How long to hear back after an interview?

[OwlCat]

I went for an interview on the Tuesday before last. At the end of the interview they said that I would hear from them within 10 days but I've heard nothing. I didn't feel that the interview went terribly and one of the interviewers was an ex-boss so knew me already. Is it usual not to hear anything from an employer if you've not been successful/should I give up hope at this point?

Depends what the job is and how quickly they wanted someone in post

Have you followed up with your ex boss? Either within or since the 10 days?

Good news is usually quicker than bad, but if you already have a contact who interviewed you you need to give him/her a ring and ask.

Thanks for your replies. It's for a position where the standard notice period is 3 months (which is what I'm on in my current job), so they're unlikely to get someone in post very quickly. Whilst my ex-boss interviewed me, I don't have his specific contact details as I applied for the job through the company's normal channels and he is someone who was very senior to me previously so I wouldn't feel comfortable contacting him personally. Basically, I don't know what to think - whether I'm being stupid to think that I could still in with a chance, and do employers really just not bother contacting interviewees if they haven't been successful?