You’ve done a great job to this point, but don’t slow down now.  End your face-to-face interview on a positive note and finish strong!  Make your final impression a lasting one, so that you stay at the top of the interviewers’ minds when they’re going through the decision-making process.

How to End Your Interview

Here’s the question you should be asking yourself by the end of the interview: “Am I interested in this position?”

If the answer to this question is “Yes,” then you should ask the interviewer for the job.  This does not commit you to anything and may be the difference between receiving an offer of employment and getting a rejection letter.

In addition, tell the key interviewer (who will probably be your supervisor-to-be) that you’re interested in working not only for the company, but also for them personally.  If you’ve cultivated good chemistry with that person during the interview, chances are good that they’ll “go to bat” for you.

At the very end of the interview, close with these words:

“I am very interested in what I have learned here today and the opportunities that this position presents.  I believe I would enjoy working with and learning from you, as well.  Is there anything more you need to know about my background to ensure that we go to the next step of the process?”

That might be the end of the actual face-to-face interview, but your work is far from over, as you’ll discover in our next blog post.

(For more information about successfully preparing for YOUR next interview, download a copy of Dan Simmons’s e-Book, Put Your Best You Forward: Simple Steps to a Successful Interview.)