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Career Tip: The Follow-Up
Simply, the follow-up is how you communicate with the employer after the interview is over and before an offer is made. A skillfully executed follow up is essential in reiterating your interest. I recommend that you follow these “Do & Don’t” guidelines to direct your communication.
- Do use these follow-up techniques to continue to show your enthusiasm and desire for the position, but don’t make it seem as though you are desperate.
- Do ask at the end of the interview when the employer expects to make the hiring decision.
- Do be proactive and consider follow-up a strategic part of your job search process. Follow-up can give you just the edge you need to get the job offer over others who interviewed for the position.
- Do obtain the correct titles and names of all the people who interviewed you. (Ideally, do get each person’s business card.)
- Do write individual thank you notes or letters to each person who interviewed you. Ideally, the letter should be hand-written on personalized stationary and sent within twenty-four hours of your last communication. Each letter can be essentially the same, but try to vary each a bit in case recipients compare notes. Don’t ever fail to send a thank you -- even if you are sure the job is not for you. And do write thank you notes after every interview.
- In your thank you letter, do show appreciation for the employer’s interest in you and do remind the employer about why you are the perfect person for the position.
- Don't ever have any errors (misspellings or typos) in your thank you letters.
- Do alert your references -- if you have not done so already -- that they may be getting a phone call from the employer.
- Don't stop job-hunting, even if you feel confident that you will get a job offer. Do continue to interview and attempt to find other opportunities.
- Do follow-up with a telephone call to the employer within a week to ten days (or sooner, if the employer had a shorter timetable) to ask about the position. And do continue to build rapport and sell your strengths during the phone call.
- Do be patient. An employer may have tons of other things to do. Having to hire a new person may not be their top priority. Just because it is the most important thing in your life doesn’t mean they feel the same way. The hiring process often takes longer than the employer expects.
- Do continue following-up, especially if the employer asks you to. Remember the adage about the squeaky wheel getting the oil. Just don’t go overboard and annoy or bother the employer.
- Don't place too much importance on one job or one interview; there will be other opportunities for you.
- Do use other job offers as leverage in your follow-up -- to get the offer you really want.
- Don't burn any bridges if you do not get a job offer. And do try and turn the situation into a positive by bringing the interviewer(s) into your network, possibly even asking them for referrals to other contacts.
A special thank to Dr. Randall Hansen from Quintessential Careers for his help with this list. These tips are sure to help you master the art of the follow-up. For more information, feel free to stop by the
Source: Jason Umfress, 2006