After an Interview: How Not to Go Crazy Waiting for a Call

Why won't they call? It has been over 3 hours since the interview, they haven't called? Was it something I said? I KNEW I shouldn't have told them that I play Farmville! Maybe they are going to make a decision tomorrow, I just need to stop obsessing.

Does that thought process sound familiar? I think the hardest thing to do after an interview is waiting for a call back. Sometimes it can takes weeks or even months before a company calls you back to either offer you the job or to ask for a second interview. Not to mention the ones that you just never hear from again. I think that those are even worse than getting a form letter or form email saying “Thanks for your interest in our company. The position is now filled. We will keep a copy of your application or resume for 90 days.” It is enough to drive anyone batty.

For me, the worst time I have ever had waiting for a decision was an interview I went to for a job I REALLY, really wanted. It seemed perfect for me and I had great rapport with the interviewer. I walked out feeling like it was a great position for me, that I would be amazing at the job and furthermore, that the interviewer was blown away with how great I was. I was on cloud nine, thinking that I would be getting a job offer the next day. The next day came, and no phone call. For the next two weeks, no phone call. I thought that I would go crazy. I kept replaying the interview in my mind wondering where I went wrong, how could I have so completely misread the situation. Happily (for my sanity, at least) I received a call back two weeks and three days after the interview and was offered the job. But still, how do you deal with the stress of waiting for a call back? Here are a few good tips.

• Breathe!- take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds and let it out. Relax. If they are going to call you, they will. It just will be on their time frame, not yours. Don't let yourself replay the interview over and over. If they don't call you, then that wasn't the job for you.

• Get some exercise- Going for a 20 minute walk can do wonders for clearing your mind and helping calm some stress. It is always a good idea to go outside a little each day anyways, and there is no time better than when you can't stop obsessing. If you are outside talking a walk, hiking, going swimming or doing whatever you enjoy most, you are away from your phone. Don't worry that you might miss the call, that is what you have voice mail for. Just don't keep checking your cell while you are outside, that defeats the whole purpose.

• Volunteer- If you are busy helping others, you will be too busy to drive yourself crazy thinking about anything. Volunteering is so rewarding, the simple act of feeling like you are doing something to better your community can help to keep you grounded and lower your stress level.

• Keep looking for a job- I think this should go without saying. Don't let a good job interview derail your hunt for a new career. It is tempting to stop job searching when you are waiting for a job offer from an interview, but the truth is that it may not ever come. Companies interview hundreds of applicants, and even if you did everything right and it seemed to go well, they still may have interviewed someone that was more qualified or they decided to promote someone they know from inside the company and the job interviews were just a formality. You never know what the situation is at the company, so keep up your job search until you receive a job offer.

• Write it down- Keeping a journal helps to give you a place where you can vent your frustrations and fears freely. You can write a short story about someone who gets revenge on the hiring managers that never call back, or make your hero receive so many job offers that they can't decide which to take. It doesn't matter what you write about, just let it all out and have some fun with it. You'll feel better after.

I know it is hard to keep sane when you are trying not to wait by the phone. Job searching isn't easy and it certainly can drive you right to the edge. Keep in mind that finding the right job is priceless and definitely worth all the stress and hard work.

Good luck! And let me know if these tips helped you, and feel free to share the things that have helped you keep your sanity when you were waiting for a job offer.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a freelance writer, contributing frequently to various websites and e-zines, a volunteer, a full time mom and an active job seeker.