The proper close can be the most important part of an interview yet it is the part that most people fail. If it is impressive the last thing you do will be remembered more than any other part of the interview and can make up for lots of mistakes. If you do it correctly you will…
Leave a positive impression, Know what the next step will be for you in the process, know exactly how you did in the interview and know clearly what the interviewer thinks of you, your fit and abilities. Wouldn’t you feel great walking out of the interview with that knowledge?
Here is how most people end an interview; the wrong way.
When the interviewer gives a sign that time is about up and the interview is ending the candidate usually says something like... “Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the xxxx position. I appreciate you giving me the time and enjoyed getting to know you and learn more about the company. I am interested in moving to the next step and look forward to hearing from you”. Does that sound familiar? If you end this way you have accomplished nothing other than to say thank you. You do not know how you did what the interviewer’s opinion of you is or what the next step will be. If there will be one. You also have no idea how long you will need to wait for the result.
Here is the correct way to end the interview.
When the interviewer gives a sign that time is about up and the interview is ending the candidate usually says something like... “Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the xxxx position. I appreciate you giving me the time and enjoyed getting to know you and learn more about the company. Based on our conversation I believe it is an outstanding opportunity for me and that my skills, abilities and experience make me uniquely qualified to do an excellent job for you. You told me that the most important criteria for selecting the ideal candidate were the ability to get the best performance from the staff in high stress situations , ( pick a couple more criteria ) “While at ABC company my staff over achieved all goals despite new competitors in the market who were very aggressive and less expensive.” (give similar examples for other criteria) “Based on these results I believe my experience makes me an ideal candidate. What are your thoughts?” If he agrees with you, ask what will be the next step for you and when will it take place.
If the interviewer does not immediately agree, stalls, hesitates or puts you off with “I need to review my notes, talk to my boss etc…It means he has doubts and does not share your enthusiasm. You need to deal with his concerns now. You probably will not get another chance. You say “it sounds like you may have a doubt or concern. What are you unsure about? Is there any reason why you do not think I would be an ideal candidate? Other possible questions…”Can you think of any elements of the job that I would struggle with?”Based on our interview today will you be recommending that I move to the next step? Assuming everything goes well when do you think you will want me to start?
This is a very difficult way to end the interview. You may feel that it is too pushy, but you really have no choice and you really have nothing to lose. In today’s market there are multiple “perfect” candidates for every job. Employers do not hire a candidate if they have the slightest doubt or concern so if the interviewer does not respond to you very positively and is not willing to tell you that he will moving you to or recommending that you move to the next step, you have already lost so you have no option but to uncover his concerns and try to overcome them. Remember employers hire the confident and committed not the timid.
Comments