What To Do While Waiting After An Interview

Waiting for news after an interview can feel like the worst part of the job search.

Perhaps you felt you nailed the interview and, yet, crickets.

Or you’re afraid you flubbed it and wish they’d just put you out of your misery if so.

Either way, any word would be better than no word at all. You keep hitting refresh on your email and feel like there’s nothing more you can do, swinging between excessive optimism - maybe they’re taking a while because they are angling for a higher title on your behalf! - and extreme pessimism - of course they don’t want you, who would?

The anxiety and sense of inertia are intense.

As a long-time career coach, I'm a big believer in "staying in the driver's seat" while awaiting news. What actions can you take when you’re waiting for news after an interview?

Follow Up - But Mindfully

Assuming you sent thank you notes directly after the interview, excessive follow ups can move a “maybe” about your candidacy to a firm “no” so follow up cautiously.

In considering when to follow up, first and foremost pay attention to the timeline the interviewer(s) and/or recruiter laid out for you, if they mentioned one. (And if they didn’t, take note to be sure to elicit that information at the end of future interviews!) If they indicated that they’d need a couple of weeks, then show them that you listened by not following up within that two-week period.

This might seem like simple advice, but I’ve seen so many coaching clients get it wrong. Anxiety can grip us and make us impulsively write before it’s time, and almost against our will.

I once was on a hiring committee in which a candidate experienced seemed to experience this exact situation, letting anxiety overwhelm their best intentions. At the end of the interview we told the candidate that they were our first interview and we had four more scheduled over the coming weeks so it would be at least three weeks until we circled back. Yet every three days or so a new email popped into my inbox - and into the inboxes of each hiring committee member - asking if we had any updates, hastily and too casually written. The candidate had been a front runner after their interview, but they moved themself to the back of the pack in their anxious earnestness. The offer did not get extended their way.

Certainly when the stated period elapses, following up is a great tactic. But do it once and then let another seven to ten business days go by before following up again. Sometimes no news actually is good news - I’ve seen it happen with many of my coaching clients - so try to lean into that reassuring thought whenever anxiety swells. And then put your energy into more valuable actions, such as:

Channel Your Anxiety Into Job Search Activity

Whenever my clients are in the post-interview waiting period, I remind them that the best way to feel better is to put more “rods in the fire.” Instead of allowing yourself to be the passive recipient of your fate, be the person who takes charge and makes an even better opportunity happen. That can include:

1. Jotting down lessons you learned from this interview to strengthen your prep for future interviews. For example, write down particular questions that you stumbled on; answers you gave that were spot on and that you want to remember; and/or specifics from your past experiences/outcomes that you want to be sure to review next time.
2. Asking for new informational interviews. So many of my coaching clients halt all outreach activity after an interview “just in case” that particular job comes through. I say BONKERS to that because if it doesn’t come through you’ll be back to square one, which is a recipe for depressive thoughts and inactivity. And if it does come through and you have other opportunities popping, you may very well end up in a multiple offer situation that enables you to negotiate your compensation package way up. Personally, my very first action after I’ve walked out of having an interview for a role I want is to send an outreach email. Doing so reminds me that I’m in the driver’s seat in this process and presses the post-interview anxiety down considerably.
3. Considering if there's work left to be done to further strengthen your application materials (i.e., resume template, cover letter template, and LinkedIn profile). And note I say “template” here because of course the resume and cover letter needs to be customized to roles as they appear, in conjunction with solid networking around each open role.
4. Diving into professional development activity that could set you apart in future interview rounds. Use this time and space to consider a key question: what is meaningful output in my field and how can I drive it forward? Would publishing an article or doing a conference presentation be notable? Or landing a new client? Or gaining an additional credential? Identify what might set you apart from other candidates and use the anxious waiting energy to work toward it.

Use The Space To Strengthen You

If you're not feeling much traction on the career front, or have done all you can possibly do for the day, then while you’re waiting interview news, it’s a good time to stay more proactive than ever on the personal front. Doing so sets you up to be optimally successful once you enter your next job - whether that job comes from this particular interview or a future one.

For instance, what habits would you like to develop to support balance and wellness while you’re in the new role? Are you regularly exercising, meditating, and/or socializing? Do you have personal goals in addition to professional ones? Do you know your “why” to at least some extent? Do you know how to cultivate moments of meaning?

Anxious energy can be channeled in so many ways. It can be hard to sit still while waiting, so use that nervous energy to some tangible benefit, for now and the future.

Summing Up

All in all, while it may feel like the interviewer(s) and hiring team are in control of your fate while you wait for word after an interview, this isn’t actually the case. The most recent interview represents one of many opportunities - even in a tight economy - and with the right proactive stance, more interviews, and perhaps even better ones, are just around the corner.

Therefore, while in the waiting period use your daily actions to remind yourself that you're in control of what happens in your work - and your life - regardless of the outcome of this particular interview.