When one of my graduates calls me after their interview, my first question is “how did it go”. Often, it is hard to exactly answer that question if you are not aware of some key green and red flags, so my follow up question is always “how long were you there?” The time that you are at an interview is a great gauge to know how you did and what the company thought of you. So here is my own personal breakdown of what I have found to be a general guideline of time in interview vs. how you did.
Over 1 Hour:
You did well, however the employer probably isn’t sure of what it is exactly they are looking for. Unless this one hour included a tour or you got to meet with the rest of the team, odds are its going to be a while for your to here back while they over-analyze every person they met with. However, if you did meet the team and/or got a tour of the facility you are probably in their top 2-3 candidates, great job!
30-45 Minutes:
This is what we call the “sweet spot”. In other words you were able to answer all the interviewer(s) questions and still manage to make a memorable connection in the process. You will likely be a top candidate and hear back within a week. Be sure to give a follow up call or thank you note to remain fresh in their minds!
15-25 Minutes:
If this is a first interview, you probably did not do great. Be sure to research the company and industry information before your next interview because odds are this is where you went wrong. One or more questions probably did not get answered quite to their satisfaction or your just did not manage to make that great of an impression. Remember, the company is not just hiring for a position, but for a team member. If they feel you do not fit in with the team or company culture then it does not matter how correct your answers are. Try identifying an object in the room or on the interviewers person to make small talk about, making that small talk blossom into a personal connection is always a great interview tactic!
5-10 Minutes:
If this is your first interview and your first time meeting this company, odds are you will not get any kind of call back. You were likely unprepared, unmemorable and/or not what they were looking for. However, if you got the interview because you know someone at the company, or it is a second or third interview, then they probably just wanted to make sure that you were not some unskilled crazy person from off the streets. Upper management just wanted to meet with you really quick so they feel comfortable to sign off on you, congrats you got the job!
