In many (I would assume most) cases, you aren't the only one that is being interviewed for a position. A firm may interview 10 candidates and wait until all have been interviewed before  management convenes and works out who to hire. Sometimes interviews have to be pushed back because principals are traveling. The list goes on.

Just be patient. This process can take months.

All too common, and not just with employers and candidates but with clients and architects they've interviewed, developers and builders who've submitted bids, bulders and subs who've submitted bids, etc.

At least in the NY market.

This happened to me recently, I contacted the employer a week after the interview and was totally ignored-brushed off.  Feels disrespectful in my opinion. And I'm thinking this is the norm.  If I ever get to interview people for a firm, maybe my own, I'll remember never to treate someone this way, but I probably wouldn't treat someone this way anyway.  Doesn't this person realize I'm eventually going to be their professional colleague - this doesn't make for cordial relations. Architects need a professional ethics refresher.

Yes, this has been very common lately.  I've had friends who have had second interviews (not just one but two!) never to hear back from the potential employer again despite numerous attempts to follow up with the firm.  You can only assume that the employer doesn't have the guts to give bad news, but in my experience this is far far worse than never hearing back. 

Another time I had a prominent New York architect correspond with several emails back and forth after which he finally said he wanted for me to come in for an interview. After this he never returned any emails or phone calls to schedule the interview he offered... very strange.

Also many snarky responses to submitting resume packages such as "I suggest you take a sojourn in Shanghai".  You don't know whether to laugh or cry at these or both at the same time.

Anyway, hopefully the next generation of architects will be at least a little more considerate having gone through this hell.  It doesn't take much to have a little respect to someone who has taken the time to research and express their interest in the hope of working for you.

As Miles rightly points out, this is not just about architects.  It's worse.

It's bad manners, and it's not confined to our field.  (Curmudgeon alert!)  Raise the level of courtesy in society-at-large, and you may see better professional behavior.  Until then, hope that you're interviewed by someone with scruples and compassion.

Silly me thinking that with email being such a detached and emotionless method of communication, a simple yes or no answer would be easier than ever.  Or even a text for Pete's sake.

I think it is incredibly rude not to follow up with people after an interview. I always let job candidates know when we have selected someone else.  After the interview I let them know where we are in the process, say we have two more weeks of interviews so we will let you know after that.  Then, I usually send an e-mail…it is hard to call and tell someone they didn’t get the job.  Sometimes the candidate will want some feedback on their interview and I try to give some positive advice. 

Speaking from my experience, when an employer tells you they will call you after they interview other people and make a decision, it means it is a lost battle. I never had any employers call me after the interview to tell me I was given the job, whenever I got a job it was determined at the first interview with the employer telling me to start on x day. If I were you, when an employer told me they'd contact me after they interviewed other candidates I'd immediately ask him/her what went wrong!

Thats what SOM told me - then 6 weeks later, I got the gig.

lots of luck at SOM.....and hope the gig doen't involve high wire acts....just kidding!

I had 3 interviews with a firm over a 2  month period recently. At interview 3, they seemed clearly intent  in hiring me.  I followed up after the last interview and they responded that they indeed wanted to "bring me on", and wanted my salary requirements, which I immediately provided, both full-time and contract. The response was "that was fine", and would I be ok working contract. I said sure. After 2 weeks passed, I checked in. No response. After another 2 weeks, I e-mailed again, and no response since, now well past a month.

Obviously, the salary I was asking was too much, or things have changed with their work, or they hired someone else. But is it too to expect that people can spend one minute responding to the guy who has slogged to your office three times - even if the response is negative, non-committal, or more negotiating.Again, this isn't checking in after an interview or sending a resume, this is after 3 interviews and "we want to bring you on".

I am disgusted with the utter lack of respect some firms have for candidates they themselves are supposedly serious about. Obviously, this firm has shown me their ass, and it ain't pretty. I'm moving on.

How about an "asshole firm" thread on archinect. I know it's hard to imagine right now, but there will again be a time when it's an employees' market. Firms that acted like assholes when times were tough should be remembered.