I had a final interview on Tuesday, which I thought went really well.

19 Comments

1. AnonymousMarch 24,2024 at 12:35AM UTC

   I honestly think you are overthinking it. Thank her for the comments, and keep looking for the offer letter.

2. AnonymousMarch 24,2024 at 1:15AM UTC

   I wouldn't stress. Whatever is decided this person will not be the deciding voice.

   You can drive yourself crazy parsing through every nuance and word. Don't get too distracted.

3. AnonymousMarch 24,2024 at 2:22AM UTC

   I just finished a loop of interviews and the last person said, "Good luck on your future endeavors." I was feeling SO good about the interviews but I have been fixating over this one comment all weekend.

   I will tell you what my friend told me: "People are awkward and say dumb stuff during first dates, which is what every interview is." So, take it with a grain of salt. Besides, we BOTH did everything we could do to get the job. If we don't get it, we tried and should be proud anyhow. But, if it helps at all, I 100% get your stress. I am acting like I am over it, but I SOO am not and can't wait until Monday when I hope my email will give me an answer.

4. AnonymousMarch 24,2024 at 10:40PM UTC

   Thank you! My fingers are crossed for you as well—please let us know what transpires with this job for you!

5. AnonymousMarch 31,2024 at 10:40PM UTC

   So after I got the "future endeavors" I was called back for another interview. So fingers crossed and more proof not reading into every word and stressing may be a smart move.

6. AnonymousMarch 25,2024 at 3:15PM UTC

   Best of luck! Don't overthink that sign off. It's definitely how I would sign off if I was just supporting a hiring pipeline but wasn't the final decision maker or recruiter.

7. Michelle MonacoMarch 25,2024 at 12:22PM UTC

   You’ve done what you can do and at this point it’s out of your hands. Obsessing will only drain you. I know it’s hard not to when stakes are high, but do what you can to refocus your mind. Go for a walk, do something for someone else, etc

8. AnonymousMarch 25,2024 at 12:45PM UTC

   I wouldn’t stress too much over it. The same thing happened to me on an interview panel and they ended up extending an offer to me. In my situation, the person that said it was not the final decision maker so they said as a neutral , but positive statement. Seeing that I work at the organization now, I definitely know it did not mean anything but a salutation.

9. AnonymousMarch 25,2024 at 1:22PM UTC

   i would not read too much into it. choice has not been made, so they cant say anything really. they would not have said all that good stuff before if it wasn't a good thing.

   i had one person say , it was a really close call, you never really know. so i can understand not saying you got the job. that would be super unrpofessionnal of them

10. GirlBossanova934974March 25,2024 at 1:33PM UTC

    I wouldn't read a single thing into this comment. First off, you don't even know who the decision maker is OR how the decision is going to be made. You are assuming that the GROUP is going to come to some sort of GROUP decision and that is simply not something you can assume. People say all sorts of stuff. FRANKLY, a lot of times these so called team interviews are dreaded by the current employees as often times, they are just there as a PROP for the decision maker. Their inputs count very little. I have been on several team interview panels and more than 50% of the time, "WE" voted thumbs down on the person who got the job. In fact, it was usually "PLEASE" don't hire this person! but the hiring manager overruled us..........We were then stuck with an employee WE had to train....

11. Sarah BordersMarch 25,2024 at 2:47PM UTC

    I wish members of hiring panels would not reply to thank you emails. Every time I’ve gotten a reply to a thank you email, I wasn’t offered the job.

    I’m not saying that BECAUSE I got a reply, I wasn’t offered the job, or even I got a reply because I WASN’T going to be offered the job. I am a sample of one, and that’s just how it’s worked out for me.

    Like you, I try to interpret every word in response to my email, and it causes me great anxiety. I would rather wait and hear from the recruiter or hiring manager, and IF it’s bad news, ask for feedback.

    Here’s my hot take on your situation (take it with a grain of salt): There are one of two things going on here. In the first scenario, everyone on the hiring panel has a say in who gets hired; maybe they’ve ranked all the candidates, and you were at the top of this person’s list, but low enough on others that you’re not the final pick. This is an icky situation to be in, but from the panelist’s POV, they can’t say anything, especially if you’re the grouped second choice. What happens if their first choice doesn’t accept the offer, and they go with you, but you’ve already been told you didn’t get it? That looks and feels so bad.

    In the second scenario, the hiring manager = sole decision maker, and this panelist truly has no idea what the hiring manager has decided. It could be that you’re the final pick in this situation! Either way, I would connect with this panelist on LinkedIn—and any other panelist you want to connect with—if you’re not already connected. Never miss an opportunity to keep that connection, and don’t stop looking until you’ve actually gotten an offer.

    None of us knows what’s happening in this situation. I wish you the best of luck!

12. AnonymousMarch 25,2024 at 3:14PM UTC

    You're reading into it. It's simply a polite sign off to the email from a non-decision maker as you're still in the candidate pipeline.

13. Maggie StoneMarch 26,2024 at 1:23PM UTC

    Agreed. Please don’t read into this. This person probably didn’t know what else to say if they don’t know the outcome other than to wish you well.

14. Ginger PetrusMarch 25,2024 at 6:10PM UTC

    That person probably doesn’t even know either way and was just invited to be on the panel because HR has rules about hiring managers having to have panels.
    Like they said, they hope they get to work with you, you have great experience, and they truly do wish you well. It’s that simple. Every time I have been on a panel, I was not a decision maker and did not know the outcome. So please don’t stress over that.

15. AnonymousMarch 27,2024 at 5:26PM UTC

    Another note: Even if you are correct and you are not their first choice, it does not mean that another candidate will accept an offer. Also, you have left a good impression, and that means you would be teed up for the very next opening for which you are qualified.

16. Liz MilneMarch 29,2024 at 3:30AM UTC

    I would wait to hear from the HM for sure - it's possible it's just something he says a bit mindlessly, not realising how it sounds?

17. Monique DiCarloMarch 29,2024 at 1:26PM UTC

    Only HR should respond! I've had other people respond to my notes in positive ways and then receive a rejection email from HR. I was laid off last October, and it's getting tough, so when I apply for a job I really like and am a really good fit for, I try not to get too enthusiastic and hopeful, yet I do my very best to prepare for everything. It's hard to stay positive and hopeful. Just don't let doubt creep in!

18. AnonymousMarch 31,2024 at 1:24PM UTC

    Any update?

19. Christi MillerMarch 31,2024 at 1:41PM UTC

    They were just being nice. They don't know if you got hired or not.