When you sit for examinations in school, a lot of things are under your control. You know you can get better grades by devoting more hours to study. But that is school. Searching for work comes with a lot of uncertainty. There are a lot of things beyond your control. One of such things is a job interview.

The enthusiasm fades after the interview, and you begin to worry if your interview went well and if you said the right things. You are not alone. Every one of us has been there.

There’s no way of knowing what the interviewer thinks of you.

These are some indicators that your interview went well.

You got follow-up questions

When interviewers lose interest in a candidate, they tend to keep the conversations brief, and they do not bother to ask follow-up questions. Interested interviewers ask follow-up questions because they want to know more about the candidate. If they restate the question, that may not be a good thing. It may mean that you have not provided enough information in your initial replies.

They tell you they want you to meet other team members

If an interviewer says they want you to meet other team members, this may be a good sign. It means that they are excited about you, and they think you will fit in the team. It is not a guarantee that you will get hired, but it is a sign that the recruiter is pleased with your performance in the interview.

The suggestion that you meet other team members maybe because they want to advocate that you are a good fit for the role. That is a positive sign.

Your interviewer gave you a timeline for the next steps

If the interviewer explains what you could expect to happen next, this may mean that they think you are a good fit for the role. They also want you to know what is ahead of you. A timeline is an indication that the organization has an organized recruitment process.

The interview ran longer than scheduled

Interviewers may ignore the time when they are interested in a candidate. They do this when they need more time to bring out more information to make the hiring decision. Generally, if the candidate is not a fit, they would not want to waste more time.

The conversation flowed smoothly

Some companies conduct very rigid interviews. They use a list of questions to extract the information they need to make their employment decisions. You may find it challenging to have a flowing conversation in this type of setting.

In other organizations, the interviewers try to have good conversations with candidates. In these settings, if the conversation flows like a chat between two acquaintances, it may be a positive sign. A friendly interchange of words may mean that the interviewer is interested in you, and they are comfortable having you on their team.

The body language of the interviewer

In human interaction, body language can say a lot about what a person is thinking. If the recruiter sits upright in the chair and pays attention to what you have to say, it is an indication that they are interested in you. A recruiter who appears disinterested is not a good sign. If they smile and nod their head in agreement as you speak, it could indicate a genuine interest in you and what you have to say.

Candidates may find it difficult to read a recruiter’s body language in a virtual interview. A cue you may notice is how frequently they look at the screen. This cue may mean that they are interested in what you have to say.

Your follow-up email got a quick response.

A quick reply to your thank you note is confirmation that they have you in mind. The response is not a guarantee, but it should offer you confidence and allow you to rest.

The recruiter begins to pitch the job to you

Questions from the recruiter about your job hunting or other potential employers are very positive signs. You probably got that question because they want to make a competitive offer to win you over.

Did the conversations go to things like career growth, career opportunities, company culture, and perks? That may be a sign that they consider you to be a good fit for the organization, and they want you to get excited about the idea of joining them.

If you think you noticed most or all of those indicators, and you feel confident about your chances, do the following:

• Keep celebrations to a minimum, as nothing is guaranteed.
• Send a thank-you note to the interviewers. It depicts you as a thoughtful individual.
• Make a note of the questions asked. Even if you don’t get hired, you can use the lessons learned here to prepare for a future interview.