Improve Your Interview Performance with Post-interview Analysis

Every time you go on an interview - whether you are right for the job or the job is right for you - you have an opportunity to learn, to grow, and further develop your interviewing skills. There are several areas you should evaluate immediately following each interview. Here are the key factors to evaluate and some critical questions you should ask yourself.

The Employer's Overall Impression of You
When thinking about your performance in this area you are evaluating how well you made your first impression with everyone at the company. Keep in mind that your professional impression starts long before the first interview. In order to evaluate your performance here, ask yourself:

• Did you arrive too early or late?
• Were you polite and professional with everyone at the company (receptionist, parking attendant, etc.)?
• Did the employer provide any feedback - positive or negative - about your resume?
• Were you dressed appropriately for the company's culture?
• Did  you have adequate knowledge of the company's culture, mission, products, competition, etc. to answer why you want to work for them?
• Should you have brought additional information (samples, letters, resume copies, etc.)?

Questions They Ask You
It is very important to evaluate how well you answered the questions you were asked in the interview. One of the key concerns of interviewees is that you don't know what questions will be asked. Analyzing the questions, and your responses, directly after each interview will help you feel prepared for any question. Evaluate the following:

• Did you use the STAR method when answering the questions that required an example?
• What questions were the most difficult for you to answer?
• What questions did you answer most effectively?
• Did you come across as unsure of yourself, confident, or arrogant?
• What non-verbal feedback did you receive from the interviewer?

Questions You Ask
Often, employers hesitate to offer a position to a candidate that they think may be uninterested. Therefore, it is always important to prepare yourself to ask questions in the interview so you appear to be interested in the company and the position and so that you demonstrate that you came prepared.

• Did you gain any additional information about the job or the company that you can use in future interviews?
• What research could you have done to prepare better questions?
• Did you effectively communicate your interest in the position?