If you have ever been as excited as this puppy realizing he is going to get to go to the dog park before an interview, you’re not alone. You’ve likely experienced a barrage of emotions ranging from nervousness to excitement and everything in between when preparing for an interview. You’re busy doing research about the company, trying to learn everything you can about the person or people conducting your interview, and relating the job description to actual experience you’ve gained throughout your career. It’s a busy time, and you aren’t even thinking about the possibility of the interview going so well that you’d get an offer at the end of the first interview. Getting a job offer on the spot isn’t the rule, it’s definitely an exception, but something you should be prepared to handle, especially if you aren’t working with a recruiter.
If you’re reading this article, you are likely working with an Ambrion recruiter. -At least we hope you are! One of the benefits of working with a recruiter comes into play in this specific scenario. When you’re going on an interview that you’ve worked with your recruiter to secure, you will walk into the interview with more valuable information than a Google search could ever yield. Your recruiter has likely worked with their client to find talent for them before, and as a candidate, you will get some insight into the process. Before you get to the interview, your recruiter will explain how many interviews you can expect before you get to a final round, what sort of testing might be involved, and what the roles are of the people you’ll be meeting. Just like your recruiter went beyond your resume to describe your experience and background, they’ll explain the role beyond the job description and give you the framework of how this role fits into the organization. They also will likely be able to explain why the position is available. All of this information is given to our candidates to help them feel like they have as much data as possible before they get to the interview so they can focus on letting their experience shine, versus feeling like they’re scrambling to do as much research as possible before an interview.
Of course we do recommend getting to know the company and its people outside of what your recruiter shares with you because you’re going to want to have your own list of questions to ask your interviewer(s). -However, your recruiter can even help you brainstorm those questions if you’re stumped on coming up with something insightful and original to ask.
Along with the briefing of the overall interview process, your recruiter might also be able to tell you if their client has a history of giving offers “on the spot,” and will be able to prepare you for that outcome. Yes, offers can be made during a first interview, a million different circumstances could drive that outcome. But most clients working with a recruiter to find talent will want to meet all the candidates being presented before scheduling second interviews, let alone extending an offer.
Another benefit of working with a recruiter in the hiring process is that if you are going to a second interview, your recruiter can not only prepare you for how this interview will be different than the first one, but will also prepare you should the client signal that they intend to make an offer during the second interview.
In the situation where neither you or your recruiter knew that an offer was coming, and you receive an offer during an interview, you’ll want to start your response by explaining how excited your are that they want you to join their team. After that opening statement, you’ll want to either proceed with an acceptance if you have enough detail about the offer to fully commit, or you’ll want to ask for time to consider. You have to be careful about how to ask for time to consider. Asking for a day or two to consider the offer is allright, but asking for a week makes the employer wonder why you need so much time. They begin to assume that you’re waiting for other offers, considering other offers, or are hoping your current employer will provide you with a counter offer to stay. This is also the point in the conversation when you want to ask clarifying questions or address areas of the offer that haven’t been discussed.
We would discourage you from saying things like, “Until I see it in writing, I’ll believe it when I see it,” or “Whoa, I wasn’t expecting an offer today, so I’ll need some time,” because either you’ll seem unappreciative of the offer, or look like a “deer in headlights.” As long as you avoid both of these responses when receiving the offer, you’ll be on the right track toward starting a good working relationship with your new potential employer.
You can handle getting a job offer on the spot in the right way, even when you’re not expecting one. Remember to lead with how excited and honored you are that they want you to join their team, and don’t ask for a week to consider the offer.