Smart Job Seekers Follow Up After an Interview
Smart job seekers know that winning in today's competitive job market means doing the little things the average job seeker won't do.
The average job seeker won't make the effort to follow up after an interview.
Job seekers who consistently win in competitive interview situations go the extra mile to follow up after an interview.
You will increase your chances of receiving a job offer when you form the habit of following up an interview in a timely manner with an e-mail, a hand-written thank-you note and a phone call.
Smart job seekers make the extra effort to follow up for the following four reasons: 1.
You can't rely on the interviewer to remember all the important points you made during a 30 -to 45-minute conversation.
Communication research has shown that people forget half of what was said immediately upon leaving a conversation.
Eight hours after that, a person will only remember 20 percent.
Your e-mail.
/thank-you note will remind the interviewer how your unique strengths and experience will bring value to his or her organization.
2.
Follow-up allows you to continue to stay in contact with the interviewing manager.
Allen Martin, a corporate account manager for R.
R.
Donnelley, suggests ways to maintain contact following your interview: "You have to be able to successfully engage the person performing the interview while getting the inside information that you need to make your decision.
Always have a reason to contact the interviewer after it is over.
Ask "Can I call you if I come up with any other questions?" "You have given me a lot to think about.
If I need further clarification can I call you?" "I have a paper that I wrote that demonstrates my written communication skills.
Can I e-mail the paper to you later today?" An open invitation to make a secondary contact is invaluable.
Take advantage of it and follow up.
Also, always follow up with a thank-you note and then with a phone call.
" 3.
Thank you letters/notes, both e-mailed and written, will differentiate you from other job candidates.
Doug Moon, a hospital sales representative for Hospira, testifies to the impact follow-up notes can have on an interviewer.
Moon said: "Always write a hand-written thank-you note sent at the end of the interview.
Most people, if not all, write an e-mail thank-you note.
I do both, an e-mail thank you to be professional and a hand-written one stating that I would be the best candidate.
I try putting at least one sentence in there about something personal that was mentioned in the interview.
My current boss told me that out of the 20 some candidates who interviewed for the position, I was the only one to send a hand-written thank-you note.
" 4.
Not following-up can turn off interviewers.
Laura Ball, health-care segment marketing manager for Kimberly Clark, listed not sending an e-mail/letter thank-you after the interview as one of her top five reasons that a potential new hire would turn her off in the interviewing process.
Often managers perceive no follow-up to mean a job candidate lacks attention to details, has bad manners or has no interest in the job.
Some employers use lack of follow-up as a screening tool to determine who they are going to invite back for a second interview.
Smart job seekers know to send an e-mail/letter thank-you note to each person with whom he/she interviewed and not just the hiring manager.
If you interviewed with another person in the company you can be assured that he/she will be asked to provide input in the hiring decision.
Often job seekers will complain they don't know what to say in a thank-you e-mail/note.
There are free resources on the Internet that will assist you in creating a thank-you e-mail/note.
An excellent website that provides thank-you note templates that you can modify is http://www.
thank-you-note-samples.
com/interview-thank-you.
html.
The key to successful follow-up is that it must be timely.
A thank-you e-mail needs to be sent within 24 hours of an interview.
A hand-written thank-you note needs to be mailed within 24 hours in order to be received within three days of an interview.
A follow-up phone call is recommended four to five days after an interview.
Staying within these time parameters will show your interest in the job and give you the perception of being detail oriented.
The fact that your written thank-you note will be received a couple of days after your e-mail thank you will continue to keep your name in front of the interviewers.
Usually people will keep written thank-you notes on their desks for a few days.
This is a subtle, but effective way of staying in front of the interviewer.
A phone call follow-up on day four or five will continue a consistent, non-threatening persistence that will demonstrate your desire for the job.
Following up after an interview is one of the most effective ways of differentiating yourself from your competition.
Make the extra effort to consistently follow up after interviews and increase your odds of receiving your next job offer.
The average job seeker won't make the effort to follow up after an interview.
Job seekers who consistently win in competitive interview situations go the extra mile to follow up after an interview.
You will increase your chances of receiving a job offer when you form the habit of following up an interview in a timely manner with an e-mail, a hand-written thank-you note and a phone call.
Smart job seekers make the extra effort to follow up for the following four reasons: 1.
You can't rely on the interviewer to remember all the important points you made during a 30 -to 45-minute conversation.
Communication research has shown that people forget half of what was said immediately upon leaving a conversation.
Eight hours after that, a person will only remember 20 percent.
Your e-mail.
/thank-you note will remind the interviewer how your unique strengths and experience will bring value to his or her organization.
2.
Follow-up allows you to continue to stay in contact with the interviewing manager.
Allen Martin, a corporate account manager for R.
R.
Donnelley, suggests ways to maintain contact following your interview: "You have to be able to successfully engage the person performing the interview while getting the inside information that you need to make your decision.
Always have a reason to contact the interviewer after it is over.
Ask "Can I call you if I come up with any other questions?" "You have given me a lot to think about.
If I need further clarification can I call you?" "I have a paper that I wrote that demonstrates my written communication skills.
Can I e-mail the paper to you later today?" An open invitation to make a secondary contact is invaluable.
Take advantage of it and follow up.
Also, always follow up with a thank-you note and then with a phone call.
" 3.
Thank you letters/notes, both e-mailed and written, will differentiate you from other job candidates.
Doug Moon, a hospital sales representative for Hospira, testifies to the impact follow-up notes can have on an interviewer.
Moon said: "Always write a hand-written thank-you note sent at the end of the interview.
Most people, if not all, write an e-mail thank-you note.
I do both, an e-mail thank you to be professional and a hand-written one stating that I would be the best candidate.
I try putting at least one sentence in there about something personal that was mentioned in the interview.
My current boss told me that out of the 20 some candidates who interviewed for the position, I was the only one to send a hand-written thank-you note.
" 4.
Not following-up can turn off interviewers.
Laura Ball, health-care segment marketing manager for Kimberly Clark, listed not sending an e-mail/letter thank-you after the interview as one of her top five reasons that a potential new hire would turn her off in the interviewing process.
Often managers perceive no follow-up to mean a job candidate lacks attention to details, has bad manners or has no interest in the job.
Some employers use lack of follow-up as a screening tool to determine who they are going to invite back for a second interview.
Smart job seekers know to send an e-mail/letter thank-you note to each person with whom he/she interviewed and not just the hiring manager.
If you interviewed with another person in the company you can be assured that he/she will be asked to provide input in the hiring decision.
Often job seekers will complain they don't know what to say in a thank-you e-mail/note.
There are free resources on the Internet that will assist you in creating a thank-you e-mail/note.
An excellent website that provides thank-you note templates that you can modify is http://www.
thank-you-note-samples.
com/interview-thank-you.
html.
The key to successful follow-up is that it must be timely.
A thank-you e-mail needs to be sent within 24 hours of an interview.
A hand-written thank-you note needs to be mailed within 24 hours in order to be received within three days of an interview.
A follow-up phone call is recommended four to five days after an interview.
Staying within these time parameters will show your interest in the job and give you the perception of being detail oriented.
The fact that your written thank-you note will be received a couple of days after your e-mail thank you will continue to keep your name in front of the interviewers.
Usually people will keep written thank-you notes on their desks for a few days.
This is a subtle, but effective way of staying in front of the interviewer.
A phone call follow-up on day four or five will continue a consistent, non-threatening persistence that will demonstrate your desire for the job.
Following up after an interview is one of the most effective ways of differentiating yourself from your competition.
Make the extra effort to consistently follow up after interviews and increase your odds of receiving your next job offer.