Follow Up After the Interview

Following up after an interview is often where even the best job candidates drop the ball, because they don’t want to seem overly-eager or irritate the interviewer(s). It’s important to always follow up though, so here are some tips to help you do so while maintaining your professionalism.

Set Expectations – During the interview, it’s a good ideas to ask the interviewer(s) when they will be contacting candidates to let them know about the position. Asking for this information gives you a timeline of when you should hear back and when it’s okay to follow up and inquire about a hiring decision. If you were told you would hear back within one week, and ten days have gone by, it’s more than acceptable to give the interviewer a call and follow up with them.

Stay in Touch – Another professional method of following up would be sending out thank you notes (or thank you e-mails) within two days of your interview. Sending a thank you note shows you are interested in the job and appreciate the time the interviewer(s) took to meet with you, without being overly bothersome.

What to Do After the Interview

After your interview, it’s important to stay professional and know what to expect from your potential future employer. Here are some tips:

At the End of the Interview

When asked if you have questions, it’s okay to ask what the next steps in the hiring process will be. This will show your interviewer that you’re interested and help ease the stress of waiting to hear back in the days following.

Before You Leave the Interview

Collect contact information from your interviewer. Business cards are great to collect when you’re making contacts in your field. Plus, asking for one reinforces your interest in the job and gives you something to reference when you send thank you cards. 

After the Interview

Send a brief thank you to your interviewer thanking them for their time.  Sending a thank you note reflects well on you and can sometimes be the deciding factor between you and another candidate. You should send your note within a few days of the interview.  

The amount of time you should wait before following up varies, but if you were given a specific decision date, it wouldn’t hurt to send a quick e-mail or make a follow-up phone call after that date has passed.