Signs You Will Get The Job After an Interview [24 Common Signs of Those Hired]

I’ve been a recruiter for nearly a decade now and although there is no sure way to tell if you will get the job after an interview, there are similar signs I see from candidates and hiring managers that point in a positive direction.

Keep in mind that even if you experienced some of these signs, you don’t have a job until you have officially started your first day. I’ve even heard an alarming number of employers ghosting candidates after a job offer. So until you have started that job, keep your options and your job search open.

The more of these signs you experience before, during, and after an interview, the better your odds are that you will get the job after an interview.

And yes, these are the same signs you will get the job after a virtual interview as well. So here are some signs that the interview went well and that you might be a good fit.

The Interviewer Discussed the Next Steps With You

This may seem like common courtesy, but you may be shocked how many interviewers don’t discuss the next steps with candidates during or after an interview. If the hiring manager took the time to outline what is next that’s a good sign you will get the job after your interview - especially if they did so unprompted by you. In other words, they took the initiative to tell you about what you can expect next without you asking about it. The more detailed they were, the better the sign that they are impressed with you.

The Interviewer Asks About Your Availability to Start

I’ve hired hundreds of people throughout my career and worked with hundreds more hiring managers. Every time a hiring manager is excited and interested in you working with them, they almost always ask about your earliest start date.

If the manager starts asking you about when you will give your current employer notice and how much notice you will give them, that’s a sure sign that you may get the job.

The Interviewer Discusses Transition Steps With You

While telling you about the next steps in the hiring process is great, you really know things are going well when they start talking about how you will transition into the role. If the manager is discussing onboarding and training with you, this is a good sign. Better yet, if you meet the person who will be responsible for helping you ramp up after you’re hired, you can bet that you are the top candidate for the job.

The more specific the language is, the better. If it’s generalized information about how they train new employees, that’s not necessarily a great sign.

The Interviewer Asked About Other Job Offers and Pending Interviews

The last thing any recruiter or manager wants is to lose a candidate they want to hire to another company. Recruiting is hard and it’s expensive. If the interviewer starts asking you about other job offers you’ve received or interviews you’ve been on recently, that’s a good sign you could get the job after the interview.

Sometimes bad interviewers ask about interviews to see how desirable you are in the marketplace. It’s a terrible question to gauge that and usually a red flag for many that this isn’t someone you want to work with. But if they are asking about interviews and job offers toward the end of the interview process, that’s different. That’s a good sign because they’re most likely asking so they know how fast they need to move to get you hired before you go somewhere else.

It Feels Like The Interviewer is Trying to Convince You to Work There

If it feels like the manager is trying to sell you on the company and the role, it’s a good sign. You may notice that they are giving detailed responses to your questions or discussing perks and benefits. They may even talk about what attracted them to the company. When the interviewer starts selling the company and talking about the company culturally, you know you’ve done something right to get them excited.

The Interviewer Talked About Specific Projects You Will Work On

While not a fool-proof way to know you will get the job after an interview, a positive sign nonetheless. If the manager dives into great detail about the projects you’ll be a part of, that’s a good sign you could get the job.

You Got to Meet the Team

Another tell tale sign that you may be getting the job after an interview is whether you were introduced to other people. As a recruiter, I always knew things were going well when my candidate would tell me that the manager introduced them to the team they would work with. Sometimes the interviewer may even introduce you to other teams that you will interact with or their boss.

All of these are signs that your job offer may be right around the corner. Your odds are even better if they let you interact with other team members and talk to them about their jobs.

You Got an Office Tour

Similar to meeting the team, this is also a good sign. Perhaps some of the team members are out of the office or work remotely or are busy meeting a close deadline and you can’t meet them on the day of your interview. Instead, the manager may give you a tour of the office. I’ve even had employers give virtual tours during Zoom interviews.

If you received a virtual office tour, that’s a sign you will get the job offer after a Zoom interview.

The Interviewer Seems Interested In Your Desires

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that most employers don’t care about what you’re looking for in a job until they are interested in you. If the interviewer is listening to what you have to say, answering your questions, and asking more detailed questions to uncover what is important to you - that’s a sign you could be close to a job offer after the interview.

If they are taking time from their busy schedule to learn more about you, they must believe that you would excel at the job. Don’t be surprised if they start to sell you on the role after asking you questions about what you’re looking to get out of this job (besides money of course!).

The Interview Felt Like a Conversation

If the interviewer goes off script, that’s a good sign. Many hiring managers ask canned questions they thought of before the interview or HR gave them to ask. When the interview turns conversational with the manager asking you follow-up questions to learn more, this is a great sign you’re the top candidate.

The Interviewer is Nodding

Beyond nodding their head up and down as you speak, overall body language can be important in gauging how well your interview is going. If you found the other person keeping eye contact with you, smiling, and nodding as you speak, you have a good chance of getting the job after the interview.

Body language isn’t always a telltale sign, however, and can be hard to read. I’ve been in rooms where people simply have poor posture or have a condition that prevents them from keeping eye contact. Or sometimes, people are just plain shy. Yes, even hiring managers are human and they can be quite timid or shy. They come in all shapes and sizes just like the rest of us. Use body language carefully as a sign.

The Mood Changed

This could be good or bad depending on the change. I’ve had job seekers describe to me in interview debriefs how there was a moment when the interviewer became more engaged or pleasant to be around. Most likely if the mood shifted positively, you’ve done your job at communicating your value and capturing the manager’s full attention.

Maybe they weren’t expecting you to be as brilliant as you are or as straightforward in your communication style. But once they’re sold, their mood may change. And keep in mind if an interviewer starts with a seemingly downtrodden mood, it may have nothing to do with you. If you can turn that around by interviewing well, its a good sign you’ve got a job coming your way.

The Language

Words have meaning and people choose words based on their conscious or unconscious thoughts. Pay attention to the other person’s word choice.

If they stop referring to the role, such as “the accountant”, and start using “you”, that’s a good sign. Instead of the accountant will do the complex reconciliation, it may become, you will do the complex reconciliations. This means they can see you in the role and are adopting that vision.

If they stop saying words like “if you were in this job” and shift to “when you’re in the role”, that too is a good sign.

The Interview Becomes More Casual

Don’t confuse this with a casual interviewer. They are not the same. I have met some managers who interview in a very casual style all the time. But rather, if they were more serious or guarded but you find yourself mid-way through feeling like you are talking to a friend. If you find the interviewer laughing or making a joke, all of these are good signs that a job offer is close by.

They Straight Out Tell You

Yes, I’ve worked with many managers who will tell people they are the frontrunner, or more subtly, compliment your responses. If the other person is telling you how thoughtful you are or how they really like your strategy answer, these are all great signs.

The Interviewer Talked About Your Career Path

I’m not talking about the generic, people come to work here so they can become partners in five years’ stuff. I’m talking about outlining steps for you based on what you shared during the interview. I’ve even had managers keep the interviewer in the conference room, go back to their office to put together a proforma and come back to present it to a candidate.

You better believe they are not doing all that for everyone. If someone is taking the time to craft a clear picture of your earning and growth potential, you did something right.

The Interview Runs Longer Than Planned

Most mid-level and senior-level interviews I’ve been a part of last for about sixty to ninety minutes. If you were told the interview would be an hour long and it runs closer to three hours, most of the time that’s a sign you could get the job offer after the interview.

Remember, you’re an investment. The more time someone is investing with you, the more promising they think that investment will be.

The Interviewer Negotiates With You

If you’re having a salary negotiation, things are serious. I’m not talking about someone asking you what you’re looking to make, but a true discussion about salary and total package. Many times this happens through formal talent acquisition channels, but it could happen on the spot with a senior manager. If you’re talking price, they’re interested in buying which means you’re very close to a job offer.

If you’re in an early-stage interview, they may not negotiate with you yet, but whenever someone asks about salary expectations, that’s a good thing. No one asks how much something costs unless they are at least a little bit interested in buying it. Asking about your price tag is a good thing.

The Interviewer Shares Their Contact Information

If the other person invited you to stay in touch and gave you their email, phone number, or even invited you to connect on LinkedIn, these are all signs that you could get the job after the interview. At the very least, it means you impressed them enough that they find you to be someone of value that they want to stay in touch with.

Quick, Positive Follow-Up

When people are excited about something, they follow up fast. It’s like those car sales people who saw you poking around a car online. They can’t call you fast enough. It’s the same idea. If the hiring team follows up quickly with a personalized message, that’s a good sign you may get the job.

They Ask You Back During the Interview

I’ve had many managers schedule a second interview on the spot before the candidate even leaves. This is a sign that you could be the top candidate for the job.

The Recruiter Prepped You

Most of the recruiting teams I’ve managed prepped candidates before an interview. A good recruiter should do this always. But many times it only included sending the job description and a URL to the manager’s bio.

If the recruiter goes out of their way to personally prep you on the phone with details about the job, who you’re meeting with, and what’s important to them, that’s a sign you may get a job. Recruiters usually do this for their top candidates. Especially third-party recruiters who get paid only when they place you at a client.

They Contact Your References

References are usually only conducted toward the end of the hiring process. If someone is calling your references it’s because things are serious and they are interested in hiring you.

Time

Successful interviews typically progress through time. The manager may start by asking questions about your distant past such as where you attended school. Then they may move to the immediate past and ask about your most recent job. Next, they move into the present time with questions such as “What are you looking for in your next job?” And if the interview is going really well, they may start asking questions about the future.

If your interview moves through this timeline quickly and ends with questions about your future such as, “When you work here, how would you do this?” or “What is your availability next week” you may get the job after the interview.

You can read more about this in my article: Gauging the Success of Your Interview.

Signs You Will Get the Job After Zoom Interview

All of these same signs can happen in a virtual interview as well. They can give you a remote tour of their facility, they can have quick follow-up, and you can meet the team. While some things like body language may be harder to read, you can still pay attention for these clues.

Signs You Will Not Get the Job Offer

After working with over 10,000 job seekers, I’ve also noticed some signs that indicate you will not get the job offer. They include:

1. You don’t hear back by the deadline you were given. If someone is really excited about hiring you, they will at least give you an update even if they’re waiting on another department for feedback or to issue a formal offer letter.

2. You couldn’t answer the interviewer’s questions.

3. The interviewer had to keep asking questions because they couldn’t get a straight, clear answer from you.

4. The interview was cut short. I almost always cut interviews short once I realized there was no potential to hire someone.

5. The interviewer seemed disinterested. You weren’t able to capture and hold their attention.

6. You weren’t qualified for the job and lacked the critical skills and experience necessary for the role.

Cole Sperry has been a recruiter and resume writer since 2015, working with tens of thousands of job seekers, and hundreds of employers. Today Cole runs a botique advisory firm consulting with dozens of recruiting firms, oversees Optim’s Resume Revision Service, and is the Managing Editor at OptimCareers.com.

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