder of Work To the Wise and Work Coach Cafe, bases her real-world advice on her many years as an organizational consultant where she helped interview and hire people, added to a certificate from NYU in Career Planning & Development, as well as her many adventures as a serial job seeker.
More interview tips
How to Tell If a Job Interview Went Well
18 Practical Tips to Help You Ace Your Job Interview
15 Things I Look for When I Interview People
Should You Send a Post-Interview Thank You? [Sample]
Thanks you so much Susan.
This site is great it makes you feel great!
Like you said, it’s very uncertain but still hope doesn’t go anywhere! Although, I am keep looking but it keeps running back of my mind that I had a great interview and team took so much time to schedule it and going further making a offer so they may resume the hold in sometime if end client approves! Although they said it could be on hold until end of October. Crossing the fingers!
Again, thank you so much for your guidance. It feels great.
I had an interview almost two weeks ago and I haven’t heard anything thus far, the anxiety is starting to sink in I guess 🙂 What are your thoughts? On my first interview with the hiring manager there was a phone screening interview in which I did very well. We had a great conversation or feel out process to such the hiring manager felt comfortable enough to tell me about her personal life… I was ask to come back for a follow-up interview to meet face to face with the hiring manager and senior staff recruiter. The hiring manager provided me her personal cell phone number to contact her and advice on what to expect on the up coming interview; upon contact to confirm the time and date of the second interview she referenced, “if they like me and I like them then an offer maybe extended”… I thought that was pretty unusual to say that before my face to face interview because in my line of profession that gives out false expectations. I went along with the interview and did very well, now because I was told by the hiring manager about if they like you ordeal, I was expecting an offer, but that didn’t happen. I was then asked after my meeting to come on a third interview to meet with a few more staff recruiters with whom I will be working with and the VP of Talent acquisition… I did the very best that I could on that interview and went above and beyond to sell myself. After the meeting I sent a thank you email and express how excited I was about the opportunity. A week later I sent an email and the comment from the hiring manager was we are still interviewing for the position because the holiday has set us back a bit, why do you have anything else pending???? that through me for a curve ball… I answered back No, just kindly asking for a status update, Thank you again for the opportunity. I am Puzzled!!! I don’t know what to think of this… why say such things to give off false expectations. Three interviews and staff introduction… I really don’t know what to think of this and their hiring process… Any thoughts… The company is a Large fortune 500 company… Thank you guys
The larger the company, the longer and more complex the hiring process usually is because of the layers of bureaucracy they have. Someone who is part of the process could be missing (vacation, ill, business trip, etc.).
In a large company, the hiring manager is only one of the decision-makers involved. Someone “higher up” could decide that adding new staff is not a good idea right now — for a million reasons from budget issue to company internal politics — reasons totally unrelated to anything about you!
I’m not sure which interview was “two weeks ago” — the first or the last — but a two-week wait is not unusual. The next time you talk with them ask them these 5 questions:
1. What’s the next step in the process?
2. When will they be back in touch with you?
3. Who should be your contact?
4. What is the best way to reach that contact?
5. When should you expect the next contact from them?
Meanwhile, do NOT stop your job search waiting for this offer! I’m not saying that it won’t come (it might but it might not). Wouldn’t it be nice to have another offer pending when/if they do make you an offer?
If you stay busy pursuing other opportunities, you won’t have the time to get anxious about this one, and you may find a much better opportunity is waiting for you with another employer.
Good luck with your job search!
Susan
Hello,
I have been following this blog and it has been very helpful for my own mental peace!
I have been in situation where I was interviewed by a recruiter to submit my resume to implementation partner working with semi gov. bank. It moved really quick and in 2 days they set up interview.This Implementation partner hiring manager and team really liked me. I have also sent out thank you note next day. And they gave great feedback to the recruiter and said that they are moving forward with me. Recruiter said that we will have offer in 1 or 2 days and may be it will start in 2-3 weeks time. All this happened really fast in 5 days time. And then suddenly for a week recruiter didn’t respond and when i followed up about this, he said he just got answer from hiring manager that things are slowing down and position is on hold for next 6 weeks! I suspect may be because of end client(Bank) they are waiting on confirmation since it is contract job. Then why they set up interview quickly?
I can not believe that initially they moved really fast with interview/feedback and talking about offer/start date and suddenly hold? This was my dream job so I was hoping too much about it. It made me feel really upset. Although I was looking for other options but I was very positive about this. Not sure should I still expect positively that it is really on hold and can be available or should not hope at all.
I would appreciate your expert guidance on that..This will keep me going for sure.
Cheers,
Hello,
I suspect that you are right and they are waiting for the situation with the client to be determined. They were probably moving so fast because the opportunity developed quickly, and they wanted to be ready when they got the contract. If they get the contract, you may have a job, but it doesn’t look like they are sure when — or if — they will get the contract.
It’s hard to say what the final result will be, but I wouldn’t take this personally. And, it is very smart of you to continue to keep looking.
Good luck with your job search!
Susan
Hi,
I had an interview 2 weeks ago and I send a follow up letter ,but she didn’t reply.Then again I send a letter then she replied that HR will contact to me .Now again 1 week left no reply .Total been 2 weeks when I gave interview what should I do in this case.
Keep looking!
Susan,
I went for an interview last week tuesday. I was told that I would hear back on friday.
I then sent a thank you email and was called for a second interview on thursday (before the friday).
Afterwards, I was told that I would know friday or monday ( a few days ago). I called monday afternoon and was told that others were being called for second interviews. I thanked the director and informed him that I would be happy to take a position were it offered to me.
I have not called back and will not for a week or two.
What do you think is going on?