From Interview To Offer
From Interview to offer is a repost. The original posted back in March. I have added just a little more information to help a job seeker who finds herself waiting. Enjoy!
For most of us there is a long “pregnant pause” from the time we interview to the time we are given a formal offer of employment. Mind you, the pause can be as long a day or a few weeks, but for most of us whatever the timeframe it seems toooooooooo long.
So what do you do while you wait? First, thing I would recommend you do, is occupy your time. Don’t sit and watch the phone. It’s kind of like watching and waiting for a pot of water boil - it can seem like a VERY long wait. If you have the luxury of a vacation day, go for it and go do something you enjoy doing.
If you can’t take the day off, then go to work and give it a 110%. Busy yourself with the things that are important to you. The definition of waiting is waiting. There is no easy way to wait for the phone to ring. But you can occupy your time with fun stuff, work stuff, mindless stuff, productive stuff or exercise stuff. Just stay busy.
That being said, how do you convert an interview into an offer?
First, you have to decide whether you want the job. How do you determine whether you want the job? You must interview the interviewer. You must know what you are looking for from your next job opportunity. Otherwise, you may accept a job and wonder why you are there.
Second, if you know this is the job you want, then ask the question in the interview - “When will you make a decision?” or “What are the next steps after this round of interviews?” Both questions will give the interviewer the opportunity to tell you what they are thinking. Some interviewers are more transparent than others. Either way, listen to what is being said.
If the interviewer tells you, “I will be making a decision in the next few weeks.” Follow that up with another question - “When should I expect to hear from you?” This will again give the interviewer an opportunity to telegraph his/her feelings about you and your status.
Third, it is critical that you communicate to the interviewer why you are the best person for the job. It’s not so important that you use the words, “I am the best candidate for the job,” as much as you must communicate it. You communicate it by the answers you give to the questions, by the words you choose to use, by your knowledge of the organization and your ability to communicate your past experiences that will determine your ability to be successful in the new position.
Tags: communicate, communication, darlene_mcdaniel, employment, exercise_stuff, formal_-offer, From_Interview_to_offer, fun_stuff, interview, interviewers, interview_chatter, Job-seeker, job_offer, Organization, post_interview, pregnant_pause, vacation, wait, waiting, when_will_you_make_a_decision?, work_stuffRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Post Interview, Preparation & Planning
8 opinions for From Interview To Offer
Jen C
Jul 2, 2008 at 7:11 pm
I am right in the middle of my “pregnant pause” as we speak! And it’s painful!
I could not agree more - distract yourself. If you have an iPhone or Blackberry, ignore it or you will be checking it every minute.
Personally, I’ve been crossing off my household to-do/to-fix list, the one that no one ever finishes.
And playing some Wii Fit; might as well distract myself and get in shape.
Hopefully, this will soon all be over.
Darlene McDaniel
Jul 2, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Hi Jen! Thank you for visiting Interview Chatter this evening! I appreciate your comment as well. Let me know when you can celebrate!
Pink
Jul 10, 2008 at 1:53 am
I am also waiting in this painful period.. can you tell me the typical time frame from interview to offer? if they don’t call you back after a week, is that a “NO”?
Darlene McDaniel
Jul 10, 2008 at 8:01 am
Hi Pink, Thank you for visiting Interview Chatter. The answer to your question depends on a lot of things. First, when did they agree to contact you with a decision? If they told you they would call you within a couple of days, and they haven’t called for a week, than it may be a “no”. But it depends. If they said they would call in a couple of days, and they haven’t, it is ok for you to contact them to find out the status. If they don’t take your call or don’t call you back, again, it could mean a “no”. When did they say they would call back? What type of job did you interview for? That may have something to do with why they haven’t called back. I await your response. Have a great day!
Pink
Jul 10, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Actually I am waiting for 2 responses, During the interview with company A, the hiring manager said he still have couple people that he needs to interview, and that was 2 weeks ago. And I interview with company B this Monday, but they did not mention the time frame, so I am crossing my finger hoping to get a call this week.
As for the type of job, company A is for Financial Analyst, and company B is Operations Analyst in a hedge fund.
Darlene McDaniel
Jul 10, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Hi Pink, Thank you for responding. For both jobs, they may take up to a week before you here back. They are professional level type jobs. Company A - You should definitely reach out to them. You will want to ask them about your status. Say:” I am calling to follow-up with you regarding the Financial Analyst position I interview for __________ (date).” then ask,”when will you be making a hiring decision?”. Wait for a response. That will give you all the information you need. They will either set up another interview or they will tell the position is filled or they will tell you they are still considering other candidates.
Company B - You can call them back too. What you will want to ask, AND you should never leave an interview in the future without asking is, “when will you be making a hiring decision.” Again, begin the call with, “I am calling to follow-up with you regarding the Operations Analyst position….” and then ask about the timing. You will always walk away with good information when you ask this question. Let me know how it goes.
Jen C
Jul 17, 2008 at 2:58 pm
I asked at the end of my interview what the decision timeline would be. I was told 30-60 days, which is painfully long!
I sent a thank you note immediately and also sent a quick note, restating why I’m the best candidate, attached to an industry article. I sent this about 10 days after the interview.
My question is - could/should I have any further communication with the hiring manager? I think the interview went very well and I want to be sure that they know I am very interested in this job.
With a timeline this long, not only is it torture, but is there any reason/need to let them know I am still very much interested?
Darlene McDaniel
Jul 17, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Hi Jen C! Thank you for visiting Interview Chatter today. You ask an excellent question. My recommendation is that you do contact them again within the 30 day window. Given such a long time frame, I know that they are aware that other opportunities do come up for potential employees. By communicating with them in the 30 day window, you are not only expressing your interest in the position, but you are also expressing that you are still available should they be ready to make a hiring decision. Did they give a reason for the long time frame?
When you call make sure that you let them know that you are following up. You can say something like, “I met with ______________ on _________ (date of your last interview). I wanted to follow-up with to determine where you are in making a hiring decision.” If they are not sure where they are, ask the question again, “when do anticipate making a hiring decision for this position?” You can also ask where you as a candidate are in this process. You can ask if they are still considering you for the position. You do not want to wait 30-60 days if you are not a strong candidate for the position. If is ok to ask if they are still considering you for the position. Please keep me posted. I would love to know the outcome. It is rare for a company to take 30-60 days to make a hiring decision unless it is a budget issue or they are terminating someone who doesn’t know they are being replaced. I look forward to hearing from you again Jen C. Make it a great day!
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