In this guide, we’re going to discuss eight signs an interview went well. These may signal you are going to advance to the next stage of the interview process.
“How did I do in my job interview?” is one of the top questions you may find yourself thinking about after you complete an interview.
Perhaps you think that you nailed the question on your greatest strengths and weaknesses. But you also feel like you may have slipped up on the question about why you applied for the job. How can you know whether your interview went well?
It’s impossible to know how your interview went until you hear back from the company. But there are a few indicators you can use to get a better sense of your standing.
8 Signs an Interview Went Well
#1: Your interviewer used positive affirmations
During your interview, did the interviewer use any positive affirmations? If so, this can be a good signal that they are impressed with you and your experience and is one of the best signs an interview went well.
There are a few affirmations you can look out for. If an employer used positive responses like “Great answer” or “That is exactly the skill we are looking for,” it’s a good sign.
In addition, if an interviewer seems enthusiastic about your candidacy, then it is a good sign that you have adequately impressed them. Did the interviewer nod their head, or appear really engaged with your conversation? If so, you could be on a good track.
#2: The interviewer tries to sell you the job
In a job interview, the interviewer will spend some time walking through the day-to-day duties and responsibilities of the job for which you have applied.
However, if you notice that the employer is trying to sell you the job, then it is a good sign you have made a strong impression.
If an employer was not impressed with you, would they be making such an effort to convince you of why the job is right for you?
#3: The interview runs on longer than scheduled
If your job interview lasts longer than planned, it could be a sign that you have done a great job in your interview.
When you walk out of the interview room—or end the interview call—take note of how long the engagement took. Did it last as long as scheduled, or did it go on for longer than you initially expected?
If an interview goes on longer than expected, it is a sign your responses engaged them. Thus, they wanted to spend more time learning about who you are and how you can help their business reach their goals.
#4: They introduce you to different people
During your phone interview, you will hear about what the next steps look like for your candidacy. For instance, they may call you in for a second interview in front of a few interviewers.
If you walk into an interview room and everyone who the interviewer promised would be there shows up, it is a good sign that the company is interested. If they were not confident in you, they likely would not want to dedicate so many team members to the interview.
In addition, if they introduce you to people who you were not expecting to meet, you can take that as a good sign. If the interviewer says “Give me a minute to get the VP of Marketing,” they are clearly impressed and want to hear what other team members think.
#5: They discuss your start date
If your interviewer brings up your start date, it is a good sign they are impressed with you.
The interviewer could ask “When is the earliest that you could join us?” Or they might ask “If we were to offer you this position, how soon would you be able to start?” These questions may signal that an employer is thinking about offering you the job. After all, before they extend an offer they will need to know how soon you are available.
If they ask how soon you can start, inform the employer of how much notice you need to give to your existing employer, if necessary.
#6: They ask if you are thinking about other jobs
There are a couple of ways an employer could bring this up. For instance, you could be asked “How is your job search going?” or “Are you considering any other job opportunities at this time?”
If they ask whether you are considering other jobs, it is a sign that the interviewer is eager to secure you as a candidate. These questions will help them measure whether there is any competition for you elsewhere.
If they ask you this question toward the end of an interview, it usually means that the employer is starting to think about next steps. This is a positive sign toward the end of an interview.
#7: They discuss next steps
How did your interview end? Did the hiring manager say that they would “be in touch,” or did a discussion start about the culture at the business?
If your interview ends with a discussion about culture or start dates, then you can take that as a sign that the interviewer was impressed by you. Also, if the interviewer starts to discuss next steps, then there is a good chance you have piqued the interest of the interviewer.
Toward the end of your interview, you may be asked to meet with another member of the team. Or, you may be told to expect an email about next steps after the interview. These are all signs that the employer wants to keep the discussion going.
#8: They speak about you like you are already part of the team
Interviews usually stick with non-committal vocabulary like “if we hired you for this job, you would be doing…” or “the person hired for this position will work for…” This is to avoid getting the hopes up of an applicant, especially at an early stage of the hiring process.
If you are approaching the end of the hiring process, and they are speaking like you are part of the team, it is a good sign that you have impressed the employer.
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The interviewer may say something like “this is what you can expect as an employee here…” or “after your HR onboarding, you’ll be introduced to the rest of your team.” These are subtle indicators that a business is thinking about you not as a candidate, but as a prospective employee who could be joining them soon.
Conclusion
While you will not know for sure whether an interview has gone well until you hear back from the company, there are a few signs an interview went well.
The signals that we have discussed in this article will help you evaluate whether your job interview went well before you hear back from the company. But, if you didn’t notice any of these signals, don’t worry!
These signals may have come up in your interview, but you may not have noticed them because you were so focused on answering the interviewer’s questions. Or the interviewer may have had their own tone that does not fit in with any of these signals.
After all, the signals discussed in this article are subjective—they are nice to see in an interview, but they are not necessarily indicative of you getting the job! With that said, the more of these signals you see, the more likely you may be to receive a positive response regarding your next steps instead of a rejection email.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
