In the earlier articles, we discussed introduction to interview process, details around preparation and how to perform better in actual interview.

After you prepared well, had good discussion during interview, it is equally important to end the interview well and achieve a graceful closure.  Here are few points to help you with closure. 

• Give your final pitch – Towards the end of interview, give your 30 seconds pitch to interviewer(s) highlighting that the job is right fit for you and you are very interested to take up this job.
• Ask them about next step – For campus interviews, this is pretty straight most of the times.  For off-campus interview, it is important to ask the interviewer about the next steps and when can you expect to hear from them.  This shows you are genuinely interested and also keeps you informed.
• Do not ask questions related to money or benefits – Many employers prefer to discuss these things towards the end of interview process (remember, some companies have multiple rounds of interviews before final offer is made).
• Thank the Interviewer(s) – Thank the interviewer for the time they spent interviewing you
• Follow up – This step is especially relevant for off-campus interviews.  If you do not hear from the company after the interview for a given duration (whatever time period they mentioned when you asked by next steps at the end of interview), it doesn’t automatically mean you are not selected.  Sometimes, due to various reasons – the process gets delayed in the companies.  It is therefore important to do follow up with hiring manager or HR representative to know status of your application.

Tip - Do not follow up daily or too frequently.  Irrespective of whether you are selected or rejected, do not forget to thank the company.

Hopefully this series of articles would help you perform well at your interview.  

Finally, always remember that good interview skills can give you an edge but they are not a substitute for the core subject knowledge required to do the job.