Ken Chase 
Are you ending your job interviews on a positive note?
In a competitive jobs market, it's more important than ever to make a truly lasting impression on prospective employers. To do that, you need to do more than just effectively answer the interviewer's questions and present your qualifications. You also need to know how to end an interview with a powerful and compelling closing statement that helps you stand out from the competition.
In this guide, we'll explain why interview closing statements matter and offer some tips you can use to help you end your job interviews the right way. We'll also present some great examples of compelling closing statements that you can include in your next interview – as well as some things that you should never say.
Related reading: 20 Hard Interview Questions and Answers
What is the closing statement for an interview?
The closing statement for any interview is always your last opportunity to make the right impression on your interviewer. An effective closing statement should quickly highlight your most compelling skills and experiences in a way that demonstrates the type of value you can offer to the employer. Your closing words should highlight your interest in the position while reinforcing the many ways in which your skills and expertise align with the role's requirements and the company's needs.
Why is it important to know how to end an interview?
If you've ever been in an interview that just sort of drifts off into awkwardness at the end, then you may already know the answer to this question. Employers are always looking for confident candidates who are ready to leverage their skills and experiences in ways that benefit the company. They expect you to close with a powerful message that tells them why they should hire you. If your close is weak or non-existent, there's a good chance they'll forget about your candidacy almost as soon as you walk out the door.
Great closing statements can help you demonstrate confidence while reiterating your desire and interest to join the company's team. The right close can also be used to answer any lingering questions the employer might have, further highlight your most important skills, and create a compelling argument that you're the perfect candidate for the job.
Top tips to consider for your interview closing statement
Let's take a few moments to consider some of the top tips you can use to learn how to end an interview with a compelling closing statement:
Make sure you thank the interviewer
It's always helpful to begin your closing statement by expressing your appreciation for the interviewer's time and attention. This helps demonstrate your professionalism while also offering a simple transition to the rest of your closing presentation. A proper thank you can be as simple as:
“Thank you for taking the time to interview me today. I really appreciate the opportunity to learn more about the role and your wonderful team.”
Focus on aligning your skills with the role
After you've thanked the interviewer, you should focus on aligning your top skills with the role's requirements. By emphasizing your qualifications, you can help remind the interviewer why you're a great fit for the position. If that's the final impression you make during your interview, you'll be more likely to remain in their thoughts as a top contender for the job.
Emphasize achievements as value
As you focus attention on your skills and experiences, make sure you drive home your potential value as an employee. Never forget that every employer's main hiring goal is to find employees who can benefit their company. The best way to demonstrate you're that candidate is to provide real examples of how you've added value for prior employers.
Related reading: How to Answer “What Can You Bring to the Company?”
Be positive
One of the best ways to ensure you end on a positive note is to maintain a positive attitude throughout the entire interview. Make sure your words, vocal tone, and body language all work together to present you as the confident and highly qualified candidate the company is looking for. If you can consistently project positivity, then interviewers are going to be more likely to see any strong closing statement in a positive light.
What to say during your closing statement
Obviously, there are many different ways to close any interview, depending on the job, company, and interview style. It's important to be familiar with at least some of the most common interview closing statement options so that you're ready to adjust your approach to fit any situational need. Below are several examples of approaches that you can use to achieve certain specific closing goals:
Highlight your interest in the position
If the interview has gone well and you're confident the hiring team understands just how qualified you are for the position, you may want to double down on your interest in the job. You can do this by talking about the elements of the job or key challenges that most excite you. For example:
“I really appreciate you taking the time to meet with me today. I've been focused on this field of study and job for many years now and am extremely excited to have the chance to finally leverage my skills and passion in this role! I'm confident that I'll be a good fit for the team and look forward to having the opportunity to add real value to the company in a way that furthers our shared values and common goals.”
Related reading: Crafting a Compelling Response to Why This Position Appeals to You
Align your skills to the position's qualifications
This can be one of the most effective ways to end any interview, especially if the conversation has been lengthy or covered a lot of ground. By ending with a focus on your most relevant and valuable skills, you can make sure your qualifications are the last thing the interviewer hears before you walk out the door. To use this option effectively, you need to directly align those skills with the job requirements, as shown in our example here:
“Thank you for this interview opportunity. I'm so grateful you gave me a chance to demonstrate how my [core skills] align with this position's responsibilities. I'm confident my experience in using those abilities to [brief description of an achievement and results] can translate into similar results for this organization.”
Address any lack of experience
You can also use your closing message to further explain how your transferable skills and previous experiences outweigh any missing qualifications. For example:
“I'm very thankful you met with me today and appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate how my skill set and experience in [key experiences and specialties] will enable me to immediately adjust to the responsibilities of this role – even though I don't have direct experience in [area of concern]. I'm confident my existing experience in this industry more than qualifies me to take on this challenging position.”
Ask about next steps in the hiring process
When the interviewers have expressed serious interest in your candidacy, you may even want to include some mention of the next steps in the hiring process. You can usually obtain this information by adding a simple one-line question to your close:
- “Can you provide me with a rough outline of the next steps in the hiring process?”
- “Will there be additional interview steps before you make your final decision?”
- “How soon do you expect to decide on a candidate?”
Focus on the company's future with you in it
If you feel like you haven't quite made the sale, you may want to try to close with an emphasis on the positive things you can do for the company. For example:
“I'm thankful you gave me the opportunity to demonstrate my experience and skill qualifications for this position. I'm confident that my proven market expansion results show I'm the right candidate to help this company achieve its growth goals over the next five to ten years.”
Close the sale by asking for the job
There are even times when you may want to consider the direct approach and just ask for the job. If you take that approach, just make sure you're prepared to respond the right way if they're not prepared to take that step.
“I am very grateful for this opportunity and am confident that I'm the right person for the job. Is there any chance that you might be prepared to offer me the position today? Alternatively, do you know when I might expect to hear from you?”
Related reading: 15 Signs an Offer Is Coming After Your Interview
Things to avoid during your closing statement
It's not just important to know how to end an interview on a positive note; you also need to know how to avoid self-destruction during your closing statement. Below are a few of the worst things that you can say to close out an otherwise successful interview:
- What are the job duties?
- How long does it usually take to get a promotion?
- How much are you going to pay me?
- When will I be eligible for a vacation?
You get the picture. Employers expect you to understand the role that you're seeking and its duties. Questions like that just demonstrate you haven't bothered to do your homework. As for the compensation-related questions, they are almost always a sure way to make the worst possible impression on any employer. Avoid them at all costs.
Related reading: Insightful Questions to Ask Your Interviewer
Learning how to end an interview can help you close the deal
A job interview can be one of the most stressful situations in the world, so it's important to make sure you're as prepared as you can be. In addition to learning how to answer common interview questions, it's vital that you know how to end an interview in a positive and productive way. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this guide, you should have no problem creating and delivering a truly compelling closing statement.
Need more advice on how to end an interview or find yourself struggling to improve your interview performance? Our team of expert interview coaches is always on hand to help you develop your interview skills so that you can land more job offers.