September 14th, 2023

Win the Job Offer Waiting Game

By Kara Anderson

You’ve completed all the interviews, sent the thank-you notes, and you want the job, but the offer hasn’t come. The wait can be agonizing. What can you do?

We’ve listed a few unique ways to take action, set yourself apart from the competition, and win the job offer.

Demonstrate your initiative. If you were offered the position, what would you do in your first 30/60/90 days? Consider delivering a succinct presentation of 3 – 5 slides or a one-page outline of your plan from the start date through these critical milestones. Be concise and illustrate knowledge you’ve gained about company goals, short and long-term. Finishing touches like utilizing the company colors, logo, and brand themes create a polished presentation. An action plan demonstrates continued interest and initiative, conveys your ability to hit the ground running, and reinforces your unique value. 

Gather a reference or two. Reach out to former colleagues or supervisors and request a letter of endorsement. Decision-makers will likely be positively influenced by a solid reference.  References are most powerful when written specifically for the job opportunity and include specific examples of past performance. 

Pro tip: Help your references quickly craft their message by giving them a bullet point list detailing achievements and accomplishments specific to the role you’re being considered for.

Show them what you can do. Share a relevant example of your past work or create a sample of the work you’d be doing in your new role if offered the position. For example, an analyst might deliver a business intelligence tool or study they’ve performed; a marketer might develop a media plan to increase brand awareness to a target audience; a finance professional might present a proforma reflecting current and forecast performance based on initiatives discovered through the interview process. 

Be creative using what you’ve discovered through due diligence and the interview process if you share a work sample that you anticipate performing in the position, and be sure to maintain confidentiality if using work samples from previous employers.

Consider which initiative will deliver the most significant impact. You’ll want to choose one of these things, not all, or you risk coming on too strong. The objective is to open the door to follow-up and regain control. Use this outreach to emphasize your interest, offer your availability for any additional steps left in the consideration process, and inquire about the decision-making timeline. The goal is after leveraging one of these tactics, you’ll win the waiting game and get the job offer. 
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About the Author
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Kara Anderson is a partner at the Thomas Watson Group (TWG). Founded in 2013, TWG provides executive search, executive coaching, and consulting services. With offices in Connecticut, New York/New Jersey, and Florida, the firm’s partners have more than 60 years of combined experience providing talent solutions to clients in four industry verticals - healthcare, insurance, financial services, and business services. To learn more about TWG’s services and offerings, please visit thomaswatsongroup.com

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