Avoid Asking If You Got The Job Outright At The End Of An Interview

It’s important to “close the deal” at the end of a job interview, but asking the hiring manager if you got the job immediately isn’t the best way to do it. Instead, ask for their feedback on how things went, and press instead for details on when you’ll hear from them about whether you made the cut or not.

Photo by Adam Gregor (Shutterstock)

It may seem like common sense, but as someone who’s done a fair amount of interviewing, I can tell you that a lot of people try and negotiate when they can start as soon as the interview is over, regardless of whether the interview actually went well or not. Over at PayScale, Jen Hubley Luckwaldt explains it like this:

Career counselors often advise job seekers to “close the deal” at the end of job interviews, and while this is good advice, the language some experts use might lead to believe that you should try to get a commitment out of the interviewer. In other words, you’re not trying to put the hiring manager in a new car today; you’re trying to express interest in the job and figure out what the next steps are.
So don’t ask, “Am I hired?” Instead, go into the interview armed with knowledge and curiosity, ask engaged, intelligent questions during your meeting, and leave with a sense of when they might notify you with next steps.

It’s that last bit that’s essential — instead of pushing for the hiring manager’s opinion on whether things went well, use that energy and whatever leverage you have to get contact information for them, a business card, an email address, whatever — so you can follow up with a thank you note and find out when you’ll hear back from them on whether or not you got the job. You may be the first in a long line of interviews, or they may be interviewing today for a position that opens in months. Bottom line: You don’t know, and the hard sell may work against you even if you think you’re doing yourself a favour. Hit the link below for more awkward questions to avoid at your next job interview.

The 3 Most Awkward Questions You Can Ask Your Interviewer [PayScale]