Following up after a Job Interview

Most career advisors will tell you that it is good practice to follow up after a job interview. A follow up reinforces that you are enthusiastic about the role. If done the right way at the right time, it might even tip you to the top of the short list. There is an art to the follow up. It has to feel authentic and not too pushy.

Ideally, when you have left the job interview you understand what the process is likely to be. You understand whether they have more people to see and when they are likely to contact you.

Also it is a good idea to take some notes during the interview. This could include important pieces of information about the company and the role. It is also a good idea to make sure you know the names of everyone on the interview panel. You also might like to note down any highlights from your conversation.

An e-mail follow up thanking your interviewers for their time is entirely acceptable. We think it is good practice to send an e-mail to your interviewer within 24 hours of meeting with them. You could include a line or two about the skills you would bring to their company. You should also state how interested you are in the role. This is a good time to reinforce that interview highlight you noted earlier.

There are mixed opinions in the recruitment industry, but some people think you should send an actual hand written thank you note. If you are going this route, it should be done within 3-4 days of an interview to ensure you are still fresh in their minds. It should also be personalised. Please only go the hand-written approach if people can actually read your hand writing! We think this approach shows that you have impeccable manners and are REALLY keen on the role. It also demonstrates that you go above and beyond the usual follow up.

This will depend on the rapport you built up at the meeting. Did you hit it off instantly? Some people, particularly HR executives may meet with hundreds of candidates every year. Some interviewers may only be comfortable connecting with people they have worked with closely. If you are going to take this approach, we would suggest including a personalised note on any invitation to connect, reminding them how you met. If you are lucky and they accept your invitation, this lets you stay in touch even if you were unsuccessful in this role. You do however, also run the risk of your connection request being ignored. This might be a good indication you have not been successful in this role!

If the hiring manager has told you that you would hear from them by the end of the week and you do not hear, we think it is entirely acceptable to touch base and ask how the process is going.

Do you follow up after every interview? How? We would love to hear your most impressive interview follow up.