– Follow up Rules after a Job Interview –
You have finally made it through the last round, and now all you have to do is play the waiting game. It is a nerve-wracking time, and you may jump every time the phone rings, but keep your cool and make sure you are not breaking any of the interview follow-up rules I will give to you in this article.
The interview is the toughest part of the job application process it can be nerve-wracking and intense, and it’s often difficult to prepare for.
Mistakes are easy to make when you are nervous, and the unfortunate truth is that sometimes one mistake is enough to take you out of the running.
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How to Follow up After a Job Interview
If possible, collect business cards from everyone you meet during your interview. That way, you’ll have people’s contact information on hand.
If that isn’t feasible, check LinkedIn for the interviewers‘ job titles, contact information, and the correct spelling of their names.
If the information isn’t listed, look up interviewers on the company website or call the company’s mainline.
A receptionist should be able to access the company directory and help you gather up details.
1. What You Have to Say
After an interview, you should send a note within 24-48 hours while it’s still fresh in your mind — and the company.
“With technology like iPhones and BlackBerrys, you don’t have an excuse to not be in touch immediately,” says Roy Cohen, a New York City-based career coach and author of The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide.
Handwritten notes are okay to send also, says Frank Dadah, general manager of financial contracts with Boston-based staffing firm Winter, Wyman.
Address a note to each person you met with sending a group note doesn’t necessarily imply laziness, but sending individual, personalized notes definitely won’t.
That means no copy-and-pasting. Being personal will increase your likability factor. And spell everyone’s name correctly, including the company’s. Errors of that sort can be a game-changing embarrassment.
Start by thanking them for the opportunity to meet, and acknowledge that they took time out of their day to do so. Next, note why you think you’d be a good fit for the role.
“You’ve had the opportunity to ask the hiring manager questions about the position,” says Driscoll, so this is an opportunity to elaborate on why you are a great fit in writing, beyond your initial cover letter.
In your conclusion, Dadah suggests hitting three points:
• State that you’re still interested in the position;
• You’ll follow up with them again within a specified time frame; and
• Thank them again. Anything that requires the reader to scroll down the page is too lengthy.
2. Subsequent Follow-Up
After your initial follow up, you might be tempted to reach back out to a hiring manager. “Nudging isn’t appreciated,” says Cohen. But you can send something equivalent to a reminder note.
Begin with a pleasantry, followed by a sentence explaining where you left off during your last communication, says Mattson of Keystone.
“You had indicated to me that you’d be making your final decision during the week of such and such, and I just wanted to follow up to see where you are in that decision,” is one way to phrase it, she says.
Include something of value in your follow up, instead of simply sending nagging emails. If you completed a course you were taking or closed a big sale, anything that you think will impress them, pass it along.
Mattson also advises that you match the communication medium the interviewer has been using, i.e. returning emails with emails, phone calls with phone calls, etc.
“If you’ve been communicating back and forth with emails and that has been effective, continue to use it,” she says. “If you haven’t heard back from a person, let an extra week go by and then leave them a voicemail.”
Speak in a very respectful manner when you’re leaving a message, Mattson says, by saying that you know they are very busy, but wanted to follow up on the email you sent them and that you’re still very interested in the position.
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3. What You Shouldn’t Say:
One of the most common ways in which people flub they are follow-up is by showing impatience. “Maybe there’s a recommendation delay or something routine that’s just slowing down the process, or maybe you’re not in the running anymore,” says Driscoll of Robert Half.
Regardless of the reason, you don’t want to blow your chances by being rude.
If the hiring manager gave you a specific date or time frame they’d be working within to make a decision, give them some wiggle room. “People always overestimate,” says Mattson, “and you don’t want to seem overly anxious.”
Mattson says that applicants should choose their words wisely when reaching out, especially when it’s subsequent follow-up.
Namely, she says, don’t ask someone to “call you back.” Instead, let them know that you’ll follow ups again within a few days, but, in case they need to reach you, here is the best contact number.
Other no-nos? “Don’t reference someone senior in the company who might put in a good word for you,” says Cohen. “Wait for them to put the good word in for you.”
Cohen also advises candidates to avoid gimmicks. “Gimmicks don’t really work, except on an exception basis,” he says.
“We’re conditioned to think that sort of behaviour can be tolerated, but doing something totally bizarre and out of the box isn’t necessarily going to be appreciated.”
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