Notes

1. Your interviewer appears to be enjoying the conversation.

When the interviewer is listening to you intently — and seems genuinely interested in what you have to say — that's a good indication you're on the right track.

To figure out whether they're enjoying the conversation, pay careful attention to the interviewer's body language.

"Actions speak louder than words," says Debra DelBelso, director of the Career Center at Siena College. It’s always a good sign when the interviewer smiles, maintains eye contact, and leans in toward you while you speak, she explains.

Matthew Randall, executive director of the Center for Professional Excellence at York College of Pennsylvania, says one good way to decide if the interviewer is being genuine or just polite is to pay close attention to their grin.

"Any professional will likely conduct him or herself with good decorum regardless of what they think of you," he says. "To try to determine if the smile is authentic, 'Duchenne' smiles include the narrowing or partial closure of the eyes and accentuated crows feet around the eyes."

2. Your interviewer shows you around the office before you leave.

If the hiring manager takes the extra time to give you a tour of the office or introduces you to employees before you head out, that could mean they're thinking about offering you the role.

"Most interviewers will give you an idea of what the schedule will look like ahead of time," says Amber Cloke, assistant director of the Career Center at Mansfield University. "If, at the end of the interview, the employer unexpectedly offers to introduce you to the rest of the team, it could bode well for you."

3. The interview runs over the designated time.

If the interview runs over the scheduled time slot, the employer clearly wants to continue getting to know you a little better, Cloke says. "You've likely already passed the initial criteria they were seeking, and the fact that they continue investing more time and energy toward you can be promising."

4. The interviewer tries to sell you on the company.

As the candidate, it's expected that you will spend a lot of the interview talking about yourself and your expertise, in an attempt to persuade to the interviewer that you're the right fit for the position. But if the interviewer makes a conscious effort to talk up the company, that's a great sign they're impressed with you and trying to sway you towards the position.

"You may be able to tell that your interview has gone well by how much the recruiter 'sells' the role and/or the organization," says Dale Austin, director of the Career Development Center at Hope College. "If the recruiter spends a lot of time doing the talking, that may be one indicator that the organization is very interested in your candidacy."

5. The interviewer talks a lot about perks, benefits, policies, and pay.

This may be part of their "sales tactic." If and when an interviewer starts discussing company policies and benefits — and even gets into a serious discussion about pay — there's a good chance they're planning to make an offer. They most likely wouldn't waste their time voluntarily sharing all this information if they weren't interested in you.

6. The follow-up process is pointedly discussed.

At the close of the interview, if the recruiter or hiring manager enthusiastically brings up the next step in the hiring process without you even asking, then it's a clear indicator you're still in the running for the open role. (Unless, of course, it’s just a generic: “We’ll be in touch soon.”)

"If an interviewer is interested in a candidate, they may even ask when you’d like to or need to have their decision by," said Kevin Hewerdine, director of Career Services and Employer Relations at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. "The