How Effective is Your Interview Follow-up?
So, you’ve had your interview, you sent your thank you, you keep searching–now what?
If you are in a lull with your job search it is good to ask yourself, “Who haven’t I followed-up with lately?”
Before you do, check out Allison Green’s article in U.S. News & World Report on 5 Things You Should Never Do While Waiting to Hear Back About a Job.
DON’T do the following:
- Check in aggressively.
- Bluff by saying you have another job offer when you really don’t.
- Stop applying and interviewing for other jobs.
- Go on vacation and become inaccessible without giving the employer a heads up.
- Agonize and obsess.
Why You Should Follow Up
Ok, now that you know what NOT to do, let’s talk about why you should follow up:
- It Can Give You Peace of Mind
- It Gives You a Chance to Strut Your Stuff (a Little More)
- It Can Move Things Along or Give You Closure
Read the full article: How Following Up Can Help You Land the Job.
How to Follow-Up
Keeping the above don’ts and whys in mind, here is some solid advice on following up:
- Don’t follow-up prior to the time frame the employer gave you to expect to hear from them. But remember, you should have already send your thank you.
- A quick email or phone call is sufficient
Here are some examples:
Dear [hiring manager’s name],
I hope all is well. I just wanted to check in and see if there’s an update on the timeline or status for the [job title] position I interviewed for on [date of interview]. I’m still very interested and look forward to hearing back from you.
OR
Since we last spoke, I couldn’t stop thinking about our conversation about [business challenge you discussed]. I wondered if the team has considered [your idea for a solution]? I faced something similar at [previous company name] and this [explain positive result, with numbers if possible].
Use the following ONLY if it is true:
Dear [hiring manager’s name],
I hope all is well. I wanted to check in on the status of the [job title] position, as I’ve received an offer from another company. I’m still very much interested in joining the team at [company name], and wanted to get an update on my candidacy and the timeline before making a decision. Please let me know when you have a moment. Thanks!
It’s polite to let potential employers and your recruiter know if you’ve received offers elsewhere, and especially if you’ve take a new job.
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