The job search process is incredibly competitive. With resume submissions, online applications, networking, social media management, and interviews, there are so many opportunities to highlight your value. And then it finally happens…you get a job interview and feel like you nailed it. The employer is talking like you already have the job, you sense rapport, and it appears that only the formalities remain before you land the position.
You wait for a few hours, a few days, a week...and both motivation and confidence start to waiver. You begin to wonder what went wrong and if you misinterpreted the situation. Sadly, there are many scenarios where we see job opportunities lost needlessly. Take a quick look at our checklist to make sure you don’t get left behind.
Check your Junk mail folder. An employer may respond to you with a job offer by email. There is no guarantee it will go into your Inbox. It is imperative to check the Junk folder daily to ensure that you are responding in a timely manner. If the company does not hear back from you, they are likely to move on to the next candidate.
Phone
Check your messages. This may sound like a simple recommendation. However, some applicants need to leave an alternative phone number, have limited access, are unable to receive messages, or have a full mailbox. Monitoring calls daily will ensure that you do not lose out to candidate #2.
Interview skills
Nothing beats a practice interview. You may not know how we are presenting yourself until you get feedback from someone else. This helps to address under confidence, excessive nervousness, lack of preparation, an inability to deal with situational questions, underselling yourself, and providing too much or too little information.
Get clarity from the interviewer regarding when you will hear back and when the start date would be.
Follow-up
Sending a thank note, highlighting your appreciation for the job interview and your ‘fit’ for the job can make a difference if the employer is having a difficult time choosing the final candidate.
References
Ensure that you have had current work references, they know what you have been doing, and they are providing solid recommendations for you. Ask what they would say about you, to a potential employer, to get a sense of how you are being represented.
Social Media
Be prepared for employers to research you online. How you conduct yourself on social media can be a deal breaker. Employers are drawn to candidates that are professional and display behaviour that aligns with company values.
Public Image
How you conduct yourself in public impacts first impressions. The world is a stage and you have the opportunity to decide what role you wish to play and how you want others to view you.
For more assistance with your job search, book an appointment with a Career Counsellor at EPC or check our Workshops & Events section for upcoming dates.