You know the drill. You get the interview. And you ace the interview. In fact, it was the best job interview you ever had. While you don’t know exactly what happens after a job interview, you think you did well.
So you head home dreaming about the job you’re pretty sure you just landed. And then … you wait. And you wait. You wait some more. Until you just want to scream! Maybe you do scream. And rant a little. And even think of all the things you’d like to do to that stupid company you once thought was so perfect for you!
Take a few deep breaths
But before you decide the company purposefully designed some sick waiting game to torture you in, take a few deep breaths. And let me take you behind closed doors.
It’s time you learn more about the mysterious steps of the interview hiring process. What goes on inside the secret rooms. And why you aren’t getting any feedback from the company, even though you send e-mails and call them endlessly (please don’t) hoping for even the tiniest clue.
Hard as it is to believe, sometimes there are good reasons — really — why a company’s hiring process takes so long. And why all too often you have to wait forever (or so it seems) before you hear back from an employer. A lot happens after a job interview — including unexpected twists and turns.
What does go on behind the scenes?
I love this topic, since I get sooooooooooo many e-mails and comments about how painful the waiting game can be. Once, I even wrote a post begging Human Resources people to be more considerate. But sadly, for many reasons, the torture continues and you’re still waiting.
I hope by telling you about what happens after a job interview, you might be able to relax just a little more knowing one week, two weeks, even three weeks or more of waiting can be perfectly normal.
Reasons still waiting after interview:
- Sometimes HR controls all communication and that means people you write to are advised not to respond to individual candidates. Why? It could be a mandate from legal to prevent any miscommunication. (A poorly worded response from the company could be construed as an offer when none exists yet.) Or it could simply be HR wanting to call all the shots. It happens.
- Someone critical to the process may be sick or called away. Why not work around the person? Well, they could. But often the company prefers to wait for the sake of continuity — even if that means you wait too.
- A key person may suddenly have been put on a top-priority project that’s taking all their time. Even if they said they want to hire quickly, the hiring process can get put on the back burner. I’ve seen this many times.
- Or a key person has been fired or quit and must be replaced first.
- The department is going through a reorganization — maybe again.
- The job is being rethought and possibly needs to wait for HR to approve a reclassification. Why? Sometimes they find a specific candidate (maybe you) whose skills are even more suited to their needs than their original concept. Or they find two people they like and decide to split the job into two different positions.
- Hiring may require numerous people who did not interview you to sign off on various steps of the process. Meanwhile, you wait.
- Sometimes it simply takes weeks to find room on everyone’s calendar for the next round of interviews.
Dealing with time after job interview
So if you’re stuck in the waiting game, try not to get caught up worrying about things you can’t control … like all the stuff behind closed doors. Instead know you’ve done your best. That’s all anyone can do. And just make sure you’ve sent a great thank you note.
After a couple weeks have passed, follow up with a polite e-mail and / or phone call saying you’re still interested and would love to know your status. You might even ask if they need anything else from you.
Other than that, you just wait. As long as it takes. So much happens after a job interview that you never know — or will know. Once I waited four months … and I was their top candidate!
Meanwhile, do what you can to keep yourself busy and diverted so you aren’t obsessing about the wait. Also … keep looking! Not only does the action help you stay sane, but you may actually wind up finding an even better job in the process.
Good luck finding the right job for you.
~ Ronnie Ann
[Post updated in 2020]
Some more posts to help
Please Help Me With My Phone Interview!
How to Tell If a Job Interview Went Well
18 Practical Tips to Help You Ace Your Job Interview
What Is a Behavioral Interview?
15 Things I Look for When I Interview People
After the Job Interview: Why Haven’t They Called Me Yet?
Stuck in the Waiting Game After 2nd Interview
What Is Being Overqualified for a Job?
Job Interview Nerves? Tips for Before, During & After
12 Ways to Stay Sane After a Job Interview
I Got the Post-Interview Temporary OCD Blues
What Is a Phone Screener?
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.
I have interviewed in a big company when i applied the hiring manager responded after 3 weeks for a phone screen, on the phone screen he said whether i would like to join his team but took another 3 weeks to get the interview scheduled. My in person interview with all 5 people went extremely well, all said this is a kind of a person we want. HR told before the interview that he will get back to me in 4-5 days. When i contacted him after 4-5 days he said i did really well but he don’t have all the feedback and the team is onsite for this week. when i contacted after a week the hiring manger is on leave for a week. I don’t know ..is it a No this wait is killing me.
Hang in there, Debra, and keep looking. It almost always takes longer to fill a job than the employer expects because of things like emergencies, vacations, meetings, and so on.
Distract yourself by continuing to look for a job elsewhere. You might end up with a better opportunity.
Good luck with your job search!
Susan
So, I need some help in figuring something out.
I have been on a massive job search and have gone to several interviews within the past 3 weeks. Out of all of the jobs I interviewed for or even applied to, there is only one in particular that I am truly head over heels for. I had a great first screening via phone. Then, I had an amazing interview in person. The interviewer (also my potential new boss) was very happy with me and said she would phone HR right away to get me to the next step. As I was leaving the building, I received an email for references and an assessment test from the HR person. That was quick! I completed the assessment and submitted my references by that evening and followed up with my interviewer with a very nice thank you email also including a recap of why I was perfect for the position. Then, the wait happened. My interviewer said they should make a decision by the end of the next week because she was going to be out of town the week after. However, I never received any status updates nor did my references receive any calls or emails. I started to give up, but I did send a follow-up email to the HR person. I then just let it ride and kept looking for other jobs. Today, one of my references let me know that they were contacted in which they gave them a very good reference. So, I checked in with 2 of my other references today and asked if they had received a call from a certain area code. They both said yes and both did not answer because they were busy at work or in a meeting. Unfortunately, the HR person did not leave a voicemail for either of them. They could not even call the HR person back because they had to know who she was and what her extension was.
My question is: What does it mean if they do not leave a voicemail when they call references?
I’ve scoured the web to find any existing information on this topic with no luck.
Please help! Thank you
Thank you for writing this article and providing information pertaining to ‘SCTTP’. The current job that I have took about nine (9) months for me to get. I had taken another job in this time period which they were working out a restructuring plan on their end.
My question may be related to over-analysis like Mobi. I recently went on an interview the second week of February. There was two phone interviews (Senior Recruiter and VP-PM) and four in-person interviews. Interviews process on this day was 3hrs. Each Interview talked to me for no more than 30mins. They all had extremely busy schedules. Each person thought I had a terrific skill set and I thought interviews went well with each member.
One Executive Director thought we should keep in touch in case something comes up in the near future and replied back to my email saying:
‘It was a pleasure to meet with you Jay. Keep in touch and wishing you the best of luck with this position’.
Another Executive Director first question was So have you decided which team do you want to work for?’ with a smile on her face. During the interview, there was six different compliance teams mentioned that I would be VP for. I didn’t want to single out specifically which team I would like to work for b/c I didn’t want to eliminate her group. I simply stated that based on description of each team and my skill set, I can do well on any team that would want me as a potential candidate. If I need to be a PM on all team projects, I can do so as well.
But at the very end of the meeting, she smiled, was glad to meet me and went to her next meeting?
My question to you: I know you weren’t in the interview process, but based on ED’s phrase ‘So have you decided which team you want to work for?’ means that I got the position?
Could you please give me your opinion?
Hi Jay,
As the old saying goes, “It ain’t over until it’s over.” And, while that comment was certainly encouraging, most hiring decisions involve more than one person. So, you may have a big fan, but unless that fan is THE sole decision maker, it’s hard to know what the final result will be.
This sounds promising, but I would keep looking. Just in case…
Good luck with your job search!
Susan