Posted by Morag Barrett | August 5, 2014They just aren’t that in to you. How you know you aren’t getting the job.It’s hard when you think you have aced an interview, only to experience the static of radio silence afterward.  Whether you are interviewing for a new job, or meeting with a potential new client, how can you tell if they just aren’t in to you. How do you know you aren’t going to get the job offer?During the interviewIn and out – if the meeting is concluded quickly (less than 30 minutes) and you experience a quick exit from the office, then this is a sign that you may not be receiving a call to offer you a role.No smiles – on the face of it (no pun intended) it may appear a small thing, but if the interviewer is not smiling, or their body language remains stiff or aloof, this may be a sign that you have not connected at a personal level.Surface level questions– an interview or conversation with a potential client that stays at the surface level and simply reviews your resume and past experience without diving into the detail is not one that is setting you up for success.  Try to share your stories and accomplishments, however if this does not result in a more meaningful conversation then you may have to accept that this will be the first and last conversation you have with this manager.After the interviewNo next steps – as you finish an interview it is perfectly acceptable to ask when you might hear and what the next steps are in the decision process. Vague answers such as “we are interviewing a lot of candidates”  or “we are considering a number of vendors” may indicate that you aren’t getting a call back.Lack of response – if when you follow up you don’t get a call back or a response to your email then either the hiring team is very busy (benefit of the doubt) or you are not “the guy” (or gal) for the role.  Send what I call a “permission to close the file” message something along the lines of “I was very interested to meet with [Hiring Manager] and to learn more about the role at [Insert Company Name}. I had understood that a decision would be made [insert date/timeline].  Since I have not heard I am assuming that you may have selected another candidate. Before I close my file I wanted to check in with you, if you have decided to move in a different direction please let me know, of course if the decision process is still ongoing then I look forward to hearing from you regarding next steps!”Remember, not getting the role today doesn’t mean you won’t get an opportunity at that company in the future.  Mark it down to experience, ensure you focus on maintaining the relationship, you never know, tomorrow you could be working with that same hiring manager or others you meet during the hiring process.Ultimately if you don’t get the call don’t beat yourself up.  Sometimes it has nothing to do with you, it may be a change within the company that means the role is no longer available, or the hiring manager decides to move in a different direction.  By all means get in touch and try to get feedback, however move on, focus on the next interview and opportunity, you may be just one conversation away from landing the next big thing.Related Articles Share