Job Question

Updated on December 21, 2010
P.O. asks from Antioch, TN
13 answers

How long after an interview did you know or feel that you did or did not get the job?

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K.P.

answers from New York on

Usually within a week or two. When you leave an interview, always remember to ask "When do you anticipate making a decision?". If that time period elapses, assume it's a "no", but follow-up with a phone call.

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M.J.

answers from Sacramento on

Give it a month. It can take a while to meet with all candidates and make a final decision.

Also, be sure to send a follow-up thank you note after the interview, if you haven't already. It's a great way to make a positive impression and can keep your name top of mind.

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

It really depends on the job, the company and the circumstances as far as when you will hear.
Follow up with a thank you note mailed the next day and a phone call O. week after the actual interview.

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M.M.

answers from Chicago on

Depends on your field. A friend of mine works in the non-profit industry, and literally went for 3 months (and finally she had to call) before she found out that she DID get another interview. Took 6 months for her to get the job through the interview process. My understanding, since she had that happen several times, was that that's just how that industry works.

I'm in corporate sales. In my company, you'd know within a week. As for your gut feeling....I've had times where I felt I nailed the interview and found out that I bombed. And vice versa. So that depends on the company, how realistic your self perception is, and what the candidate pool looks like.

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H.V.

answers from Cleveland on

I'd say call them back and say that you're calling to check the status of your application and interview.

Companies like seeing some initiative.

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T.K.

answers from Dallas on

I usually get a gut feeling if an interview went well or not. They also give you clues in the interview. If they are running down a list of benefits then they are trying to impress you and want you to agree to the job. They might interview for another couple of days and if no better candidate comes in, they might call within a week. But if they are just asking questions and not telling you about the job then they are probably not all that interested. Either way, follow up around a week after if you don't hear from anyone.

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L.M.

answers from New York on

Usually after the interview I have a feeling for whether or not I was being considered. Often if your one of their top choices the interviewer may give you some type of clue. Also, you can ask at the end of the interview, "do you know when you'll be making your final decision?".

Of course, a lot can depend on the type of industry and company. Lots of times with a larger company a new hire needs to be approved by several people or departments and may take a few weeks.

In general, I would say wait about 10 days, and then do a follow up.

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

TOTALLY depends on the field in which I was working (I've worked in a couple). For some... the norm is 1-3months. For others, you'd better be ready to start that day.

Typically the larger the corporation, the longer the lag time. Which they also know... so they come up with a short list. Typically a large corp will not "approve" just one candidate but wants between 4-10 that are suitable for the job. Once they have that list they'll start sending out packets or calling 1 by 1, because they know that some of their applicants will have already accepted other positions. It also depends on how high "up" I've been and how many people need to sign off on my hire.

One of the things I love about being a writer is "collecting rejection slips". I save them and I have 2 that are framed. My first, and the first time an editor bothered to write on it, as opposed to just ticking the boxes or printing off the standard form letter ("Tighten it up." was like getting a gold medal in the olympics). But in writing, you either get a rejection slip or you get a sale. In honest work... people tend not to let those who don't get the job know.

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K.M.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Like everyone's said so far, it depends on the field. I work in state government and with the job I currently have, a month went by after my interview and I hadn't heard anything, so I assumed I didn't get it. Then out of the blue I got the call :) Sometimes companies are just slow to respond; sometimes they get busy with other work and hiring gets put on the back burner. If you really want to know, just give them a call and ask if the position has been filled yet.

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D.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

I pretty had a good feeling right away if I got the job. You can always send a thank you card for the interview. Normally,they will get back to you within a week or less. I wish you luck,if this a job you really want.Happy holidays

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K.B.

answers from St. Louis on

I work in government and I interviewed for the original job I applied for in September. I got a phone call for a second interview in November. Then got a phone call for an interview for an entirely different job possibility at the end of November beginning of December. Was told they were interested in hiring me for the job the next day and didn't get an official offer until two days before Christmas, for the job I didn't even originally apply for. Some places are just SLOW. I would definitely follow-up with them though after a couple of weeks or so. I even had to do that after they called me to tell me they were interested, as I hadn't heard from them for like two weeks about possible start dates, etc.

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M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

Depends on the field, the company (or Government), people, job that needs filled, contractual information, etc. With the job I'm in now and the one before, it was less than a full 24 hours, but my first two, it was a couple of weeks for both. So it really depends on a lot of stuff. Have you done a follow up call or email?

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D.C.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Depends on the place. You might get a feel from the interview. But depending on the job, it can take a while to hear back. The last place I worked, I would interview someone and know right away - this is the right person. But I wasn't allowed to say so because the company had to do a background check before offering the position and that could take a few weeks to get back. So even though I knew right away and as the supervisor, I wanted the person to start ASAP, I couldn't say anything until HR gave the all-clear several weeks later. It would take about 6 weeks from interview until the start date.

My current employer - I interviewed candidates on Monday and Tuesday, HR contacted the person that was the right fit by the next Monday, and they started 1 week later (2 weeks from the interview date).

Same field, same kind of position, just different company policies. It never hurts to send a thank you note as a follow up about a week after an interview though. And I would also encourage you to ask what the timeline is during your interview, so that you aren't waiting on eggshells every day if it is a slow company.

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