We all know that the period spent for preparation for a job interview is essential. It is no longer enough to come up with a smile on your face and to be in a good mood. People need to be thoroughly prepared because the competition is fierce and every detail counts. It is also good to point out that we need to have a strategy that will help us understand how to behave before, during and after a job interview. Every phase is important and with the right strategy you can significantly increase your chances to get the job position you are interested in.
Before the interview starts you need to be well prepared. For example, you need to know more about the company and the way interviews look like, be prepared for surprises, prepare answers to some standard questions, have a plan to get there earlier, practice at home, be focused, know what to wear and be calm. During the job interview you need to show the best of you, to answer all the questions completely and even ask questions if necessary, be positive and enthusiastic.
Many people consider this phase to be the most important one, because the interview gives you the chance to leave an impression directly. However, the truth is that in many cases people who perform these interviews make the decision several days after the interviews are finished. They need to evaluate and summarize this process. In some cases there is more than one candidate who is suitable for the job position. This means that the process won’t stop once you are finished the interview. You need to have a strategy about how to follow up after the job interview. You can increase your chances even when your face to face conversation is over.
Once the interview is over feel free to ask what happens next. Don’t ask when you will find out if your are hired or not, but simply ask what are the next steps and when can you expect to get news. You can also ask for contact information or a business card. There are cases when you won’t need this, but it is good to ask.
It is also very important to remember the main points of the interview. You don’t have to remember the details, but you should be able to tell what the focus of the interview was. In some cases the company will ask you for an additional interview and this is where you can use the experience from the previous interview.
Sending a thank you letter is always a good idea. Simply use the contact email from the business card to thank the company for the chance to have an interview. If you have used the names of some persons for recommendation make sure to remind them.
Keep in mind that this process might take some time so be patient and wait until you are contacted. Finally, don’t be disappointed if you are not hired because you will certainly have another chance soon.