So if you have an interview do you assume if you aren't rung that night you haven't got the job?

[bigchris]

Because I do

Nope, not at all -

maybe they are interviewing more people tomorrow or later in the week

maybe one of the panel had to rush off straight after the interview and they are going to get back together to evaluate interviewees at a later point

maybe the panel needs to check some HR issue before offering the job

maybe the panel were all in meetings the rest of the day and want to sleep on the decision

and best "worse case" scenario - maybe they have offered it to someone else but that person might turn it down and so they might offer it to their second choice person!

well i know they are only interviewing today and they said they were hoping to make a decision today
i thought i had done a good job

is it usual to ask for references before offering a job as that was what was implied?

nope - some places are just very disorganised slow to contact the candidates

I wouldn't make that assumption, bigchris - they might have made the decision, but need it rubber-stamped by HR, for example.

Also, I would not usually give my referees' addresses until I had been offered a position (subject to references, of course).

Sometimes it's the next day , if people have to confer

I would expect a written reply within a week. If I hadn't had one within that time I would phone and chase them for my offer letter.

Don't be disheartened - decisions might not be made as quickly as they expected.

Even if they said they were hoping to make a decision the same day all sorts of things can get in the way. I wouldn't start asking for commiserations just yet!

really? so all hope is not lost?!

Gosh, no! I think you're jumping the gun a bit OP!
I used to work in recruitment, and it was VERY rare to get a decision on the day of interviews, even if the client had said they would make a decision then. All sorts of things can crop up between them seeing you and the end of the day.

still no news

Not at all

I had an interview on a Wednesday, told I'd hear from them on Monday and didn't hear from them for 2 weeks as the manager went on holiday and forgot to tell her deputy she needed to contact the successful applicants!
The deputy called me to chase a reference and was surprised to hear that I didn't even know I'd got the job!
Wouldn't worry just yet.

It took me 5 weeks to find out that I had my current job !

I was told they would be making a decision about my job that day - they did, but didn't tell me I'd got it until the next morning. Did phone early though...