Image by aloshbennett via Flickr

After the undeniably stressful experience of an interview, it’s only natural to feel relief washing over you: relief that it’s over, that you’ve survived the ordeal, that you did your best and now the ball’s in their court. But before you relax there are still a few things that can enhance your chances of success and help you hone those all-important interview techniques for next time.

• It ain’t over ’till it’s over: just because the formal process of the interview is complete, don’t assume you can let your guard down. You’re still being evaluated – maintain your professionalism until you’re well outside the employer’s building.
• Contact details: get business contact details for each of your interviewers. Ask for business cards at the end of the interview, or call reception once you get home and ask for them.
• Say thank you: always send an individual thank you letter or e-mail to each of your interviewers within 24 hours. This is a great way to appear professional and courteous. It also gives you another chance to reiterate your strengths, and puts your name squarely in front of them again while they’re still making their decision.
• Don’t appear overeager: you want to look professional and courteous, not desperate. Send a thank you e-mail or a letter, not both, and avoid picking up the phone and ringing the interviewer immediately after an interview – it smacks of desperation.
• Review your performance: within a few days of the interview review your own performance: what went well, what not so well. Make a check-list of things you can improve on for next time.
• Keep looking: even if you’re feeling confident about the outcome of the interview, don’t stop applying for other jobs. Maintain your momentum, so that if this job offer doesn’t come you already have other things in the pipeline.
• Follow up phone call: although you should avoid the phone immediately after your interview, it’s perfectly acceptable to call and ask for a decision if you haven’t heard anything a week to ten days afterwards. Remember to be professional and courteous, and to build on that rapport you established during the interview itself.
• Don’t burn your bridges: even if you don’t get the job this time around, be sure to keep your options open. The successful candidate may turn the job offer down, or the company may be hiring again in the near future.
• Ask for constructive feedback: this probably wasn’t your first interview, and it’s unlikely to be your last. Whether you’ve been successful or not, contact your interviewers for feedback on your performance. What were your strengths and weaknesses, was there anything in particular they feel you need to work on? A lot of interviewers are happy to volunteer this information if asked, and it can do wonders to improve your interview technique for the future.

If you get the job, congratulations! If not, remember there’s always the next time, and by applying what you’ve learnt this time around, you’ll be in an even stronger position to succeed.