Don’t be shy, ask for the job!
Just for a moment go back to your high school days. You’ve just been asked out by that guy or girl you’ve had a crush on for several weeks. You go out on a date but you play it cool – a little reserved, even shy. You really like the other person but you don’t want to seem forward or pushy so you don’t say anything about it. Your date ends and you don’t hear from the other person again (probably because they don’t think you like them).
Let’s take a similar scenario in a job interview. You spend some time speaking with the interviewer and really like what you hear. You know this could be a great career opportunity. You think that the other person can figure out you are interested, but you don’t come out and say anything. A few weeks later you get a rejection letter in the mail.
So what happened? The problem was you didn’t clearly state your interest in the job to the interviewer at the end of your meeting. If you are interested in the position then you need to ask for the job before the interview is over.
Asking for the job is not some big sales close. It’s just making sure you tell the interviewer that you are interested in getting this job. Give the person the opportunity to ask any additional questions about your skills and tell them you want to move forward in their process. Here’s something you might say:
“So, do you have any questions about my background that haven’t been answered yet? (wait for response and continue)
I like what I’ve heard today. I know I can be an asset to this department and the company and I am very interested in this job.”
Of course if you’re not interested in the company you won’t say anything like this. If you are interested in the job don’t leave the interviewer guessing – come right out and tell them!