Want To Know How Your Interview Went? Think Of It Like A First Date…

Job interviews are a lot like first dates –in that they’re nerve-wracking and can be incredibly stressful. Except with a job interview the stakes are usually a lot higher. You have approximately 15 minutes to an hour to sell yourself and convince the interviewer that they should commit to a long-term relationship with you. Any mistake or failure to communicate who you are could result in rejection.

No wonder so many people rate job interviews as a top dreaded experience, right up there with public speaking and meeting your future mother-in-law. Prepping for an interview –practicing your answers, updating your portfolio, and picking the right outfit –can help you make the right impression. But what happens when you leave the interview and you just aren’t sure how it went?

Don’t spend hours agonizing over everything you said or forgot to say. Odds are, that will just make you highlight the low points in your head. As strange as it may sound, it may do some good to think back on your interview as if it were a first date. After all, what you really want to know is if you left an impression that will get you that call back. Read below for some signs that you might be "the one" in the eyes of your most recent interviewer.

They Show Genuine Interest in You

Did the person or people interviewing you actually read your resume before you arrived? Did they contact your references, or ask for them at the end of the interview? If you brought a portfolio, did they take time to really look through it and ask you questions about the contents? All of these things show that an employer is really considering who you are, what you can do for their organization, and how you would fit in with the team.

You can usually tell if a person is showing a genuine interest in getting to know you. On the other hand, if they barely glance at your credentials and seemed to be just going through the motions, you might not hear from them again.

They Want You to Meet “The Family”

Depending on the position you’re after, your interview may have been with one, three, or more people. But if after the interview, you were introduced to even more employers this could be a good sign. Interested employers want to know how you’ll get along with the rest of the team.

If the person interviewing you calls in other high ranking employees to talk to you, this means they are considering hiring you and want to know what the other bosses think.

They Have Positive Body Language

Have you ever been on a date with someone who obviously wasn’t interested? Maybe they looked around the room or down at the table while you were talking. They hardly asked you any questions about yourself and just didn’t seem interested in getting to know you as a person. You can tell a lot about how your interview went based on the interviewer’s body language. If you remember them smiling and nodding a lot, that’s a good sign. On the other hand, if the potential employer looked bored or disinterested, that call back might not be forthcoming.

They Talk Up the Position

Did the person who interview you spend time talking about how great the position is? You spend the majority of your time in an interview trying to convince your potential employer to pick you. But if you noticed at some points the tables were turned and you were the one being convinced, that’s a great sign.

An interested boss wants to sell the position to you. They’ll want you to be excited to join the team. And they’ll want to know that you’re sufficiently pleased to take the offer and motivated to do well.

They Move Beyond Interviewing

If you ended up discussing your favorite vacation spots or laughing about silly things your kids have done, then your interview probably went well. Talking about personal things means you made a connection. If your potential boss was willing to drop the strict routine and have a laugh or share a personal anecdote, this means she or he liked you.

Having a good working relationship is important. Many employers are motivated to hire someone who gets along easily with others, in addition to being able to handle all of the other aspects of the position.

They Ask to See You Again

If a date ends and you didn’t get asked on the second, then don’t hold your breath waiting. The same can be said for a job interview. If an employer is truly interested in you, then you’ll be told when to expect to hear back. If the interviewer doesn’t say anything or says “we’ll be in touch” but doesn’t say when, that’s usually a bad sign.

If interested, the interviewer will question you on your exact availability. They will want to know when you can get started. They’ll also want you to know they’re serious in case you have other offers you’re considering.

They Get Back to You Right Away

It’s not uncommon for an interviewer to tell you you’ll hear from them in a few days. And even if they don’t offer you the job right on the spot, it doesn’t mean they don’t want you. Sometimes employers are directed to interview a certain minimum number of people before making a hiring choice.

In addition, some organizations have very complex and lengthy hiring processes for new employees, especially those coming in to high positions. That said, when an employer recognizes you as a great candidate for the position, they’ll want to snatch you up before someone else gets you.

So What Should You Do While You Wait?

Don’t sit by your phone waiting for that interviewer to call you back. Get out and apply at other jobs you’re interested in while you wait. It’s always a good idea to have options. Even if you think this is your dream job, other opportunities may led you to even bigger and better things. It doesn’t hurt to bring in the dating analogy one more time here and say that when interviewing for a job, its best to play the field a little before settling down.