following up

 

So, you finished your interview, went home excited to hear back, but now what? Maybe it’s been a few days (or more) and you haven’t heard anything.
After a job interview, it’s important to follow up with the hiring manager. In fact, thanking the interviewer for taking the time to meet is the most important action you can take post-interview. Along with expressing appreciation, your thank you letter, email, or call is an opportunity to:

  • highlight your relevant qualifications
  • show your enthusiasm for the role
  • mention important details that didn’t come up during the interview

Here’s more information on what to say and how to time your communication.

A little bit more on Following Up……

It can be difficult to obtain feedback if your first interview was a telephone interview, especially if it was handled by a third party rather than by the employer themselves. But it is always worth asking. The organisation’s human resources department is a good place to start. To make things as easy as possible, have some key feedback questions prepared. There are examples available under Resources.

How to Follow up After a Job Interview
If possible, collect business cards from all your interviewers. That way, you’ll have people’s contact information on hand. If that isn’t feasible, check on LinkedIn for the job titles, contact information, and the correct spelling of the interviewers’ names. If the information isn’t listed, look up interviewers on the company website or call the company’s mainline. A receptionist should be able to access the company directory and help you gather up details. When you are selected for a job interview, it means that you’re a serious contender for the job. That’s why it’s important to take the time to follow up after every single job interview, including both in-person and phone interviews.By following up, you’re reminding the interviewer that you’re a strong candidate for the job and you are reinforcing the fact that you’re qualified and should be given serious consideration. Your thank you note also shows that you’re interested in the position. 

Take reassurance from the fact that you got a first interview. Your initial application was effective and you may have been up against very tough competition for entry to the second stage. Think about all the positives from that interview experience and build on these for the future. You can find advice on preparing for interview, including reflecting and working on what didn’t go so well on previous occasions.Many candidates believe that the interview is the toughest and most important part of the application process. However, how you follow up after the interview is just as crucial.You might have made a positive impact on the hiring manager, but you need to maintain your efforts.

There are many critical, yet avoidable, mistakes applicants often make after participating in an interview. 

1. Following up too much.

It’s alright (and even expected) that you follow up after your interview, but don’t overwhelm your potential employer with multiple messages and phone calls. If you reach out too often, you’re going to turn off the hiring manager.

2. Don’t get too comfortable with the interviewer.

You might hit it off with the hiring manager, but you should remain professional and appropriate through the entire hiring process.Be polite, but never become too familiar. Many people assume comfort early on in an attempt to build rapport, but this could put off your interviewer. This goes for social media as well. While it’s a great tool for marketing or showing your personality, it’s not good for socializing with a potential hiring manager.

3. Don’t change your salary expectations.

Recruiters make an offer to a candidate based on those initial salary expectations. Candidates should avoid greatly increasing their expectations at the final hour. It makes the candidate look bad, it makes the recruiter look bad, and it wastes everyone’s time. More on following up