What Does the Interviewer Think About You?

Nancy Anderson
Posted by in Career Advice


Waiting a long time to hear about the great job you interviewed for can be a nerve-wracking experience. You replay the face time in your head over and over to review what may have gone wrong and if you impressed the job interviewer. How do you determine whether or not you had a successful interview?

Watch for several signs throughout the process that the recruiter, hiring manager or your future boss really like you for the position. Just as the job interviewer watches your every move and notices cues from your attitude, you can do the same thing while answering questions and discussing your potential job.

Observe the other person's body language. Positive body language includes consistent eye contact, leaning forward and an upbeat attitude throughout the entire meeting. When ob interviewers have closed body language, lean back or has their arms crossed, that may indicate less-than-stellar news.

Note the length of time spent within the meeting. If you were scheduled 15 minutes but left 30 minutes later, that means your future boss wanted to know more about you. Hiring managers don't waste time on candidates that don't impress them because their time is valuable.

After the question and answer session ends, see if your job interviewer takes you on a tour of the place to meet everyone. This is because the HR manager wants to get other people's opinions about you as a future co-worker.

When interviewers become talkative, focus on the task at hand and answer your questions thoughtfully and directly, these are good signs they are interested in your ideas. Does the person sitting across from you ignore phone calls and email alerts or take a few minutes to expound upon your question about future growth? Measure your successful interview by the amount of talking everyone else does about your position.

Speaking to you openly and honestly takes several forms. Pay attention to jokes and personal comments that go beyond normal interview questions. The interviewer may even discuss past problems with your predecessor to see if you can handle any potential difficulties. This means the recruiter thinks you are more than able to fulfill the company's requirements.

The job interviewer may willingly discuss long-term goals, your availability and a compensation package. These talking points indicate your future boss is serious about your work at the company and doesn't want to lose you to another opportunity.

The end of the conversation clinches it for you. See if the hiring manager tells you about the next step in the process. As you leave, note if the people who just grilled you walk you to the lobby and keep talking to you on the way out.

Waiting to hear about a position doesn't have to include an intense examination of what occurred during your time in the pressure cooker. Simply be mindful of what the job interviewer does to ascertain your chances of landing the job. If the other people in the room were relaxed and attentive, you can also share the same attitudes moving forward.

 

Photo courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Sandra have you followed up with the company? Did you send a thank you note after the interview? Did you call them to find out the status of the position? Don't let them get away with it - keep on top of it... nicely, of course. You don't want to harass them but you do want to know the final results. If you did not get the position, ask why. Let them know that their response will be valuable information that will help you on your next interview. For instance, maybe your scores were too low. In that case you would know that you need to bone up on your math and data entry skills. Any feedback will help you move forward. Ask when they are going to make a decision about the position and if you can call them at that time. 10 yrs ago employers were beating down doors to get great candidates but today, they get thousands of resumes for one position. It can be overwhelming for them, too. So try to do follow ups on all interviews and maybe there will be a common thread that can help you better prepare for the next interview. I wish you all the best.

  • sandra villalta
    sandra villalta

    I have a recruiter who test me in math and data entry them she gave me a small interview and she said she just there to test the candidates and give the list to HR and will call the people are select we still doing interviews will be in an week the time past don't phone calls or any knowledge if you did ok or not? in other words every interview I go they said the same thing thank you for your interested about our positions and we still interviewing.!!

  • sandra villalta
    sandra villalta

    I have few interviews like this the discuss your resume tell you about the company policy and around it. Then they ask about your self. and the end they said well we still interviewing for the next week and we will make our decision.

  • ELSAYED M.
    ELSAYED M.

    very good I like it

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Don - this is very true. Many companies today will do a phone chat first - just to get a feel for who you are and if you were honest on your resume. Although you can't see the person, you can still get cues just by the tone of their voice. You can usually tell if someone is smiling or not just by listening to them. Now a days many interviewers will schedule a Skype or Facetime interview as the next step before bringing you in for an in-person interview. Something to be prepared for. Good luck.

  • Don D.
    Don D.

    All so true about face to face interviews. Most of my interviews with large corporations have been by conference phones or bridgelines. I lose the non-verbal clues, but the next step in the process is usually discussed If you are going forward....

  • SURENDRA A.
    SURENDRA A.

    Who is working about 20 years never nerve in facing any interview because he can reply with confidence.

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