After the Interview

While the job interview is very important, what you do after the job interview is also critical. If you just sit around waiting for a call, you could be letting some other applicant take your job right out from under you. Be proactive!

After a job interview, you should send a follow-up letter. This is basically a thank you note that lets the interviewer know you appreciate the time they took interviewing you, and how very interested you are in the position.

You want to be sure to include the following:

• Sincere appreciation for the time the interviewer spent interviewing you
• A reminder of some points in the interview that you really enjoyed
• The hope that you will hear from the interviewer soon

The point of this note is to be respectful and appreciative. It is NOT to beg for the job. It is NOT to remind the interviewer of your qualifications. It is NOT to ask the interviewer to contact you faster or give you the job.

The pupose of this note is solely to show the interviewer that you are extremely interested in the position, and that you are the type of kind, respectful individual they would like to have working for their company.

If you do not hear back from the company for a couple of weeks, you could always call the company to ask for the status of your application. Just mention that you are highly interested in the position, and since you hadn’t heard back, you were calling to find out of the position had been filled. If it has still not been filled, you could politely ask to speak to the interviewer and remind them how interested you are in this particular job, and tell them you’re ready and willing to start immediately if they wish.

If you still don’t hear back, you should probably just wait, and spend some time applying for positions at other companies. If you aren’t able to get the job after the follow-up letter and the phone call after two weeks, you probably won’t. You can’t afford to spend time waiting around forever.

Preparing for a Job Interview

Preparing yourself for your job interview before you go is an important way to make sure you don’t screw up your chances of getting the job during your interview. While there may still be candidates that are more qualified than you, you don’t want to lose the position to a less qualified applicant simply because you didn’t do well in the interview.

There are a few key things the interviewer will be looking for:

• Confidence
• Explanations for any shortcomings
• Passion for your field
• Intelligence
• Responsibility
• People skills

You should work on these issues, especially one very important aspect. You need to be able to explain any shortcomings on your resume to the satisfaction of the interviewer if you want to have any hope of getting the job you’re applying for.

Let’s say you have plenty of experience, but no formal education. The interviewer is probably going to tell you that the company mostly hires college graduates, or they are going to ask you why you feel qualified for the position without an education.

You need to be able to explain why your experience, your drive, and your passion outweigh your lack of education. If you can convince the interviewer that you will be a valuable member of their company, your education won’t matter so much.

If you have a large gap in your employment history, you need to be able to explain why. Were you traveling around the world to get experiences that would prepapre you for the position? Were you taking some extra classes? Were you ill at the time, but better now? Whatever the reason, you need to be prepared to explain it in a way that will show the gap as a benefit, not something negative.

Finally, you need to be sure you can explain why you are no longer working at each of your former jobs. It is very common for interviewers to ask why you left your former positions. You need to be able to explain why, without looking like a whiner or irresponsible. If you were fired, say so. But give the interviewer a good explanation as to why you were fired and why you wouldn’t make the same mistakes again. Your honesty will be appreciated. You may have quit because you felt you weren’t happy with your prospects for advancement, or because you felt you could not learn anything more at your current position, or because you needed to move to a new area of the world. Whatever the reason, try to make it sound like a benefit.

Things to Omit from a Resume

While it’s very important to create a resume that is thorough and complete, it’s also possible to put too much information on your resume.

A resume should play up your strengths and deemphasize your weaknesses. It should be completely on point, and it should never offer information that isn’t relevant or useful.

We’re going to look at the top things you should omit from your resume.

1. Extracurricular Activities

Unless you’re applying for a position that requires a knowledge of chess, the interviewer doesn’t need to know you were a chess club champion in high school. Only mention extracurricular activities that would be related to your position of choice, and only if you are able to tell the interviewer why you believe this activity made you a better candidiate for the position you are applying for.

2. Religious Affiliations

Again, do not mention anything related to religion unless it is specifically related to the position you are applying for. If you are applying for a job as a receptionist and you were once a volunteer receptionist at your church, it’s fine to put this information on your resume. If you are applying for a job at a religious organization, it is perfectly acceptable to put information about related organizations you’ve worked with on your resume. Otherwise this information could end up hurting rather than helping. Remember, not everyone is religious, and some employers see a strong devotion to religion as a liability on the job.

3. Hobbies and Interests

The interviewer doesn’t need to know what you do in your spare time unless it specifically rates to the position you are applying for. If you have a winemaking hobby and you are applying for a job as a sommelier, this information might be interesting to the interviewer. If you create model airplanes and you’re applying for a job as a security guard, this information is not relevant and just wastes the interviewer’s time.

As you can see, you should generally leave off anything that isn’t job or education related, and anything that isn’t specifically related to the job you’re applying for. Don’t list a skill in painting if your job has nothing to do with this. Anything you add to your resume that isn’t specifically related to your job could hurt more than help, and if nothing else it just wastes the time of anyone who reads your resume.