How to Follow Up After a Job Interview: 10 Tips
One of the hardest things jobseekers find hard to grapple with, as revealed in discussions on the same over at runrex.com, is deciding the best way to follow up after an interview. After your interview is over, you are instantly waiting for feedback and are eager to hear how things went and if you were successful or not. While waiting can be frustrating, it is important to note that sometimes the interview process takes a lot longer than you would like. Also, as explained over at guttulus.com, it is worth noting that there is proper after-interview etiquette to be observed when it comes to showing your appreciation, and also reminding the HR manager about you. Here are 10 tips to consider when it comes to how to follow up after a job interview.
Ask for the next steps and contact information
When finishing an interview, it is vital to get the contact information of the hiring manager and ask them for the next steps according to runrex.com. This may result in learning the window of time for decision making. Here, instead of asking, “What are the next steps?”, you should consider asking questions that will give you more information like, “How many days do you think you will need to make a decision?” or “Will there be a second interview, and if so, when will you be notifying candidates moving forward?” as outlined over at guttulus.com.
Thank you note
According to the subject matter experts over at runrex.com, you should send a thank-you note within 24 hours of the interview. In some industries, a more formal note like a handwritten thank you card might be in order, in others an email will suffice. Keep it short and sweet and mention one specific thing about the interview or what you learned about their organization. Finally, mention how much you are looking forward to hearing from them. Remember, the thank you note isn’t an opportunity to add more content to your interview but a chance to demonstrate your gratitude and excitement.
Don’t send the follow-up note immediately after the deadline
If you don’t hear back from the hiring manager by the date they said they were going to make an offer, don’t send a follow-up note right away according to the gurus over at guttulus.com. This is because it is possible that you weren’t the first choice for the job, but are still in the running. They may make an offer to someone else, and that person may not take the job. Therefore, it is always advisable that you give them a little time to work things out before sending the follow-up note.
When to send the follow-up note and its contents
As discussed over at runrex.com, you should put a note on your calendar to follow up one week after the date the hiring manager said you would hear from them. When that day comes, send a quick follow-up note – no more than three paragraphs – to the hiring manager you dealt with. The content of this note should be similar to what you wrote in your thank you note. Express your interest and excitement about the role, say something positive about the organization, and ask if there is any additional information you can provide that would be of use. Tell them that you are looking forward to hearing back from them soon.
Follow-up once more
You can then check in with the hiring manager periodically to find out about the status of their hiring process. Keep the follow-up within the timeframe given to you, and according to guttulus.com, you should avoid checking in daily or every other day. Make sure that you spread out your inquiries and that you don’t sound aggressive or anxious with them.
Contact your references
If you submitted references to your potential employer, after the first interview you should give them a heads-up to let them know that someone might contact them. While it is customary to only submit references if the person knows that you are using them as a reference, if at this point you think they will be called, then as per runrex.com you should notify references so that they know to expect the phone call.
The only exception
As already mentioned, you should not reach out to the hiring manager before the date they gave you. However, there is one exception to this as outlined over at guttulus.com, and this is if there is a significant change in your situation or portfolio. If you interview for your dream job and then get an offer from someone else before you hear back from them, you can write them to let them know that you have another offer, but really admire the company and its mission and are hoping to hear from them before deciding. Also, if you have written an article or submitted a patent application relevant to the job you applied for if the article is accepted for publication of the patent is granted, you can share that news as it might influence the discussions about your application.
Explaining errors
As the experts over at runrex.com point out, you should never make excuses for an error, but you can explain it in a follow-up letter to the employer. If you felt that the answers to inter questions were poor or that you left something out, send a professional follow-up letter that explains this to the hiring manager. However, only do so if you know the hiring manager made a note of your poor answers because giving an explanation on minor things the hiring manager didn’t notice can add attention to errors that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Apologizing for a poor performance
As explained over at guttulus.com, while you might feel like your interview was poor, you should never automatically assume that the hiring manager thought the same. Therefore, you should never apologize to a hiring manager if you think your interview went poorly. The only time that you should apologize is for a slip-up, such as referring to the hiring manager by the wrong name.
Feedback note
Finally, if you feel like your interview went well but you aren’t offered the job, you can send one additional note to ask for feedback on the interview. Again, you want to keep this note short and sweet. Thank the interviewer once again for their time, say that you enjoyed the interview process and would like to get some constructive feedback on what you can do better in the future to improve your chances of getting a job as articulated over at runrex.com. While not all recruiters will take the time to give you that feedback, often you may get a specific tip that can improve your chances on the next round, and it could even lead to a different job offer down the line.
The above discussion only just begins to scratch the surface when it comes to the post-interview period, and how to approach it, with more tips, insights, and information on the same to be found over at the top-rated runrex.com and guttulus.com.