You spend days preparing for that all important interview. You put on your best outfit, give it your all, and leave feeling just a little big smug knowing that you’ve completely smashed it.
You’re expecting that offer phone call at any stage now but then…
Nothing. Zilch. Zero. Nada.
Getting no response after a job interview can be nothing short of soul-destroying. But that doesn’t mean that you just have to accept it. Here’s what you need to do if you nail your job interview but then get the silent treatment.
Ask for a timeline
During the interview process, you should always ask the hiring manager when they are planning to offer someone the job. A good time to do this is when the interviewer asks if you have any questions, usually at the end of the interview. This will save you spending a lot of time sitting by the phone.
Follow up
Once the timeline has expired, wait a day or two before following up with the company. Always remain polite and courteous. You might be tempted to bombard them with multiple emails explaining just how perfect you are for the role but when it comes to these ”check-in” emails less is always more.
It’s a good idea to also include any material that might support something you discussed in the interview whether that’s an interesting blog post or an example of your previous work. I recommend sending one email every 10 days until you get a response.
Go with your gut
Choose a deadline date. If you haven’t heard back from your interviewer within that period then it’s probably time to call it quits. You’ll know when enough is enough. Always listen to your gut feeling.
Don’t take it personally
If you don’t hear back from an interviewer then it reflects badly on them, not on you. Maybe another candidate had more experience or maybe they have decided to fill the role internally. Regardless of the circumstances, it’s important that you do not take the rejection to heart. Don’t second-guess your worth as a job candidate. The right job will come along.
Reflect
If you still haven’t got an answer after chasing the company then there is a chance that you might have been unsuccessful. If so, it’s a good time to reflect on the process and try to figure out where you went wrong. Did you give yourself adequate time to prepare for the interview? Were there any questions that you struggled to answer? Mulling over your interview can give you a chance to assess your performance and find out the areas that you need to improve on.
