Debriefing Your Job Interview: Four Strategies to Create Value While You Wait

When the job interview wraps up, it feels like it should provide some sense of relief and reassurance. But unless you’ve gotten an offer on the spot, for many people this becomes one of the hardest phases of the process—a new period of uncertainty mixed with possibility.

You’ve laid all of your cards on the table, and now a different form of vulnerability can creep in because there may be much more at stake than getting a paycheck or advancing your career. A single phone call or email can have major repercussions for how you live your life. It can impact where you live, how your daily routine is structured, what you can do outside of work, and whether or not you can access important physical and mental healthcare. The waiting game invites you to hold space for hope while also making room for the possibility of disappointment.

A lot more rides on a job than just forty hours a week. So, before you lose yourself on the mental and emotional rollercoaster that can follow an interview, here are four things you can do to ground yourself and make the most of the post-interview experience, whether or not you get the job.

1.) Celebrate your wins.

I can’t reinforce the importance of doing this enough throughout the job search.

Humans are hardwired to be curious and search for answers. And, in a culture that constantly encourages us to identify what we need to fix or improve, it can be easy to begin the reflection process by spewing out a list of everything you would have done differently or better.

So, before you launch into what you could have done differently, start by acknowledging what you did well. Challenge yourself to list at least ten wins. Ten forces you to think beyond the obvious answers you gave and consider the entire experience—the preparation, interactions, conversations, and little moments that may be easy to overlook.

Your wins can be anything from, “Arrived 15 minutes before the interview and made the receptionist laugh” to “Perfectly delivered my answer about strengths and weaknesses.” Or, for people like me, it could be, “Successfully made it down the stairs without falling in those tall heels I haven’t worn in six months.”

List them. Own them. Honor them. You’re doing a ton of things right, but sometimes that can be difficult to see amidst the uncertainty and angst of the hiring process.

2.) Evaluate the organization.

It’s easy to feel powerless during an interview or job search, especially when your financial security, healthcare, or other important needs are at play.

But remember that an interview is a two-way evaluation. They are assessing your credentials and whether you’re a good fit for their organization, but you should be evaluating whether the organization, position, and people are a good fit for you, too. After all, you’re potentially committing a significant portion of your time and energy to an organization that can impact your life outside of work and the larger world around you.

So, revisit your list of must-haves and will-not-tolerate. Think about the energy and flow of the work environment, the layout of the space, the attitudes of the managers, the diversity—or lack thereof—of the people you encountered, and the implied expectations. Pay attention to things like negative comments about current or former employees or how people respond to the questions that matter to you. If a question about the quality of health insurance is met with a smirk or laugh, for example, that could have major financial or logistical implications for you or your family.

Not every joke, comment, question, or vibe needs to be dissected. But reflecting on what you did—and didn’t—see, hear, and feel can tell you a lot about whether this is an organization where you actually want to work.

3.) Follow up with intention.

Most people think about following up as the typical “thank you for your time” email or handwritten note, both of which I still strongly encourage. But following up can—and should—extend beyond saying thank you.

Honor the timeline and hiring process they shared. If they said you would hear back within a few days and a few weeks have passed, it may be time to reiterate your interest and check on the status of the position. Keep in mind that there is a fine line between professionalism and pestering. Coordinating interviews and the hiring process can sometimes drag things out, so sending weekly emails asking whether they’ve made a decision is probably a bit much.

That said, an unprofessional reply or blatant lack of communication after you’ve invested significant time and energy in their process can also tell you something about the workplace culture. Remember, you’re still gathering information about them, too.

However and whenever you follow up, think about what your message is communicating and how it might be received. Everything you say—and sometimes what you don’t say—becomes a part of your professional narrative. Make sure it reflects the professional integrity and reputation you want to carry forward.

4.) Invest in relationships.

Interviews can be goldmines for meeting like-minded people and professionals you might not have crossed paths with otherwise. So, regardless of the outcome of the search, you may have an opening to connect beyond the confines of the hiring process.

If you encountered someone who would fit well into your personal and professional network, consider reaching out to continue the conversation or develop a relationship. Professional circles can be surprisingly small, and you never know how maintaining that connection may be beneficial down the road.

That said, think carefully about the dynamics at play. Asking a hiring manager or member of the committee for coffee and connection while they’re still deciding whether to hire you might put them in an awkward position and make them leery of your intentions. So, be strategic about when and how you reach out. Careers have a funny way of coming full circle, and someone you meet during this search may cross your path again.

If you’re not ready to engage with them directly, add them on LinkedIn and follow up later on. A job offer may be the end goal, but it doesn’t have to be the only valuable thing you take away from the experience.

When an interview ends, it can be challenging to balance logic with emotion. But a job offer isn’t the only indicator of a successful experience. A hiring process can involve hundreds of applicants, but ultimately, only one person gets the job. And while you can’t control that, your power stems from your ability to control what you do in the moment and thereafter.

Every interview gives you new information. You learn about yourself and the organization, create potential new connections, and have a better understanding of how to move forward. Because when the offer or next opportunity comes along, you aren’t starting from scratch—you’re continuing an iterative process with more experience, confidence, and a stronger awareness of what you bring to the table.

Because you’re a badass, and not everyone deserves your talents.

Until next time, y’all, design, deliver, debrief, and keep moving forward.