If you’re walking out of a job interview, you may be going over everything in your head and wondering how you performed. It’s hard to keep a pulse on how things are going when you’re in the middle of an interview since you’re so focused on answering questions right. Luckily, there are plenty of signs you’ll be able to take stock of in retrospect. In this article, we’ll break down the major signs that you crushed your interview.

This article is based on an interview with our professional certified coach, Alyson Garrido. Check out the full interview here.

Things You Should Know

  • It's a positive sign if the interview went long or they introduced you to other potential team members.
  • You can be optimistic if you clicked well with the interviewer. This might look like smooth, flowing conversation, and engaged responses.
  • Trying to sell you the job in the interview is a great sign. This includes mentioning the role's specifics, start date, and a timeline for next steps.
1

The interview went long.

  1. If they extended their schedule for you, they’re interested. If you weren’t a fascinating candidate for them, they would have found a reason to shuffle you out the door to get to their next appointment on time. If a 30-minute interview turned into a 45-minute or hour-long exchange, it’s a big signal that the interviewer was willing to sacrifice their schedule to learn more about you. This means they’re interested![1]
    • It may be an especially meaningful sign if their questions became more advanced, since this may meant they dipping into “second interview” questions.
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2

The conversation flowed smoothly.

3

They went into the role’s specifics.

  1. Extremely detailed questions or explanations mean it went well. If they went into day-to-day activities, specific responsibilities you’d have if you got the job, or they asked about your proficiency with niche skills, it means they’re looking deeply into how good of a fit you’d really be. This means they’ve moved beyond the “let’s see if they’re a good fit” line of thinking and moved into the “are they a good fit, or perfect fit” category.[2]
    • If you leave the interview still a little confused about what the job actually requires, it may mean you aren’t going to be called back.
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6

Your interviewer tried to sell you on the job.

8

They were impressed by your resume.

  1. It’s meaningful if they seem captivated by your experience. Interviewers look over a lot of resumes, so they’re used to seeing people from all kinds of different backgrounds. So, if they raised their eyebrows when they scanned your resume or they said things like “wow” or “interesting” when they went through your work experience, it meant they’re impressed.
    • Novelty is good. People tend to remember things that are unique or different. If you’re worried about your work experience being too far off for the role but the interviewer had an interesting reaction, it’s a good thing!
9

You were introduced to multiple people.

  1. If they brought in managers or staff for you to meet, it’s a huge sign. The person you first sat down with for the interview was probably the screener for the real candidates, so if anyone else showed up or they asked you to meet someone, it means you made it past the initial round of the interview. Hiring managers will also do this if they want to show off an especially good candidate, so this is great news for you.[4]
    • Don’t assume you didn’t get the gig if you only talked to a hiring manager. If there are multiple rounds of interviews, the hiring manager won’t normally bring others in for the initial basic interview.
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10

They gave you a timeline for next steps.

  1. If they gave you a schedule for a second interview, you’re probably in. If a hiring manager isn’t sure whether you’re a good fit for the job or not, they’d say something like, “We’ll let you know what our decision is soon.” If they give you concrete information regarding second interview dates or they tell you when you’ll hear from them, they likely think you’re a promising prospect.
    • Phrases like, “Our last interview is today so you should hear from us by tomorrow,” or, “Our second round of interviews is next week, so you’ll hear from us by Monday” are all marks in your favor!
11

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About This Article

Alyson Garrido, PCC
Written by:
Career Coach
This article was written by Alyson Garrido, PCC and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Alyson Garrido is an International Coach Federation accredited Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Facilitator, and Speaker. Using a strengths-based approach, she supports her clients with job search and career advancement. Alyson provides coaching for career direction, interview preparation, salary negotiation, and performance reviews as well as customized communication and leadership strategies. She is a Founding Partner of the Systemic Coach Academy of New Zealand. This article has been viewed 20,993 times.
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Co-authors: 4
Updated: October 25, 2022
Views: 20,993
Categories: Job Interviews
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