Surviving the Job Offer Waiting Game

You had a successful interview and feel good about your prospects, but it's been a few weeks with no word. You're starting to feel job offer anxiety. You wonder if maybe the interview didn't go as well as you thought or if the company decided to hire someone else. How long should you wait before you really start to worry, and how do you survive the wait?

The stress you feel from job offer anxiety is natural and might cause you to second guess your interview skills or suitability for the job. Don't let your first thoughts be negative, though. There are several reasons why an offer might be delayed and strategies you can utilize to make the wait less stressful.

Other Opportunities

Although it is tempting to wait for a job offer after an interview, the wisest thing to do is to keep searching and applying for jobs. The old adage "don't put all your eggs in one basket" is probably overused, but it is still smart advice. Looking for other job opportunities keeps you busy, and you might end up finding an opportunity you like even better or one that offers more potential for growth.

Different Time Frames

A lot goes into the job search process, and you're probably not the only person interviewing for the position. Not only does the company need to finish the interviews, but final candidates might require approval from a committee. Recruiters might also need time to perform reference and security checks. Job offers generally come after all these tasks are completed, so exercising patience is important.

Resume and Cover Letter Enhancers

You probably talked about the information in your resume and cover letter during your interview. Why not take the time to review and update those important job-search documents. Use the information you learned about the industry, the type of job and yourself during the interview, and use it to improve your resume and cover letter. For example, were there key concepts or keywords that the interviewer used during the interview that you can include in your resume? If so, add them in to enhance the document.

Inquire, But Don't let It Backfire

Following up after an interview is a necessary step; however, you don't want to harass the company about news of a job offer. Immediately after the interview, send a follow-up "thank you" letter. If the company gave you an idea of its timetable for filling the position, inquire once that day already passed. Sudy Bharadwaj, co-founder and CEO of Jackalope Jobs, recommends following up every few weeks to stay relevant.

Waiting for a job offer might cause some anxiety. Don't let your anxiety put a halt to your job searching process. Look for other opportunities, consider job hiring time frames, enhance your resume, and remember to follow up to make the hiring process enlightening rather than disheartening.

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