Tick-tock, tick-tock, goes the clock you’ve been staring at for the past 8 days. “Aren’t they going to let me know where I stand with this job? What should I do? Do I call? But I don’t want to be that annoying person who calls…How about an email? I wish I knew the best way to follow-up!”
This scenario has probably happened to you at least once (probably more) in your professional career and it’s a tough question to answer: What is the best approach to follow-up after a job interview? While there’s no perfect method for following-up, we’ve come up with a guide to success for staying top-of-mind and for hearing back from an employer.
Gather Information During Your Interview
We’ve got more questions to add to your interview-prep checklist! Here are four things you should ask/portray during your interview to set you up for a follow-up victory:
- Next steps (i.e. the timeline for the hiring process and what you can expect)
- The best way to keep in touch (do they prefer a phone call or email)
- If you can connect on LinkedIn
- You care and you’re excited about the role
When the interview is over, make sure you….
Send a Thank You Email
Great. You’ve heard this tip a thousand times. But what do you actually say in your thank you email? Anything generic will come across as disingenuous and you certainly don’t want to write something that the hiring manager will never read. So, here’s a few tips for writing a great thank you to a potential employer:
- Keep it short and simple
- Be real
- Portray your excitement for the role, team, etc.
- Remind them why you’re a good fit
- Thank them for their time
- Confirm the next steps that were outlined in the interview
And one more important quality this thank you note should have: SPEED. Hand-written thank you notes are still acceptable but, sometimes, snail mail just won’t get there in time to make an impression. So, consider your audience and ensure that you’re in the best position to stay top-of-mind.
Send a Follow-Up Email or Call
Now, it’s been 7 days and you haven’t heard anything from the employer. You’ve connected on LinkedIn, you’ve sent your thank you note…is it time to initiate a follow-up? Well, depending on the information you’d gathered during the interview, you should know which method of communication the hiring manager prefers. So, you decide to email or call to check on your status in their hiring process.
Boom. Sent. Radio silence. So, you wait 7 more days and try one more time. Same result. Now comes the tricky part: moving on. Unfortunately, employers don’t always take the time to follow-up with their interviewees. Our advice? Don’t feel slighted – chalk it up to a weakness in the employer’s hiring process. Trust us, you’ll have better luck elsewhere.
If you like this article, check out more posts on our Celarity Blog! We want to see job seekers like you find a happy and prosperous career.
