Table of Contents
First of all, congratulations on getting the interview. That means you have the basic requirements for the job and you represented yourself well enough in your resume and/or application.
So now you’ve had the interview and you’re not sure how it went. You answered the questions as best you could and asked a few pre-prepared questions of your own. But you’re just not sure. Will you get the job or not?
While none of these are proof positive, here are some pretty good signs you didn’t get the job after the interview:
The interviewer did not discuss next steps with you
If you’re in the running for the job, the interviewer will likely tell you what the next step in the process will be:
- Be invited back for a second (or third) interview
- Check your references
- We’re interviewing through the end of the week and then we will be calling back the top candidates
Sometimes the interviewer will explain next steps to everyone, whether they are being considered or not. So having the process explained does not necessarily mean that you will get to the next step. But NOT having the process explained is a pretty strong indicator that you will not be invited to continue in the hiring process.
The interviewer did not ask you any clarifying questions
Most interviewers have general questions that they ask all candidates. During the interview, if it becomes clear to the interviewer that this person is possibly a good candidate, they will ask additional or clarifying questions. For example, if you just talked about a relevant position that you held in the past, the interviewer would likely ask for more details or ask specific questions that relate to the job for which you are applying.
If the interviewer does this, it is not a sure sign that you will go further in the process. However, if the interviewer does not ask any additional or clarifying questions, it is very likely that you are not being considered for the position.
You don’t get very clear or complete answers to your questions
All interviewers expect you to have questions for them, about the company and/or the position. If you get only brief, not-very-descriptive answers to your questions, it means the interviewer is not trying to get you interested.
This is a pretty sure sign that you won’t be getting the job after the interview.
The interviewer gives you only a perfunctory description of the position
While it’s possible to go the other way, most interviews begin with you being asked questions followed by a description of the position.
I know I’m guilty of this: if an interviewee’s answers indicate that he or she is clearly not the candidate I’m looking for, I skimp on the position description. It just seems like a waste of time (mine and the applicant’s) to go into a lot of detail when I already know that this is “not the one.”
So, if you leave the interview feeling like you didn’t get a great feel for what the job is about, it is probably a pretty good sign that you will not be offered the job.
You can’t let any of this get you down
There are lots of reasons why you didn’t get offered the job after an interview. Yes, you want to be prepared and be sure to present yourself in the best way possible. To be sure you’re doing your best, take a look at How to Present Yourself at a Job Interview and What Not to Do in a Job Interview
But even if you’ve done everything right:
- There could have been a huge number of applicants for that one job
- The company may have posted the position but are planning to promote someone who is already part of the organization
- Even though you’re great, another candidate had a little more relevant experience
- Another candidate just felt like a better fit to the interviewer (we are all human and some people just connect better with each other)
The point is that you can’t give up. Because, when it’s the right job, you will be the one getting the offer while all the other candidates are wondering who was a better fit than they were. And the answer will be you!
