The end of an interview can hold just as much importance as the beginning of one.

The way that a candidate ends their interview leaves one final impression on the interviewer’s mind as they begin their deliberation of selecting the right candidate for the position. Here are our tips to end and close your next interview.

Ask any final questions: 

At the end of most interviews the interviewer will close with, “ Do you have any final questions for me?” This is a time to do a few things. First, ask any of the remaining questions you have that were not covered in the interview up to that point. If all of your questions have been answered, this is a great opportunity to ask a question that will truly make the interviewer think, while also showing you did your research.  Avoid yes or no questions and avoid questions that are difficult to answer. You don’t want to stump the interviewer when you are trying to make a good impression and develop rapport.

Here are some examples:

• Ask about a competitor and how they position themselves against them, use specifics
• Ask a question about a current industry trend and how it will shape the business moving forward, make sure you research this before the interview
• Ask about the biggest opportunities facing the company and department currently.
• Ask for some insight into the company culture and what the company does to empower the culture.
• Ask a question referencing current company news and how it will change the structure moving forward
• Ask what the group or business plans are for the next five years (expansion, new products, new locations, etc.)

Address any Potential Issues

After all of your questions that fall into the category above have been answered and discussed you have one more important question to ask your interviewer before you leave…

“Do you have any concerns about my ability to do this role?” 

Many might wonder why you would want to end an interview in this way, but there are two reasons. The first is so you know when you leave you to know how you did and where you stand. The second is to truly make your interviewer think, if they can come up with no concerns then it will register in their mind that you are a great candidate. If they do bring up any concerns, you have one final chance to address them.  Sometimes the concern is something that wasn’t even touched on, such as lack of experience in a certain area, that you may actually have and can speak to. Other times it may be a legitimate concern, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it as an opportunity to show how you are the right candidate anyway.

Recap and Remind

At the end of any interview be sure to close out by recapping your experience, skills, and passion for the role to ensure the interviewer knows what skills you can offer to the organization.  Use everything you learned throughout the interview to tie your experience and skills to the specific role. Also, be sure to make it clear to the interviewer that you are very interested in the role, if you indeed are.

Next Steps

For your own knowledge and peace of mind, it is always a great idea to finish the interview by asking what next steps are. Ask if there are any additional interviews, how quickly they want to make a decision and when you can expect to hear from them. This will give you the information you need to follow up after the interview.

Follow Up  

You may have left the interview, but it is not over. Make sure to follow up and send a thank you email within 24 hours after your interview. In the email, be sure to thank the interviewer for their time. Then be sure to add in a quick reminder on why you are the right fit for the job. This is the final impression the interviewer has of you before they decide on the next steps so don’t skip out or forget this step.

At PharmaOut we are happy to help you prep for any interview we book for you, please see our list of current openings or submit your resume and one of our recruiters will get back to you if we have an opening to fit your skills and experiences.

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