The Best Post Job Interview Strategy

Keep in mind that even though you may have had a successful and satisfying job interview, your commitment to winning the job must continue. Oftentimes several weeks, even months, may pass between the time you sat for the interview and the time a candidate is actually hired.

During that interim you'll want to take a few steps that will insure that you are remembered. Following is a strategy to follow:

Write and mail a thank you note in your own handwriting immediately after the interview is over—that very day, if possible.
Include a small information-type gift with the note. That could be an article, web site address, contact information, or a tip related to a topic you talked about while at the interview. It might have something to do with sports, hobbies, music or some other endeavor that you recall hearing about.
Show your interest in returning for a second interview to further discuss the job and your qualifications, if that would be something the employer would like. You might even mention an item that came to mind after you left that you now want to expand upon—perhaps a strategy for increasing profits, or running a department more effectively, and so on.

Building a Relationship

Think about the people in your life to whom you are close. What do you like about them? How do you keep their names and faces in front of you? Generally, people who are committed to remaining in contact, who ask thoughtful questions, who remember your interests are the ones you want to spend time with.

Consider these things when relating to the hiring manager on a post job interview basis. Of course, he or she is not going to become your best friend. You're in a professional relationship, but you can take small steps as mentioned above, to keep the contact open—at least until the final hiring decision is made.

This could take several weeks, perhaps even a couple of months, depending on who is involved in the hiring process. If this is a committee affair, then several individuals will be getting together to discuss the various interviewees. If you want to be one of them, keep your name and personality in front of the person who interviewed you, by sending a friendly note or e-mail every couple of weeks, referring to a shared interest and reminding him or her of your continued interest in being considered for the job in question.