Excellent! You've been invited to a job interview, and that invitation is a great sign! But, not a guarantee or a job offer.
Some employers invite candidates to job interviews via a telephone call, which can be very awkward, depending on the timing and phone number used (if you are employed, a call to your work phone number from another employer can be very, VERY awkward).
Usually, you will receive the invitation to interview for a job by email, typically from the recruiter or someone on the HR staff.
The message will be sent to the email address that you used on the application or resume or made visible on your LinkedIn Profile.
If you are employed, do NOT use your work contact information for your job search!
Using your work phone number can be a quick way to lose your job if a recruiter's phone call is overheard by someone at work. Your email may be monitored by the IT staff protecting the security of your employer’s network and computers, with the same risk of job loss.
Read To Be Hired, You Must Be Reachable for details on how to leverage LinkedIn to be reachable without putting your job or your privacy at risk.
The emailed invitation you receive should provide the details about the interview:
If their message does not contain all the information you need, request the missing information in the message you send in response.
Show your interest in the job and your professionalism in your prompt reply to the email.
To respond:
If you do not know these important details, send this first message to collect those details --
TO: [person who sent you the invitation or the addressee specified in their message]
CC: [others who were copied on the invitation message]
Subject: RE: [subject from the invitation message] OR Subject: [Job title] Interview on [date and time]
Dear [Name of the addressee, like Mr. Jones]:
Thank you very much for the invitation to interview for the [job title] position. I am definitely interested in learning more about this opportunity, and I look forward to our virtual meeting on Tuesday, the 9th, at 10:30 AM.
I understand that we will be using Zoom, and that the URL and password will be provided to me on the day before the interview via email.
Will other people be participating in the interview? Please, if possible, share the names and job titles of the other people who will be interviewing me.
If I should expect to spend more than two hours, please give me your best estimate of the amount of time needed.
If you would like any additional information about me, please let me know.
If the original invitation does not include the date and time, add this paragraph --
The best times for me to attend this interview are: [first preference for date and time] or, if that is unavailable, [second preference for date and time]. Let me know which date is best for you.
Best regards,
[your full name]
[best phone number for your job search]
[your LinkedIn profile URL]
Respond promptly when they reply to your message. See the sample below as an example of an interview confirmation message, if they have provided answers to all of your questions and the schedule works for you.
An invitation may provide complete information would give the date and time for the interview and answer the questions you may have asked. Or, you may have sent the message above and received a response with the information you requested.
When you agree with the chosen date and time, send a short and simple message, like this:
TO: [person who sent you the invitation or the addressee specified in their message]
CC: [others who were copied on the invitation message]
Subject: [job title and interview date] OR [RE: subject from the responding message]
Dear [Name of the addressee, like Mr. Jones]:
Confirming the interview on [date] at [time] to speak with [names] about [job title]. The meeting will be conducted via Zoom [or whatever technology this employer uses].
I look forward to speaking with you [and other names, if appropriate] and am very interested to learn more about this opportunity. Please let me know if you would like any additional information about me.
Best regards,
[your full name]
[best phone number for your job search]
[your LinkedIn profile URL]
Now that you have an interview scheduled, focus on being well-prepared for the interview.
If the interview will be conducted remotely using technology like Zoom, be sure the appropriate software is installed on your computer. Then, test it to be sure you can be seen and heard.
View this interview as a demonstration of your knowledge and comfort with the technology being used now for remote work. Show you are a pro!
Read The Winning Difference: Pre-Interview Preparation for Your Job Interview for more details on being well prepared for your interview.
Usually, accepting an interview opportunity is the smartest thing to do, even if you are not officially in a job search. However, if you decide that this isn't the right time (or right employer), you can gracefully turn down a job interview invitation without burning any bridges -- Why and How to Turn Down an Interview Invitation.
Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a recent Visiting Scholar at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. Since 1998, Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt.org. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg and on Facebook, LinkedIn.
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