Had a job interview today

[aboz56]

Since this was my first interview for a "real job", just wondering what the normal time (if there is one) to hear back following an interview.

 

By all accounts it went great as I interviewed with three different people and all of them said they would be in contact with me and were impressed.

 

Also, I sent two of them a thank you email this afternoon and was wondering if that was the proper thing to do as well.

[southsider2k5]

Always ask at the end of an interview about a timetable. To be honest there is no way of telling how long it will be as there is no way of knowing how many interviews are still to come, if there will be more than one interview, how many positions there are etc. Ask all of this stuff at the end of last interview.

[Gregory Pratt]

From what I've heard, you're not supposed to contact them too soon because it looks "desperate" but I've long wondered how true that really was.

 

I've also heard that, if you don't get the job, you'll never hear back from them. Otherwise, it should be relatively soon.

 

Hope you get it!

[aboz56]

Always ask at the end of an interview about a timetable. To be honest there is no way of telling how long it will be as there is no way of knowing how many interviews are still to come, if there will be more than one interview, how many positions there are etc. Ask all of this stuff at the end of last interview.

He said by middle of next week or around. Also there are two open positions and its been posted since late June so either 1) they haven't interviewed many people or 2) they haven't found anyone who they feel is qualified. One thing I tried to do was ask them questions specifically about the job and how they saw me fitting in.

 

Are there any clues that I should have looked for during the interview to let me know what they thought of me? Obviously they wouldn't say anything bad directly to you and I felt I got excellent feedback throughout. Two of them were VP's of the office and the other one was the direct hiring manager.

 

As far as contacting them, I just sent a thank you email and kept it very brief.

[StrangeSox]

Unless you completely blew away every other candidate, I would just expect them to stick to their timetable and call you next tuesday through friday.

[RockRaines]

Thank you email is pretty clutch. Also maybe a follow up call in a week if you havent heard anything. People love when you follow up. It makes you seem organized and motivated. It depends on the job, but sometimes 1 week, sometimes several months.

[NorthSideSox72]

Thank you email is pretty clutch. Also maybe a follow up call in a week if you havent heard anything. People love when you follow up. It makes you seem organized and motivated. It depends on the job, but sometimes 1 week, sometimes several months.

definitely - the thank you email or letter is huge, and don't be bashful about following up (just don't do it RIGHT away).

[southsider2k5]

He said by middle of next week or around. Also there are two open positions and its been posted since late June so either 1) they haven't interviewed many people or 2) they haven't found anyone who they feel is qualified. One thing I tried to do was ask them questions specifically about the job and how they saw me fitting in.

 

Are there any clues that I should have looked for during the interview to let me know what they thought of me? Obviously they wouldn't say anything bad directly to you and I felt I got excellent feedback throughout. Two of them were VP's of the office and the other one was the direct hiring manager.

 

As far as contacting them, I just sent a thank you email and kept it very brief.

 

Somethings I have learned over the years...

 

-I hate HR people. I hate the questions they ask, I hate the pretenciousness of they way they have to interview you. They don't mean nearly as much as the people you would be working for.

 

-I love interviewing with people who are from the areas I work in, because I know what they are looking for, and it is much more relaxed.

 

-Listen to the situational questions asked by the people who would be your direct supervisors as usually there is a reason they are asking it. Usually it means there is something going on, and they don't want to add to the problem

 

-Watch for red flags of a bad office. If you get asked a lot of situational questions, and not too much about yourself and what your skills are, there is something going on. Especially pay attention to the tone of the questions, and whether they are how you would react in a negative situation or a postitive situation.

 

-Engage the people interviewing you, especially the ones you would be working for. The more personality you can show, the more you become a real person to them, and not just another interview. They want to know not only that you can do the job, but that you will fit into the personality of their office.

 

-Don't be afraid to ask questions akin to why you should want to work for them, but obviously phrases much more professionally than that.

 

-Learn as much as you can about a company and try to tie anything and everything that you have done, to what they are wanting you to do. The easier a company thinks you will fit, the more likely they are to pick you.

 

-Pay attention to the follow up conversation after a question. The longer they talk about something, the better. If they don't like you, they won't waste their time, especially the supervisors vs the HR people.

[Chisoxfn]

Since this was my first interview for a "real job", just wondering what the normal time (if there is one) to hear back following an interview.

 

By all accounts it went great as I interviewed with three different people and all of them said they would be in contact with me and were impressed.

 

Also, I sent two of them a thank you email this afternoon and was wondering if that was the proper thing to do as well.

Definately the right thing to do to send thank you letter back (whether via email or real mail). It really helps seal the deal and make the interviewers think number 1, you got something out of it (I usually ask a few questions about the people that are interviewing me so that you can get an understanding of who they were, where they've come from and how they got there). And number two the email shows that you really are interested and willing to take some extra intiative instead of just waiting to see what happens.

 

Edit: I should have read the other posts and not just the top one. Ya, I'd expect the call back during that timetable. If you don't hear back by next Friday, just give a quick follow up call. If the interviewers seemed genuinely interested than I think your in good shape, assuming your resume and background is what they are also looking for.

[BobDylan]

Never.

 

Sorry Boz, I don't know the answer to your question. I hope it went well though.

[kapkomet]

Everyone pretty much said it.

 

I can add some stuff to Mike's list, but he pretty much came up with the major stuff.

[retro1983hat]

Also, with the current state of over cautious companies, I would expect at least two more rounds of interviews. Probably one with your direct supervisor and then one with that person's supervisor as well as some others you would be working with.

 

I once had an interview for a GREAT job with Allstate. They said they received 350 resumes for this one job. I had to do a phone interview, HR interview, supervisor interview, department interview, and a director interview. For the director interview it was down to me and another person ...... Damn it, I didn't get it. That's just the way it is sometimes.

 

Other tips I have heard is not to talk salary in the first interview. It all depends on your situation. If you really need the job, you will probably not talk salary until the end of the process or until they offer you the job. Whereas if you already have a decent job and are just looking for something different, you might want to ask up front so you haven't wasted a month of your time. Especially if you have had to come up with creative stories to get out of work for the interview.

 

Keys are to:

 

Ask questions.

 

Follow up with a thank you note and remember to include something you talked about in the interview that will make them remember you and you can highlight your skills.

 

Turn questions into a positive. If they ask why you don't have a master's degree, you may say that you plan to work on that soon, or highlight your experience instead.

 

Sometimes, it's just plain luck. But you will only have yourself to blame if you didn't do all you could to get the job, and didn't get it.

[SoxFan562004]

the thank you letter is key, IMO, always a great idea to send a short one, and if you forget to mention something in the interview, ie you know you have to take some days off in the near future, include those in there too.

 

If this doesn't work out for you and you have to go on other interviews, make sure you are not afraid to ask questions that are important to you. I agree with the previous post about red flags, but also make sure personal things are covered.

 

Don't be worried about asking about things like holidays, overtime, how many hours you will be asked to work, insurance... I know a few friends who feel those types of questions will scare potential employers off. I feel that if the job doesn't work for you, you will be miserable. Out of law school I jumped on a job because I was just excited to have one, and I hated it. I left that job in 5 months and when I found a job that fits what I wanted and am so much happier.

 

 

Good luck, and don't be discouraged if it doesn't come through, you have to keep on plugging sometimes.

Edited August 4, 2006 by SoxFan562004

[LowerCaseRepublican]

Wish I could help here but the only real job I've gotten (my teaching job starting in August), I was offered the position on the spot at the conclusion of the interview. Probably helps that I student taught with the teacher I was taking over for so a few teachers put in good words for me because we worked well together.

 

Best of luck with the securing of a job, Boz.

[DBAHO]

There was a really good thread about a year or 2 back about Interviews, and a lot of good advice in that. I had it added to my favorites, but then my motherboard decided to crash, hence I lost mostly everything including my favorites and links.

 

But good luck with it Alex. I'm glad since I've had a really good job for about 9 months now, working part - time and studying part time and college / university still, that I don't have to go thru that whole interview process again for a while.

 

The best one I had was a group interview with 5 other people I didn't know, doing a roleplay session in front of a HR person for 1 and a half hours.

[southsideirish71]

The only thing I can add to this is the following. Mike pretty much summed it up.

 

I always used a cover letter with my resume, and brought both to the interview. The cover letter personalizes you more than your resume does. Usually HR has their version of your resume. Sometimes they run it through a resumex system that crops it, and only prints what pertinent to the applicable job. But its always a good thing to bring copies of it.

 

I was always told to ask some sort of question about where they see growth in the position. It shows ambition that you take this as a career as opposed to a 1 year job gig.

 

There are times you wont hear anything back. The silent rejection I call it. Some of the HR departments handle the call backs instead of the hiring manager and they dont bother with notifying people with the bad news. Dont take it personal, its just a dumb way some companies deal with the hiring process.

 

Hiring processes can be quick or it can be drawn out with follow up interviews. Just be patient, and if its the right job and the right fit it all works out.

 

 

Good Luck Alex and I hope you get it.

[maggsmaggs]

What does HR stand for? Did I miss it in an earlier post? Hiring Rep?

[The Critic]

What does HR stand for? Did I miss it in an earlier post? Hiring Rep?

Human Resources

[maggsmaggs]

Human Resources

Thanks Critic.

[Brian]

Just show up, Like George Costanza did.

[DBAHO]

Just show up, Like George Costanza did.

"I got fired for having sex with the Cleaning Woman!!!!"

[southsider2k5]

"I got fired for having sex with the Cleaning Woman!!!!"

 

"Was that wrong?"

 

BTW, PM me Alex and let me know what you are applying for if you don't want to talk about it here... Maybe I can give you some industry specific tips, or at least point you towards someone who can.

[DBAHO]

Human Resources

And really not an industry I would like to get into, nor would many people I would have thought.

[southsider2k5]

And really not an industry I would like to get into, nor would many people I would have thought.

 

I'd have to kill myself if I were an HR person. Some people have the personality for it, and then there are those of us who just can't stand anybody

[DBAHO]

I'd have to kill myself if I were an HR person. Some people have the personality for it, and then there are those of us who just can't stand anybody

I get the feeling with HR people, you'd have to be pretty happy as a person if you wanted to work in that field. But there are just some people out there who like the whole people / interview thing.

 

But I'd probably give myself a week or 2 max if I worked in H.R, before I worked elsewhere.