Have you just completed a job interview? Maybe you have had several interviews recently, but so far, no firm job offers. We know that waiting for a response after a job interview can be one of the most frustrating elements of the process. You sit at home overthinking every little detail in an attempt to work out how it went.

Evaluating your performance in an interview will not only give you an idea of how well you did, but also highlight areas where you can improve in future interviews. Here are just a few areas where you can assess how you did:

Did You Do Any Preparation in Advance?

The worst thing you can do is walk into an interview unprepared. A good recruiter will be able to tell almost immediately if you haven’t done your research. Things you should have considered investigating include:

• The products or services that the company offers.
  
• The financial performance of the company.
  
• The future plans and goals of the company.
  
• The company’s competition and their industry in general.
  

Whilst looking at your potential employer’s website is a good place to begin, did you look beyond that? Taking the time to thoroughly investigate the company you wish to work for will give you the ammunition to confidently answer any questions that may be thrown at you.

How Well Did You Present Yourself During the Interview?

In our recent blog, we looked at what your body language tells a recruiter during your interview. It is natural to be nervous during an interview, but the last thing you want is for your body language to give this away. Think back to your last interview – did you do any of the following?

• Struggle to maintain eye contact.
  
• Smile excessively or not enough.
  
• Sit with bad posture.
  
• Have a weak handshake.
  
• Fidget.
  

If you know that these are things you do, it might be worth conducting practice interviews with a friend to try and teach yourself to overcome them.

How Well Did You Handle the Interviewer’s Questions?

With high application levels for most jobs, employers will only be looking for the very best candidates to take forward. How you handle questions during an interview comes back to how well you prepared for the interview. If you have done your research, you should be able to answer the majority of questions quite comfortably. However, in an attempt to identify the strongest candidate, an employer will sometimes throw in a question from left field to get you make you think on your feet. If this was the case during your interview, ask yourself if you:

• Were able to deliver a confident answer.
  
• Were able to troubleshoot and diagnose the problem under pressure.
  

Did You Follow Up on the Interview?

You might do well during the interview, but failing to follow up afterwards could cost you the job. For many companies, it’s important for candidates to follow up on their interview to demonstrate their enthusiasm for the job. A simple thank you can make you stand out from the crowd, but make sure you stand out for the right reasons. No busy recruiter wants to be pestered. Get in touch within a day or two, keep it short and sweet, and don’t be too pushy. Remember to pay attention to how your interviewer prefers to communicate: if they told you they never read emails, you know it’s best to call. Did you make any of these mistakes with your follow up? It could be why you didn’t get an offer.

Not getting any luck so far in your job search? Maybe it’s time to try a different tack. At People with Energy, we’ve placed candidates in fantastic new roles across the UK and around the world. To find out how we can help, please send a copy of your CV to cvs@peoplewithenergy.co.uk and one of our consultants will be in touch.