By | Sara McCord | www.themuse.com
You know that you’re capable of being a top-tier applicant (that’s why you’re here!). You’re the type to take your career ambitions into your own hands—build your network, do your research, rock the interview, and write an awesome thank you note.
But then it’s the hiring manager’s turn, and you have to shift gears from proactive to patient. Isn’t there anything you can do?
The short answer is, making the switch from “full steam ahead” to “wait and see” mode is the most important step (but more on that later). Read on for a breakdown of the dos and don’t’s while you’re waiting to hear back.
Don’t Work Against Yourself
As with most relationships, looking interested is good, but looking too interested makes you less desirable. You may think you’re showing your future company that you’re ready to hit the ground running, but if you come on too strong post-interview (think “checking in” to restate your interest less than a week after the interview or double communicating—emailing and then emailing again without a response from the other party), you look less like a candidate they’d be lucky to hire and more like someone who’s anxious to leave your current role. It’s not fair, but the rules of human nature apply, and someone who seems desperate suddenly seems less appealing.
Need another reason to wait to contact your potential employer? Even if you are a shoo-in, being over-eager will weaken your negotiating stance when it is time to talk terms. If you put too fine a point on wanting to work at this company more than anything in the world, then the company may offer you a lower salary than a candidate it’s trying to entice.