After taking care to fully prepare for the big moment, you walk out of your interview feeling confident and excited, hoping for a good outcome.
But maybe, on the way home, you start to wonder: Did the interview really go as well as you think? There are a few ways to tell whether you nailed your interview and deserve to be excited about a new opportunity.
The professional turned personal.
Most interviews are very matter-of-fact, businesslike and professional; the person interviewing you will want to talk about your background, your expertise and experience, why you’re looking for a new position, maybe a little about the company. But if all the corporate speak fades into friendly banter, asking about your interests outside of work, maybe the interviewer even shares some personal information or stories, it could be a really positive indication for your future!
The interview goes long.
Most of the time, when you’re scheduled to go in for an interview, especially if it’s a second or third-round meeting, you’ll be given an indication of how long to expect to be meeting with the team. It’s not uncommon for those timelines to go out the window if the interview is going well and you’re one of the final candidates for a position. The longer you’re in the room, talking with your would-be teammates or boss, the better the odds you’ll be asked to join them full-time.
Positive body language sends good signals.
In a strictly professional interview, where several candidates are in consideration, the interviewer might be a little more reserved and standoffish. But if you notice their posture relax, they become more engaged and engaging, nodding along, making comments and asking wider-ranging questions, that’s a strong suggestion they’ll be making a decision in your favor.
Things start to sound a little more concrete.
Usually in interviews, there’s plenty of overview talk about ifs and maybes, things are discussed in broad terms and overarching generalities. But if things start to sound more concrete, more specific, more detailed, if the phrasing changes to “you will be” and “your responsibilities include” and other things to suggest ownership and tasks pertaining to the job, it might be time to take your resume off professional networking sites.
The interview group expands.
It’s not uncommon for a first interview to be with a single person, like a HR manager, and for a second interview to include a few more members of the team you’re looking to join. If you’re introduced to more people through the course of a meeting, take that as a solid indication that they want you to meet, albeit briefly, your future coworkers, to get at least a preliminary indication of whether everyone will get along and if personalities will mesh. It’s also a tactic that can help your interviewers see whether others on the team share in their assessment of you, your personality and maybe your abilities. Do your best to remember names, or at least faces — you’ll likely be seeing them again soon!
Ready to make a change? See what jobs Sterling Personnel have available!
Interviews are scripted affairs, with things following certain predictable patterns and routines. There are rules of interactions and, more often than not, if you get one or more of these indications during your interview, odds are very much in your favor. Congratulations on the new job!
If you’re not totally sold on the offer, or if you want to test the waters, take a look at the jobs available through Sterling Personnel. We work with some outstanding companies that are looking for people with your qualifications and background — see what we have open and then give us a call if something catches your eye.
