Did you nail the interview or are you second guessing your answers? Wishing for an opportunity to reinforce how awesome you are or get a do-over? Following up the right way can give you a chance to correct or reinforce the impression you made in the interview. Reiterate what makes you a great fit for the position or add any important details you may have missed.
Say thanks
Send thank you notes to everyone who interviewed you. Email is quicker; but handwritten ones are more personal. Use your industry knowledge to determine the best choice. Not sure? Try both, but don’t just handwrite exactly what you wrote in your email. Switch it up. Start by thanking them for their time, and then highlight a couple of your key selling points and relating them to the job requirements.
Try to get business cards from everyone you interview with so that you have contact information for each of them. If you miss anyone, look them up on LinkedIn or call HR to ask for their email address. Write individual notes to each person; don’t just change names on the same letter.
Time it right
Ask when the employer expects to make a decision. Send your thank you immediately after the interview. Your next contact should be 3-5 days after the projected decision date. A brief follow-up email to find out where they are in the decision making process can help you stay top-of-mind and stand out among other candidates. Be brief, conversational and mention a point or two discussed in the interview, or some company or industry news.
Email is best
Phone calls can be intrusive, but email allows the employer to respond at their convenience. It’s more efficient for them because they can reply when they are not busy and for you if you work full time.
Keep swimming
Don’t stop looking just because you had a great interview. Crazy things happen. Budgets are cut, departments consolidated, nephews hired. Keep plugging away until you have a firm offer in hand. And when it comes to job searching, no news is not good news. If you haven’t heard anything well past the anticipated decision date, you can probably cross that position off your list.
Looking for a new career? Need help creating an effective job search strategy? Contact the staffing experts at MRInc. today. We can help you brush up your interview skills, tighten your resume and land your dream job.