Is It OK To Ask for Feedback After a Job Interview?

After all that work and worry preparing for an interview, once the interview happens it’s hard to just sit patiently and do nothing. Waiting in general is tough, but each day you’re waiting for feedback after a job interview feels like an eternity!

At the very least, you just want to know how you did. And if you’re still in the running for the job. But you’d also like some useful feedback from the interviewer to help prep you for any future interviews, there or elsewhere.

So can you ask for feedback?

Before you hear anything

There are problems with asking for interview feedback after a job interview BEFORE they’ve even contacted you.

1. You’re still in the interview process, and this becomes part of the overall impression you leave. Are you really that needy this soon? Could your communications with the company be better used?
2. It’s important not to contact the company too often … after all they do have a business to run. So any follow-up communication (and again not too many) should go to bolstering your chances.
3. Use your limited follow-up(s) to thank them and add one or two things about you that speaks to how well you match the job. Maybe even something you learned during the interview or afterward.

While it’s tempting to also ask how you did, odds are they won’t answer that until a decision about your chances is made. And even in that case, they may not be ready to say too much both for legal and strategic reasons.

I prefer not getting calls from job applicants. But I will say that occasionally if someone who did well called, I may have given a small hint, while still protecting the ongoing process.

NOTE: For some jobs / types of companies, a call is perfectly fine. But you need to really think about your particular situation and listen carefully for tone / reactions.

⇒  What Really Happens After a Job Interview?

Feedback after a rejection

So now we come to asking for interview feedback after you learn you didn’t get the job. Is THAT something that’s ok to do? Is there any downside to trying?

It’s probably okay to at least try if they’ve turned you down — and if you word your request for feedback well. But many places still won’t say anything. They don’t want to leave themselves open to legal action. Nor, quite frankly, they prefer not to deal with job seeker emotions.

Still, feedback after a job interview can be helpful. So if you want to try, I say go ahead … remembering it too will leave an impression. You might even include a few words like “any feedback welcome” in a post-rejection thank you note.

A note like that can sometimes re-open a door or simply leave a good impression for the next time they have an opening. Or they may hear of something else and decide to recommend you, something that once got me a job.

⇒  Sample Thank You Note After a Rejection

More posts to help

How To Mentally Prepare for a Job Interview

15 Things I Look for When I Interview People

Are You Trash Talking Former Employers in Job Interviews?

Why Do I Get So Nervous During a Job Interview?

5 Interview Skills To Help Connect the “Hire Me” Dots

How to Tell If a Job Interview Went Well

Good Interview Yet STILL No Response From Job!?

They Reposted the Job. Should I Kiss It Good-Bye?

I Messed Up My Job Interview – What Can I Do?