5 Tips for Following Up After the Interview

Congratulations! You got the interview and it seemed to go well, so now what? Whether you think that interview went well or you feel a little uncertain, the next step is a follow up.

Get Your Follow Up Info During the Interview

First, you need to have their contact info in order to follow up, so make sure you collect business cards from everyone you meet with. If they don’t hand them to you, you can request them when they are shaking your hand and seeing you out.

Second, you need to know when to follow up. Best way to find out is by asking “what are the next steps in the process?” The hiring manager may tell you that they will reach out to everyone in the next week, which means you will need to follow up after a week if they haven’t reached out to you by then.

Send A Thank You within 24 Hours

Once the interview is over, you should send a thank you note to the hiring manager and all involved in your interview. It’s recommended you send one as soon as you can within 24 hours, so you stay on top of the interviewer’s mind. Tips for Writing a Thank You Note after the Interview

Ask to Connect

The hiring manager and any other professionals you meet with in your interviews have the potential to be long-term professional relationships, so it’s totally appropriate to connect on LinkedIn after the interview. However, you always want to give them a heads up, so they don’t question your motives. Don’t make this a generic connection request; give it purpose. You might strike up a conversation about a common interest and want to share an article with them on LinkedIn. You could even end the conversation in the interview by saying, “I really enjoyed our conversation. I’d love to connect with you on LinkedIn. Would you mind if we connected?”

Check in Periodically

Waiting for a hiring manager to get back to you can be a bit frustrating. It’s important to check in periodically. Don’t harass them: “Did I get the job?” “Did you make a decision yet?” You want to add purpose to your follow up, so you make it about them and in turn remind them that you are still waiting to hear from them. You could send an article you think they would enjoy, congratulate them on a promotion or recognition, or even thank them for some advice they gave to you during the interview. Just keep it simple and to the point.

Example: “Hi Chelsea, we spoke last month about the IT/Help Desk position with 123 Co. You gave me some advice to maximize productivity. I wanted to reach out to thank you because it has helped me open up time to handle more inquiries. I also came across this article about tech trends that you might be interested in based on our conversation. Hope you find it as informative as I did!”

It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but this will remind the hiring manager that you’re still available and will also show them you are still invested and passionate about your career. Note: Don’t be a pest! Check in on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, depending on what the hiring manager mentioned their next steps were.

Don’t Call Them, They’ll Call You

Don’t be a nuisance! Email is the way to go for checking in and like we mentioned in the previous tip, you should only check in every 2 weeks or once a month. Only call the hiring manager if they called you. Let the hiring manager initiate the phone call. Exception: You can call them as a follow up if they gave you a specific date that you’ll hear back from them and it has passed.

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