Here Are 4 Uncommon Signs That You Got the Job

So, you made it through the initial steps of the hiring process, had what felt like a successful interview, and are now waiting to hear back to see if you landed the job or not.

Out of every step of the hiring process, this waiting period is among the most nerve-racking because you have no way of knowing what to expect. Or rather, it seems like you have no way of knowing because there are no signs you will get the job after the interview.

I've found that there are, indeed, a few not-so-obvious signs that can sometimes provide a hint on whether you've already got the job or not. They aren't surefire signs — so absolutely keep an eye out for these, but also take all of what follows with a grain of salt.

Sign #1: They buy you a meal after the interview

While buying a meal for someone is sometimes nothing more than a nice gesture, when an employer treats you to a meal after an interview, it's a very good sign.

At the very least, it means they like you enough as a person to have a friendly chat with you outside the more corporate environment of an interview. It's an extra courtesy that your interviewer is by no means obligated to make, which means you need to take full advantage of it when it does happen.

Another sign that you've landed the job is if the interviewer takes you to an expensive restaurant. I view that as a sign that they want to make as good of an impression on you as you made on them, and that'll potentially make you even more likely to accept the job once they offer it.

Sign #2: They specifically ask you to pause your job search

Just as you know an employer is picking from many candidates to find the right individual for a specific job, employers know that you're picking from many job openings at other companies.

Unlike what I said about a meal after an interview potentially being a nice gesture, an employer asking you to pause your job search means they're strongly considering you as their top candidate for a position. It is, without a doubt, one of the best signs you will get the job after the interview.

They may not have their decision set in stone yet, but they don't want to risk losing you to another company. Whether you halt your job search process or not is up to you. However, you can be reasonably certain you'll hear back very soon.

Sign #3: They follow up with you on the same day (by phone or email)

Keeping on that same topic, the faster an employer follows up with you after an interview, the better. On average, it takes a few days to a week for an employer to follow up after an interview.

When they follow up on the same day after an interview, they might even offer you the job on the spot, depending on how good of a fit they think you are for the position.

Even when an employer doesn't get back to you on the same day, I always find it best to respond to emails or phone calls from employers as soon as possible. The less time you spend keeping them waiting, the quicker you'll get them to make a final decision.

Sign #4: They give you a piece of company swag to take home

Finally, getting a piece of merchandise from a company after going through an interview is another solid sign that you left a good impression behind.

Some companies hand out company swag as a friendly gesture for taking the time out of your schedule to do the interview, and others will hand it out because they have too much of it.

However, they also do it to give you a little something extra to remember them by. In my opinion, most interviewers will hand you a business card to keep in touch on the way out, but not every interviewer will give you company merchandise.

Takeaways

Since every employer is different, there are more distinctive signs you will get the job after the interview than the four we went over here. These four are among the most obvious ones you can expect to see, but always pay attention to other encouraging signs.

When you aren't sure what to look for, pay attention to how companies make an extra effort to interact and build rapport with you. In most cases, the are doing this because they've taken a liking to you and want to gauge your interest level (and hopefully increase it!).  

Remember to keep searching for jobs until you commit to one. As the candidate, you have more power than you think to get what you want.