Second round and silence
I applied for a senior-level position and completed an interview in December, but on January 6, 2026, I received an automated "non-select" email. Almost immediately, the Director personally reached out to clarify that "that doesn't mean we are done," explaining that they had roles they were trying to fill immediately and he hoped I would be interested in a specialized position.
Over the following months, the Director kept me "warm" regarding the position. Once he secured the budget approval, he reached out to let me know the job was approved and encouraged me to apply. I applied for the role and completed the first round in early April, after which the Director told me I "did great". Things moved very quickly after that; they asked for my references immediately and within a week they scheduled a second-round interview. This final session, held last Thursday was a practical assessment requiring me to act as a facilitator for a scenario using slides provided in advance.
It has been several days since that final round, and I haven't heard anything back yet. Given that this is a government agency, I know the process can be slow, but I'm feeling anxious because the gap after the first interview was so short. Is it normal in government hiring for the final decision-making phase to take significantly longer than the gap between the first and second rounds? Based on the Director's personal interest and the fact that they moved so fast on my references initially, does it sound like there is a high chance of an offer, or am I overthinking the current silence?