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Dear Intermediate,
You mean hope does not spring eternal?
I didn't think so either.
Really there is no industry standard, however there are things that you can do to make sure you get the answers you need to manage your expectations during the interview.
Remember it's your interview as much as it is their interview ~ you should be interviewing them while they're interviewing you.
Here are some questions that you can ask to determine whether the interview went as well as you think it did ~ by the way, just because they are smiling doesn't mean it's going well ~ as well as some questions you can ask to create a minimum/maximum time frame on hope.
Questions to ask to find out if it's going well or not:
1) Please give me an honest critique of my portfolio.
2) Is this a portfolio you would be proud to have if it was yours?
3) What would you do with this portfolio if in fact it WAS your portfolio?
4) Is this the sort of work your company does?
5) Does what you see in my portfolio fit with the sort of work done by your company?
Questions to find out if this is an interview for a real, live position or just a meet and greet?
1) Are you interviewing me for a specific position, or are we just getting to know each other for a potential future need?
If they say it's for a specific position, ask
2) Is there anything you can tell me about this position? Responsibilities, accounts, salary range, your expectations for this position and who will ultimately fill it?
If they say it's for a future need, ask
3) What needs to happen in order for there to be a need at your company? (could be winnning a piece of business, could be needing to find your partner first, could be needing to lay someone off)
If it's for a specific position, questions to ask to learn how to manage your hope time frame.
1) What is the timeframe around this hire?
2) When do you expect to make a decision by?
3) Will there be anyone else involved in the decision to hire me?
If yes,
4) Who is that, and what is their title? Usually you just get a name, so it's okay to ask what they do, important to know if you're meeting the CEO or a copywriter of the same seniority as you.
5) When should I follow up with you? Get a specific answer, don't walk out of there with an answer as vague as "Soon". Nail down, "Next Friday". Don't make it the responsibility of the person interviewing you to follow up with you, it's your responsibility to make this happen.
And, and, and......this is a big and.
Do NOT sit around waiting for the phone to ring. Get out there and meet as many people as you possibly can.
Make it your full time job to find a full time job. Learn as much as you can about every company you can, don't put all your eggs in one basket, get busy!
Good luck!
~ heidi
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