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17 Signs That You Aced The Interview or Not

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Written by Seun Oyediran

Aced the Interview

You gave a job interview a few days back, but the “uncertainty” of the result is killing you. You can’t figure out whether you nailed it or failed it. It is easier to deal with a negative result and move on, but only if someone tells you sooner. That wait after a job interview is simply driving you crazy. 

How should you tell which way did the job interview go? Are there signs that can help you make an estimated guess? YES. There are signs that you can look out for to know whether you aced the interview or not. 

Let’s look at the positive signs that tell you aced the job interview. 

  1. Second round interview request – Congratulations on passing the first interview round! You deserve a pat on your back. If you receive a request to come for the second-round interview, it is a good sign. It means you meet the core requirements of the job, and the interviewer liked you. Now, they want to assess whether you are the best fit for the team. 
  1. Call back after the interview to ask for further questions – You receive a call back after the interview to either share some more details about the job role or ask you about your comfort level with some aspects of the job. They are spending more time to get to know you better reveals they are genuinely interested in hiring you. 
  1. Small talk at the end of the interview – While a job interview is supposed to be related to your professional experience. Still, sometimes the interviewers ask questions to get to know you better as a person. If the conversation turns to small talk, it is a sign that they feel you are a potential fit.
  1. The hiring manager reveals the next steps – The hiring manager tells you about the next steps after the interview. Usually, hiring managers make further plans with strong candidates, so they are prepared accordingly.  
  1. The interviewer sells you the position in the second half of the interview – After asking about your skills and experiences, the interviewer starts talking about the company’s performance and future plans, why people love working here, and how the job role will contribute to the company’s success. All this suggests that the interviewer is trying to “sell” the position to you. The interviewer won’t be “selling” to you unless they intend to hire you for the position. 
  1. The interview goes beyond the scheduled time – Interviewers have a tight schedule. But, if your interview runs longer than the expected time, it means the interviewer is cutting into their agenda to talk to you because they feel you are the right fit for the job. That’s a good thing. 
  1. Request for references – This is an obvious sign. Usually, a reference check is done for serious contenders, and references are not asked until the offer is ready to be made. If there is a request for references, the employer is interested in moving to the next step. 
  1. Proposed to meet another senior member of the team after the interview – This is something not done to every candidate being interviewed. If the interviewer asks you to meet another senior member of the team after the interviewer, it means they are impressed with you. It’s equivalent to bringing you aboard the team. 
  1. You were escorted out of the building – Not every interview candidate gets this courtesy. Of course, not the ones that the interviewer doesn’t expect to see again. If you are being escorted out of the building, it means the interview wants to build a rapport and leave you with a good impression of them. It’s like they are trying to impress, so you choose to join them. 
  1. References are contacted – This is a very good sign. It means you are one of the top choices for the job position. They are taking up the reference check to reinforce their decision. 

Alright, maybe you didn’t get to witness many of these positive signs. That’s okay. Sometimes, we aren’t the best selves or external factors that hamper our chances of sailing through the job interview. Not to worry. There will be more interviews and jobs out there. 

Interviewing-Candidates

After reading these positive signs, you aren’t confident about the status of your job interview. Continue reading below. I have listed the negative signs that show you didn’t ace the interview and don’t keep your hopes too high. 

  1. Not making much effort to answer your questions in depth – If you asked a question but only received a cursory response. It means that the interviewer isn’t much interested in answering your question and isn’t too inclined to create a good impression or sell the job to you. This is a strong indicator that you aren’t getting the job. 
  1. The entire interview seemed rushed – The interviewer hurried through the interview questions or cut it short. This shows the interviewer does not see this interview as a value add, and he/she doesn’t want to waste your time or his/her. 
  1. The interviewer’s energy reduced after some time – Well, the interviewer was enthusiastic at the beginning of the interview, but after a couple of questions, you can feel the initial energy has drained down. This means your skills and accomplishments aren’t fit for the job. 
  1. The interviewer spent too much time on qualities that you don’t have – The interviewers want to know the candidate’s qualities that can prove to be beneficial for the job and company. You felt like a loser during the interview because the interview kept harping on qualities you don’t have. If you are feeling this way, how do you expect the interviewer to be impressed with you. 
  1. You never got a response to your post-interview email – Almost every single candidate who was interviewed for a job position sends a thank you email to the hiring manager. Most of the time, hiring managers respond to people they are interested in hiring. If they aren’t hiring you, they won’t be sure what to say to you, and also, they won’t want to get into any conversation that makes them look awkward later on. 
  1. The interviewer mentions they are looking into other candidates – If the interviewer considers you as the best person for the job, they won’t be thinking or talking about another candidate. The mere mention that they are looking into other candidates is a sign that they aren’t leaning in to hire you. 
  1. No mention of next steps – The interviewer didn’t tell you the next steps after the interview. “We’ll get back to you” is a polite way of saying you aren’t moving to the next stage in the hiring process. 

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