Waiting to hear back after a job interview? 

Being stuck in the waiting period after a job interview can be nerve-wracking. 

You find yourself spending every free moment checking your inbox, wondering if they “found someone better”, and beating yourself up for how you could have answered their questions differently.

It’s an anxiety-inducing spot to be stuck in, especially if you really want this particular job.

We’ve all been there. Fortunately, here are three things you can do while waiting to hear back after an interview…

I’ll be sharing, 

• Where to focus your time during the dreaded waiting period…
• How to tastefully follow up and likely “get seen” as a top contender! and,
• My top habit & tool recommendations for anchoring in confidence and positive emotions 

Some of what I’m sharing, often, unfortunately, gets overlooked or written off as “unnecessary”, “cheesy” or “doesn’t work”. 

But there is a wealth of reputable research and information available that suggests truly great benefits can come from these practices, so I hope that you will feel encouraged to take this segment of the podcast seriously. 

LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED TODAY: 

• Click Here To Read The Full Transcription for this episode!
• Read Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier (Harvard Health Publishing)
• Read The Power of Visualization and How To Use It (Forbes)

Listen to more episodes here!

 

Three Things You Can Do While Waiting To Hear Back After A Job Interview

1. Send A Thank You Note & Plan Your Next Check In

In my opinion, sending a thank you note or email can go a long way with a potential employer.

I recently interviewed and hired my first official employee of the business, and as I was narrowing down candidates, the fact that my top choice sent me a thank you email that reconfirmed her interest in the role really gave me the confidence to move forward with the offer.

It also helped me keep her top of mind, and in fact the two candidates I was deciding between both sent me thank you notes, and that definitely influenced how I felt about them moving forward.

The second half to this step is gracefully planning your next check in. If you’ve been given a timeline by the interviewer as to when you should expect to hear back, make note of that on your calendar, and plan to reach out around that time or shortly after.

If you haven’t been given a timeline, plan to follow up via email in a week or two. Not only will your persistence and following up be viewed positively, but it can also help move the process along and potentially bump you to the top of their list as they are reminded that you are someone with strong interest in the position.

 

2.  Keep Applying to Other Positions

Without a detailed verbal offer in your interview, I personally feel strongly that you should not put all your eggs in one basket until you have a written offer.

I know that you may have a great feeling about this one interview and feel that it is the job you’re going to get, and it very well may be, but knowing the timeline of the job search process, I want you to have other options in the works in case this doesn’t work out.

(If you don’t have a sense of urgency to your job search, for example if you’re already employed and you’re not planning to leave your current position regardless, you can disregard this step.)

 

3.  Practice a Daily Centering Habit

Ok – this step is part distraction, part inner mindset work that is positively impactful in general; but especially helpful during times of uncertainty.

Here are a few beneficial practices and self-esteem boosting tools for taking care of yourself during the job waiting game, and beyond.

Journaling is a great habit that will help you gain clarity about the decisions you are making in life and work.

Daily Gratitude – choosing at least one thing every day that you are grateful for and speaking it or writing it down – is a practice that has been shown to help people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.

Meditation is a practice that can help you deal with any stress or anxiety that comes with the anticipation of whether you’re receiving a job offer.

And Visualization of yourself achieving your goals is actually something that can help you do it! Did you ever hear the story of how Jim Carrey wrote himself a check for $10,000,000 every night when he wasn’t yet famous? And then 3 years later he got the role in ‘Dumb And Dumber’ and got a check for exactly that amount. Visualization has been used in surgical training and law enforcement training and is a free tool that you can use to help yourself reach your goals.

I know that it can be stressful and overwhelming as you wait to find out if your dream job is turning into a reality. But remember that the fact that this job exists is proof that there are others out there like it. That is the premise of Abundance Thinking rather than fixed thinking. I recently told this to a family member when they didn’t win the bid on the house they wanted. For whatever is going on in your life that didn’t work out, rather than thinking, “I just lost my dream job, house, soulmate” etc., try shifting your thinking to the fact that this experience is proof there are more jobs, houses, partners out there for you. (This thinking then brought my family member to find and get another amazing house a few weeks later!)

 

Final Thoughts

The next time you are going through an uncomfortable waiting period, remember that regardless of the outcome, it means that a great employer wanted to interview you, and more will want to if this particular one doesn’t work out. 

As you wait, you can write your thank you’s and plan your follow up, continue to apply to other positions, and practice a daily centering habit to help you combat tough emotions and also help you attract what it is that you want. 😉

I hope this helps! I’d love to see you practicing one of these – if you do – Tag me on Instagram so I can cheer you on!