You should do this as soon as possible after each interview, but definitely no later than the same evening.
This should be an "easy-going" review because your objective here isn't to beat yourself up and hurt your possibly already-wounded self-esteem. Keeping your spirits up and your self-esteem high are among the most important tasks of your job search.
Rather, you want to take an objective, non-threatening look, as if you are doing it for a friend's benefit, at what you did right, what might have gone better and, most importantly, how you could improve your presentation for the next go-round.
Which case history stories could have been expressed more forcefully, more dramatically, more concisely?
Which questions threw you off guard and how could you improve your answers?
Every human activity gets better from practice and since you're playing a numbers game anyway, you're not going to worry too much about how any particular interview might have gone. If you didn't get this job, it only means that it wasn't meant to be and there's probably something even better in store for you.
If you practice these easy-going self-evaluations after each interview, you will virtually assure yourself that bigger and better opportunities await you and, when they arrive, you will be ready with your best presentation ever.
Two More Points about Following up after each Interview
1. Don't dally in providing requested material or information. If your interviewer asks you to forward additional information or material after your interview, provide it as quickly as possible.
Many people in this world say they will do something, then don't. You want to jump at this opportunity to prove you're among the few in the business world who will actually do what you say you will. So do it in a hurry. Every passing day will brand you as less and less reliable.
2. Always follow up an interview with a letter.
How to Make the Final Cut (How to Get Invited Back for the Second and Third Interview, and Then Be Selected as the #1 Choice)
You'll hardly ever be hired for an executive position on the basis of one interview alone. But the dynamics of second and third interviews are somewhat different from first interviews. Let's see how
First, before any second or third interview, you should once again review all the information regarding first interviews presented already in this report. All of these rules still apply, plus a few more we'll now cover.
Second, you should realize that the odds of success are much greater in your second interview. About sixty percent of the time, when an executive is invited back for a second interview, he or she is virtually certain to be offered the job. So the very fact that you are invited back for a second interview is extremely favorable. But you're not yet a lock.
Success in the second interview actually begins at the end of the first. Before your first interview is over, ask for any material that you don't have: annual reports, product information, brochures, and catalogs, anything else that may have come up during your first interview. Then make it your business to study these materials as if the job offer depended on it.
In addition to your further preparation, map out your strategy for the second interview. Realize that since you have been invited back, you've made the first cut and have obviously done a number of things right. Figure out what these were. Think hard about why this company seems to want you and build your follow-up plans around the conclusions you reach. Especially bear in mind, and be ready to address, the greatest wants, desires, priorities and goals you have uncovered, and why you have such outstanding credentials for meeting them.
You can also assume that your first interviewer is now likely to be on your side and feeling a little more friendly, a little more comfortable about you. Don't be afraid to seek his or her guidance on how you can succeed in your follow-up interviews. Asking his advice will win him to your side even further, and if he's cooperative, he can give you extremely insightful guidance on how to succeed from here. Don't be afraid to ask him about the identities of the people you will meet on your follow-up interviews, and what each may be looking for in the hiring decision.
You should also realize that since you obviously did well your first time out, you now want to repeat the pattern with each new person you meet. Before your second interview, mentally review what you did well during your first interview and plan how you can repeat and build upon that performance.
Should you meet with a group, treat each person with respect and make eye contact with all parties.
Take no one for granted. Assume that everyone you meet has the power to turn thumbs up or down on your candidacy. Believe it or not, we've sometimes seen a recently-hired management intern, invited to sit in on a group discussion merely as a courtesy, make the most influential comment in turning the tide against a senior manager's candidacy.
Remember that second and third interviews go into more depth about the position than the first interviews. So be especially prepared to show why you are a problem solver that can help this company with its specific needs. But also remember not to use the word "problem" in describing the company's needs. Use "challenges," "goals" or "priorities" instead.
Also use the second and third interviews to ask questions based on the information you've already gathered. Ask questions about the nature of your role in the company, the company's commitment to your division, department or project, the opportunity for growth in your position, the scope of everything that this job entails and any other questions of concern to you in determining whether this position is a good fit for you as well as for the company.
At the end of each interview, make sure that each key "hiring authority" knows you are interested in the position. You can do this with the three-part method described above or, more simply, with a short statement of your definite and enthusiastic interest in the position.
When you are offered a position, don't feel pressured to say yes or no on the spot. In general, you should never accept or reject an offer on the spot. Accepting immediately can make you appear desperate. Feel free to allow yourself 24 hours and, if you wish, 48 hours to weigh the pros and cons and talk it over with your family.
However, as with all rules and guidelines, there may be an occasional exception, a time when it's clear to both you and the hiring company that this is an outstanding opportunity, that you both want the match to take place and have already talked through all the relevant issues. In these rare cases, when both your heart and head are screaming "Yes, Go for it! Take it!" Go with your judgment and close the sale on the spot.
