In an ever-competitive job market, the follow-up to your interview is absolutely crucial. If you slack at this stage, it could cause you to lose out to another candidate.

1. Note what went well and…

We must start by finding ways to improve our performance by first noting what went well in the interview. Note down five or six things that you are happy with in your performance. These may include turning up on time, paying attention to the questions asked, answering the questions, deploying your key value-add messages, and so on. Once you’ve done that, perhaps reflect on one or two things that you could improve for next time.  This is important because every interview is useful to your personal development. Therefore, make sure you allow yourself to learn from each interview, by noting what you would change for next time. This is also important if there is a further round of interviews for this position.

2. Write salient notes about the key points covered

Make a note of the company, the date in time, the person you met with, and their position within the organisation. Note down the key topics of conversation - the questions you were asked and briefly, your answers. Give yourself a score on a scale of 1-10 of how well you feel you answered those questions. This is especially important if you are interviewing with a number of different companies at the same time, and if this is one of a series of interviews with the same company.

3. Write a post-interview thank you email

It is recommended to at the very least, send a thank-you email within 24 hours of the interview. A handwritten thank you note or card is a personal touch that might help you stand out amongst the crowd of other applicants. It might seem outdated, but this has only increased the value of the handwritten thank-you. If relevant, you could include a link to an article or website relating to a topic mentioned at interview; this could help stress your interview expertise. You could also use your thank you note to modify, correct or amplify one of your responses.

4. Diarise follow-up

As the interview closes, it is appropriate for you to ask what the next steps will be. If they say something along the lines of, “We’ll be in touch”, it is also appropriate for you to ask for a broad timeline, and permission to follow-up if you haven’t heard from them. Put the date in your diary by which time you should have heard from them, and feel free to call or email if that deadline passes.

5. What are concurrent job options

Consider what other jobs you are pursuing concurrently and be cautious about putting all your eggs in one basket, by pursuing just one job at a time. This may give you a sense of neediness or desperation that this one option is successful. I would suggest that you try and pursue two, maybe three, positions at any one time. This will give you a sense of abundance and therefore, you will come across a lot better in your interviews.