What Happens After a Job Interview? (Steps Explained)

If there is one thing worse than a job interview itself, it’s waiting to hear back and find out if you were successful!

Knowing the process of what happens after you’ve been for an interview goes a long way to helping you manage the anxiety of waiting.

Here is (typically) what happens after a job interview in the time it takes to hear back if you’ve got the job or not!

What Happens After a Job Interview?

Keep in mind that there is no set timeline or guidelines for what happens after an interview, every company is different.

That said, there are some best practices that most companies follow.

In addition, I’ve been through enough interviews on both sides – being an interviewee and interviewer – to understand the process well.

In most interviews I’ve been a part of, the hiring team will meet immediately following the interview to discuss their thoughts on the candidates.

During this meeting, they may make a decision or continue discussing the candidates and schedule follow-up interviews if needed.

Once a decision has been made, it is up to the hiring manager or HR representative to inform the successful candidate and extend a job offer.

This process can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the company’s process and how many candidates they are considering.

The time it takes to hear back also depends on when their other interviews are scheduled for.

Sometimes there will be weeks of interviews scheduled, if you were the first to interview it could be a long wait.

As for what part you play, that’s just waiting to hear back and trying to not get too anxious or worked up about what happened in the interview!

So, to summarize the process of what happens during and after a job interview it looks like this:

• Posting the job opening
• Screening applicants
• Interviewing candidates
• Discussing candidates and making a decision
• Sending out a formal job offer to successful candidate(s)

Related – Here are some of the key signs that a panel interview went well!

How Long After a Job Interview Should You Hear Back?

There is no set timeline for when you should hear back after a job interview, as every company has their own process.

But generally speaking, you can expect to hear back within a few days to a couple of weeks.

This is something the interviewers should discuss with you during your interview, or it’s a valid question you can ask.

In the meantime, try not to stress and continue applying for other job opportunities.

Remember, the job search process is a numbers game and it’s important to keep moving forward!

Even if you have all of your hopes on one particular job, it still makes sense to interview for other jobs.

Not only does it increase your chances of landing a job, but it might also give you some bargaining power if you end up being offered more than one job.

Dealing with The Anxiety of Waiting for A Job Offer

Waiting to hear back about a job offer can be one of the most anxiety-inducing parts of the job search process.

But remember, there is nothing you can do about the outcome once you’ve interviewed except wait and continue applying for other job opportunities.

One helpful tip to deal with the anxiety of waiting is to debrief with a friend or family member about the interview.

Talking through your answers and the questions asked can help you gain some perspective on how you did and relieve some of the stress.

Although, for some people, this actually makes things worse as they stress over what they did or didn’t say.

Another helpful tip is to keep yourself busy doing things you enjoy and try to just push it to the back of your mind.

Again, this works for some people, but for others, it’s hard to not constantly think about it and check your email every few minutes.

At the end of the day, just remember that the outcome is out of your control and try to focus on other aspects of your job search.

Signs You Will Get the Job After Interview

Please don’t take any of these signs as a given that you are going to be offered the job, because no one can know that for sure.

However, some of the typical signs that an interview went very well are:

• The interview lasted a lot longer than expected
• All of the interviewers had questions for you and were engaged with your answers
• The interviewers were clearly impressed with your answers, experience, or something else
• You didn’t struggle to answer any questions and the interview flowed well
• It felt like the interviews went ‘off script’ and really got to know you as a person
• The interviewers were smiling and laughing during the interview
• They asked about your availability to start and what kind of salary you are looking for

Overall, if the interview just felt very positive and like a good fit for both you and the company, it’s a great sign.

But again, don’t count your chickens before they hatch as the hiring process involves a lot of factors that are out of your control.

I really hope you get the job you’re hanging your hopes on, good luck!

Related – Here are some of the reasons why an interview goes well but you’re still rejected.

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Image credits – depositphotos.com/stock-photo-back-view-employee-speaking-cheerful