After an Interview: Follow Up Best Practices
Reading Time 2 minutes
Job interviews are not a one size fits all experience. Sometimes nerve-wracking, sometimes enjoyable and sometimes somewhere in between. Whatever the key takeaway(s), always plan to follow up with whom you spoke… you’re a professional now! Neglecting to do so could seriously undermine your candidacy and inadvertently communicate that you are not interested and/or did not respect the time of those interviewing you.
During the interview itself, it’s your job to get all the facts—ask about the hiring timeline, take detailed notes and save business cards from everyone you meet. After, use these simple tips to appropriately follow up:
- Send a personal thank you email or note to each interviewer on the day you interview
- Refer back to strong points of the conversation and reiterate your interest/ main selling points
- Be genuine and express gratitude
- Feel free to send a hand-written note as well (bonus points!); just keep it simple and not repetitive
- Continue applying and attending interviews while you await next steps
- Exercise patience—be aware that the hiring timeline is not set in stone
- Take their timeline with a grain of salt—add a week to the schedule the employer provides and then plan to follow up if you have not heard from them
- Be alarmed when you don’t hear anything back immediately
- Send a second follow up before waiting at least a week
- Agonize—the ball is in their court
The interviewing and hiring process takes time and logistics, requiring patience and tact. If your top pick does not follow up before receiving another offer, it is perfectly acceptable to ask for an updated timeline to guide your decision-making. Still nothing but radio silence? You may feel disheartened and that’s okay! Reflect on what you’ve learned throughout the process instead of dwelling on the rejection.