Everyone has “a life.” You should neither
offer up the details of it nor apologize for it if
it comes out in the interview. For example,
you may not wish to mention your spouse or
children in an initial interview, because the
interview is about you, not about your fami-
ly. But if the question of children emerges
(employers will often try to steer a conversa-
tion in that direction rather than asking direct
questions, which can be illegal), you can com-
ment matter-of-factly. For example, if the
interviewer says, “I have two sons but I
always wanted a daughter,” you could
respond, “Yes, I can testify that daughters are
wonderful, since I have one and I am one!”After the Interview
Within two days after the interview, write a
letter or email to thank the interviewer. If you
are seriously interested in the position, say
that you are and what you learned in the
interview about the job that appeals to you. If
there were pending issues from the interview,
address them in the follow-up letter. This is a
good time to send references, even if you
were not asked for them. Make sure that ref-
erences have consented to speaking to
prospective employers on your behalf and
that their contact information is current. The
contact information you provide should be
approved by the references—for example, do
not give a home phone number unless a ref-
erence asks you to.
Even if you are not offered the position
you wanted, having been through the inter-
view is in your interest, because you will be
more prepared for the next one.■CHAPTER 6 • CAREER TRANSITION 183The interviewer should like you
more at the end of an interview
than at the beginning.THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR CELL BIOLOGY