Looking for a job is hard work, but preparing for a job interview is even harder. You've got to find the right outfit, memorize answers to common questions and prepare witty responses for any curveballs that might get thrown at you. But once you've done all of this, there's still one question left unanswered: Did I nail it? Was my performance good enough to get me an offer from the company?
To make things a little easier on your nerves (and mine), we've come up with some tips for determining if your job interview went well or not. Read on for five signs you did great (no matter what anyone else says.
You didn't stress out too much.
This is the most important sign of all! If you're stressing out, then it's likely that your body language and voice are tense. That can lead interviewers to think that you're nervous or uncomfortable in their presence, which makes them less likely to hire you because they see no way for their work environment to make up for those feelings of discomfort (or worse--they think it will only make things worse). It also makes sense that if someone is uncomfortable when talking about himself/herself, then he/she won't sound confident enough during answers and may even give off an impression of being dishonest or insincere.
You were comfortable in your own skin.
In a job interview, you want to be yourself. You don't need to pretend that you know more than is actually true, or hide your excitement about the opportunity (or lack thereof). If an interviewer asks if they can call or email with any questions after the interview, say yes! It means they're interested in hiring someone who's honest and easygoing--which makes sense since those are qualities employers value most in employees.
Your energy was up at the end of the interview.
You should leave the interview feeling energized and excited to be there. If you're not, then it's likely that your interviewer didn't feel as though they got to know you as well as they would have liked.
To avoid this situation:
Be sure to smile during the interview! A smile shows you are engaged and interested in what is being discussed. Smiling also helps set a friendly tone for the conversation and makes it easier for both parties involved in the job interview process - yours and theirs -to relax into their roles more naturally than if one person were smiling while another wasn't (or vice versa).
If possible, try taking some time beforehand so that when it comes time for your big day at work things go smoothly without any stress or exhaustion getting in between yourself and success."
You were asked questions that showed they were interested in you and your skills.
The interviewer(s) should have been asking you questions about your skills, experience and knowledge. These are the most important things to them in determining whether or not they want to hire you. If they aren't asking these types of questions, that's a bad sign because it means they might not be interested in what qualities and abilities you bring to the table.
The interviewer(s) should also have asked questions about other parts of who you are: your personality; interests; goals; family/friends/relationships (if applicable). These questions can help give them insight into who would be best suited for this job based on what kind of person they see in front of them right now -- which might mean someone completely different than themselves!
You felt like you could be yourself and not have to play someone else.
If you left the interview feeling like you could be yourself and not have to play someone else, then your interview went well. You should feel comfortable being yourself during an interview because this is how employers want to see you. They want people who are passionate about what they do, as well as knowledgeable about their field, and willing to learn new things at work.
If there was one thing that made this job different than any other place I've worked before it would be...
If you don't get a job offer, that doesn't mean it's a bad sign or you did something wrong; it just means they see other people as a better fit for their needs at this time.
Don't take it personally. While it's easy to get wrapped up in the idea that every job interview is a referendum on your worth as an employee, remember that there are many factors involved in hiring decisions. If you don't get offered a position, that doesn't mean it's a bad sign or you did something wrong; it just means they see other people as better fit for their needs at this time.
Don't beat yourself up over the outcome of any one interview--or even several interviews if they're all happening back-to-back like ours were! You can always try again later on down the road if something comes up later on down the road and makes sense for both parties involved (that's what happened with me).
We hope that this article has helped you to understand what goes into a job interview, and how to better prepare for one. In the end, there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to interviewing well--just good old common sense! So if you're feeling confident about yourself and your skillset as an employee, then chances are good that you'll impress whoever is on the other side of that desk too.
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