After the interview

Write a thank you email to the interviewer the next day, especially if you've been asked for any extra information, or you forgot to mention something during the interview. 

Evaluate how the interview went. Work out what you did well and what you could improve. Write down all the questions you were asked, for future reference, and note questions you may need to practise answering.

If you haven't heard back from the employer by the time they indicated, you can contact them and politely enquire if they've had time to make a decision.

Look over your employment agreement, and you may want to discuss the wages or salary you have been offered.

• Job offers and employment contracts

If you accept the job, find out the starting date, time and place, and what you need to bring – such as proof of citizenship, IRD number, bank account number, tools or safety gear.

If you're interviewed and don't get the job it could be that someone with more skills or experience was offered the role.

 However, maybe you didn't do as well in the interview as you could have. It's helpful to review the interview and see if there's anything you can improve on.

• Did you have trouble answering any of the questions?
• Had you done enough research about the employer before the interview?
• Had you prepared questions to ask the employer during the interview?
• Did you dress appropriately for the position, and were you well groomed?
• Were you friendly, and were you confident when answering questions?

If you didn't do so well in some areas, work out what you would like to improve on. 

For example, if you:

• had trouble answering some interview questions – prepare answers to any questions you found difficult, and think of examples to back them up
• were nervous, and not confident about speaking – have a friend or family member do a mock interview with you. Practising will make the interview situation seem more familiar and help you feel more confident on the day.

• Getting ready for an interview
• Tips for answering interview questions

You can contact us for free help from a career expert

• Talk to a career expert

Job interviews help you find out more about the job and employer. If you realise you're not interested in the job, let the hiring manager know as soon as possible, by email or phone. This saves the employer work, especially if they were planning to appoint you. 

If you don't want the job or to work for the organisation

Say something simple like, "Thank you for interviewing me for [position] on [date]. I appreciated the chance to find out more about the job. This is to let you know I've decided to withdraw my job application."

If you might be interested in other roles with the organisation

You can write a longer message, explaining that although this role isn't right for you, you'd be keen to apply for other roles with them.