You finished your interview, and you think you nailed the interview process. You showed enthusiasm for the role and potential employer. You walk out with your head held high, excited and feeling good about how it went. But now what? Should you sit and wait for them to call you? No! Following up after the interview, even if you continue your job search, will help you stay in the running and on the interviewer’s mind. What you do next can be the difference between getting the job or not.
Let’s go over how to follow up, the best practices, and what not to do to make the best impression and get hired!
Why You Should Follow Up After an Interview
There’s a secret unwritten rule that following up after an interview–whether it’s a phone interview or in-person interview–is standard practice. You may never hear it come out of a hiring manager’s mouth, but it is expected from top candidates. Following up is important as it’s a way to thank the interviewer for their time and consideration. It’s also a great idea to follow up since most hiring managers are extremely busy and may interview dozens of candidates to fill their open positions, so you want to make sure they remember you and what you bring to the table.
The follow-up after an interview shows the hiring manager that you have a strong interest in the position you interviewed for and are passionate about the work. The follow-up shows that you are a quality hire that will last long-term, which is what they are looking for in a candidate. It also shows that you are in the mindset to begin a new position. This is the last key to convincing the company that your years of experience have turned you into a professional. Even the best interview needs a follow up.
When to Follow Up After an Interview
There are many reasons you may not hear back from a company quickly after your interview with them. Following up too soon after an interview may be a turn-off to a busy recruiter or HR person. They could be circulating your resume and cover letter to other people in the company for last-minute opinions on a hiring decision. Interviewers are expecting a follow-up from you, but there’s a right time to do it.
Typically, five business days is a great time to follow up after you have completed an interview. This time frame gives the recruiter the space they need to do post-interview work, but it’s not long enough where they have forgotten about your awesome talents.
The exception to the five-day rule is if the interviewer gave you a timeline to expect to hear from them in the interview. For example, if they get back to you by Monday and you don’t hear from them that day, it’s acceptable to follow up on Tuesday.
Before leaving the interview, be sure to ask the next steps if they don’t directly tell you so you know what to expect. Getting business cards from each individual you meet during your interview will help you keep track of who you spoke with and their email address to send thank you notes.
Ways To Follow Up After an Interview
There are a few ways that are standard practices for following up after an interview. If you want to stand out from other candidates, how you follow up and what you say in your follow-up is imperative to grab the recruiter’s attention. Let’s go step by step for the best practices for the follow-up.
Write a Thank You Note
It’s always an excellent idea to send a thank-you note 24 hours after an interview. The thank-you note to the interviewer is to thank them for their time yesterday and consideration for the position, showing them that you are still interested in it; use the interviewer’s name to make it more personal. This note can be sent through email, so make sure you have their email address before leaving the interview. The subject line of the email can be something like “Follow-Up to Interview for (Position) on (Date of Interview).”
Here are the steps to write a thank you note to the interview:
1.Start with a professional greeting like “Hello” or “Dear” and the interviewer’s name. If the tone of the business and the position you are hiring for is more relaxed with millennial culture, a greeting to match the tone works as it shows you fit their culture.
2.Thank the interviewer for their time to interview you for the position to show your appreciation.
3.Make a quick mention of something specific that you spoke about or learned about in the interview to make it more personalized and to re-confirm your qualifications for the position.
4.Remind them that you are very interested in the position and are excited to learn about the next steps in their hiring process.
5.Remind them of your confidence that you are the right fit for the position including a quick statement as to why.
6.Let them know they are free to contact you if they need additional information or have further questions for you.
Write a Follow Up Note
The follow-up note should be five business days after the interview or at least 24 hours after the date they said they would get back to you. Sending an email follow-up is best as the hiring manager will get to it when the time is right for them. If you call to follow up, it may be when they are unavailable or busy, so you won’t have the proper time to say what you want.
The follow-up email to the interviewer will have some of the same content in your thank you email. It should be short and sweet. Express your interest and passion for the position and let them know you are excited to hear feedback from them on their decision.
Note something specific and positive about the company showing your knowledge about the organization. Ask if there is any additional data or information you could provide to them that would be useful. Tell them you look forward to hearing back from them soon.
Here’s an example follow up email to send after an interview:
Hello [Hiring Manager’s Name],
I hope you are doing well! I met you last week on [date of interview] while interviewing for the [job title] position. I enjoyed learning about [mention something specific they taught you about the company or position] and our conversation on [mention something specific you spoke about]. You mentioned your team would be making a final decision on Monday, so I wanted to follow up with you. I’m still very interested in this position as it sounds like a role I would succeed and excel in the longterm.
I look forward to hearing any updates you may have! Please contact me if you have any questions or if I could provide any further information.
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Info]
Stay in Touch
After you send the follow-up email, you may hear back from them on their decision. The company may respond, letting you know they haven’t made a decision yet or that they have chosen another candidate. Either way, it’s not over! You want to periodically check in with the recruiter to let them know you are still interested. Even if they hired a different candidate for that position, another position might come up, so you want to stay on the minds of the hiring managers. Checking the company’s LinkedIn is a great way to stay updated on open positions.
Keep in mind the decision-making and hiring time can be lengthy for some companies, so be patient. The interviewer’s time is valuable. If you get a response from them that they haven’t decided yet, sending a reply such as the one below is recommended:
Thank you so much for the update! Do you have an estimate of when you will be making a decision, or when would be a good time for me to follow up? I’m extremely passionate and excited about this opportunity, but I don’t want to be a pest and bug you as I know these decisions take time.
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Info]
If you don’t get a response from the hiring manager on your initial interview follow-up email, sending another email a week later is a good idea. It’s best to reply to your initial follow-up email, so it includes the entire correspondence. The message should be short, no more than three sentences. Here’s an example:
Hello [Hiring Manager’s Name],
I wanted to check back with you to make sure you received my email below. Do you have any updates that you could share with me regarding the [job title] position? When you have time, please let me know as I eagerly wait for your response.
Thank you!
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Info]
What Not To Do When Following Up After an Interview
We went over what to do after an interview to follow up, but just as important, let’s go over what not to do.
Before you send anything, proofread everything more than once if you feel necessary. Sending a follow-up after an interview with spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors could cost you the position even if you nailed the interview.
Don’t wait too long to send the thank you note or follow-up note as it may be too little too late. You don’t want to wait on showing your gratitude for their time.
Don’t copy and paste the exact verbiage you sent them previously. There are some email templates available online that can help you avoid this.
Don’t copy others within the organization in the email. If you want to reach multiple people in the company, you should send personalized emails directly to them. Sending a thank-you note to everyone you met face to face is a great way to make a lasting impression.
Land Your Dream Position
When your interview is finished, you could take a deep breath because the hard part is over. But your work is not done. How you follow up after an interview is imperative. You want to make the best impression, and following these best practices will help you do so. A professional thank you note and follow-up note sent at the right time may help you stand out from other candidates and land the job of your dreams, so your hard work and dedication will eventually pay off.
Sources:
Average US Hiring Time Increased by 10 Days Since 2010 | SHRM.org
What It Means When You Hear Silence After A Job Interview | HuffPost.com