Things To Avoid When Following Up
At the same time, there are also a few things you should avoid:
- Don’t Hound Your Interviewers: Initiatives such as a thank-you email and a follow-up a week or so later are more than enough. Beyond that, you won’t be promoting yourself you’ll be stressing them out. Remember that your goal is not only to show the hiring managers that youre qualified but also to convince them that they want to work with you.
- Don’t Send Anything That Makes You Look Bad: This includes personal social media profiles that contain unprofessional pictures or behavior. Err on the side of caution when determining this. You might see nothing wrong with a photo of you enjoying a margarita on a tropical vacation, but the hiring manager might feel differently. Likewise, don’t send memes or be too casual in the tone of your email by using internet acronyms, etc.
- Don’t Overwrite: Keep your message short and focused. The interviewer will not want to read a very long thank-you email. Focus on saying thank you and briefly reiterating your interest in the position.
- Don’t Send Misspelled or Grammatically Incorrect Emails: Even professional editors make mistakes when they try to work on their own. Get another set of eyeballs to look over your work before you hit “send.”
Why Send A Follow
Sending a follow-up email after an interview is often expected and can benefit your application in several ways. For one, it gives you the opportunity to reaffirm your interest in a position and to underline the value you would add to the company you are interviewing with. Moreover, it helps you to make a good impression on the hiring manager, showing that you are thoughtful and appreciative.
Should I Send Separate Thank You Emails
First and foremost, you need to know who youre emailing. If you interviewed with multiple people, you should thank each of them individually in separate emails. The emails should all follow the guidelines laid out below, but you should tailor each by referencing something specific from your conversation/interview.
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Show That Youre Appreciative
After your greeting, its always best to start with an expression of gratitude. Thank your interviewer for taking the time to meet with you, and for considering you for the position. Remember to be genuine and include the specific job title, as employers or hiring managers may be assessing applicants for multiple positions at once.
And, if you have anything else you want to thank your interviewer for, you can do that here too.
A Guide To Effective Post
Once your interview is over, you can breathe a sigh of relief. The most challenging part is over! Now, all you have to do is sit back, relax and wait for the response. The ball is entirely in their court right? Not so fast. While its definitely true that the hardest part is over, theres still work to be done to ensure that you stay on top of your interviewers minds. In this guide, well share interview follow-up email templates that will win over recruiters and hiring managers and benefit your application.
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What Is A 2nd Interview For
The second interview might be a the chance for the interviewer or interviewers to delve a bit deeper into your experience and how you might fit in the business. There may be some unanswered questions which the interviewer would like to explore further or they may have some queries about the way you answered a question.
Template For A Thank You Email After A Phone Interview
An employer may conduct phone interviews, or phone screens, with a dozen or more applicants for every job opening. Youre in a crowded field of candidates, all vying for the opportunity to interview in-person. One way to differentiate yourself is to craft a considerate post-interview thank you email as soon as you get off the phone.
Subject Line: Thank you for your time today.
Dear ],
I appreciate having the opportunity to speak with you today about the ] position at ]. After our conversation, Im very excited about this opportunity. I believe my skills and interests are a perfect match for this role.
I am particularly interested in ]
I appreciate the time you took to interview me today, and I look forward to having the opportunity to meet you in person.
If you need any additional information from me, please feel free to contact me at any time.
Again, thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
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How Soon To Send A Thank You Email After An Interview
Aim to send your post-interview thank you email the day after your job interview, between 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm. If your interview was on a Friday, then send your email the same day, in the evening instead of waiting a day. .
Always make sure the email is sent within 24 hours of your interview so that your conversation is still fresh in the interviewers mind.
If you decide to send your thank you note as a letter in the mail, you should still send it within one or two business days of your job interview. They wont receive it as soon, because the thank you letter needs to get delivered, but its best to send it soon after the interview so the employer receives your note relatively quickly.
How To Write A Staying In Touch Email After An Interview
If you havent heard back after checking in, or you found out you didnt get the job, you can still email the hiring manager explaining how youd love to stay in touch. The goal of this email is to establish a relationship and for them to keep you in mind and help you grow.
Just like the post-interview check in email, this one is short and sweet.
- Send this email to the hiring manager.
- Thank them for their time and consideration in the interview stage.
- After addressing them, mention what it is about them that you find interesting or inspirational.
- Limit this email to one to two paragraphs and include a proposed time to meet for a call or for coffee.
Sample staying in touch post interview email
Subject line: Staying in touch
Dear [Hiring Manager}
Hope you are doing well. Im reaching out to say thank you again for your time and consideration. I really enjoyed my speaking and learning fro you and others at my interview. In particular, I found the details you shared of your own career path very to be very eye-opening and inspirational. As someone whos aspiring to build my career myself, , Id love to learn more about how youve developed your skills.
I know you must be busy, but if you have 20 minutes to chat, it would be greatly appreciated. Are you available for a phone or coffee chat sometime in the next few weeks?
Thanks again,
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Ask About The Next Steps
It’s great to be forthcoming about what comes next in the hiring process. This shows enthusiasm in the job. Asking something like, “What else can I provide to be helpful and move forward to the next steps?” is a great way to show your passion for the position.
Here is an example:
Looking forward to hearing what the next steps in the interview process might be. Very excited about this opportunity!
Sample Interview Thank You Email/note #:
Hello < Interviewers Name> ,
Thank you for taking the time to interview me < yesterday/Friday/etc> . I enjoyed our conversation about < specific topic you discussed> and it was great learning about the < Job Title> position overall.
It sounds like an exciting opportunity and a role I could succeed and excel in. Im looking forward to hearing any updates you can share, and dont hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns in the meantime.
Best regards,
< Your First and Last Name>
This is a short, casual email thats best for modern industries like tech, e-commerce, digital marketing, etc.
This type of short message also makes an ideal thank you email to a recruiter or HR person after a phone interview or other first-round interview. At that stage, you dont need to be sending a lot of detail in your thank you letter you simply want to give thanks and reaffirm your interest.
And modern companies dont want to see a ten-paragraph, formal thank you letter that takes ten minutes to read. In fact, it might make them want to hire you less because theyll doubt whether youre a fit for their company culture. Thats why I recommend keeping your message short and genuine, like the sample above.
Even if its a second- or third-round interview, this type of very short, concise thank-you email can still be effective. Heres an example of the type of message Id personally send if I were job hunting right now:
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Before You Send Proofread Everything
Email templates are only as good as the effort you put into filling them out and proofreading them.
Go over every detail and make sure it actually makes sense for your situation. If not, sending that thank you email or letter will do more harm than good.
Example: In the third sample email earlier in this article, it says, thank you for taking the time to meet with me.
If you had a phone interview, you should say, thank you for taking the time to talk on the phone with me.
Right?
Otherwise, its going to sound a bit odd, and they might suspect you just cut & pasted from a template. Not good!
So be careful, take your time with these sample emails, and make sure every single word makes sense.
Why Should You Write A Thank
Great question! Not only are thank-you letters a show of an applicants interest in the position, good manners, and organization, but some employers even expect them. Ultimately, they are another chance to influence your employers decision before they actually make one, and they typically work in your favor.
In fact, according to a 2017 survey conducted by Accountemps, approximately 80% of HR managers found thank-you emails after an interview to be either somewhat helpful or very helpful. And, considering that over half of interviewees tend to not send them out after interviews, doing so could make you stand out from the crowd!
And, although handwritten letters are certainly more personal, they take much longer to write and send out than emails. Thus, by the time your letter finally reaches your interviewers, they may have already decided! So, even if youre planning on sending a handwritten letter, we would highly recommend also sending a thank-you email within 24 hours of your interview. This will reach your interviewers far quicker, and they will likely still appreciate the gesture.
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Be Patient After This
If you still havent gotten a response at that point, Id be patient. Theres a chance that an important person in the hiring process is on vacation, or that the person youve been emailing is extremely busy, sick, etc.
So I recommend waiting a minimum of 48-72 hours at this point, and in some cases, a full week is better to wait.
Sending another follow-up sooner than this wont help you get the job. So try to focus on other tasks in your job search while waiting to ask for an update again.
Once you do feel its time to take things further, heres who to email and how to write the email
Pick the next logical person in the company to email.
For example, if you were emailing an HR person before, try the hiring manager or somebody in the department youve been talking to in your job interviews. Or vice versa if youve emailed the hiring manager multiple times with no response, then try checking in with HR, a recruiter, or another relevant contact within the company.
Since this is a brand-new email thread, youll need to write a subject line. I recommend keeping it simple and using one of the example subject lines that I shared earlier in this article.
Why Is It Important To Write A Thank
Its true that some employers expect a thank-you letter after an interview. Its a gesture that reinforces your interest in the role, while also showcasing good manners. When you write a thank-you note after an interview, you gain yet another opportunity to influence your potential employer’s decision. If you write a thank-you note, you can reiterate your interest in and qualifications for the position.
A handwritten thank-you letter offers a personal touch and has the potential to set you apart from other candidates as many people dont mail letters anymore. However, it can take days for a mailed letter to arrive. The hiring process can move quickly so its recommended to always send a thank-you email, even if you decide to also send a handwritten letter. When you email, you can connect with the hiring team much more quickly and influence their decision before they complete the hiring process. Send your thank-you email no more than 24 hours after the interview.
Related:Guide to Thank You Notes
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What If The Employer Says They Dont Have Any Feedback Yet
In some cases, the hiring manager or recruiter will reply to your follow-up email and say theyre still in the middle of the hiring process and dont have information about the next steps yet.
At times, theyll be specific about what theyre working on behind the scenes but often, they wont tell you the specifics.
Either way, I recommend responding with a brief email to keep the conversation alive and ensure that you stay in touch. By using the following email template, you give yourself an opening to follow up again if needed, too.
Write A Clear Subject Line
The first thing that employers see before opening an email is the sender and, more importantly, the subject line. Thus, its best to choose a subject line that clearly conveys your message. If you want to go with something a little more formal, consider something like:
- Thank you for your time
- Thanks for the interview yesterday
- I enjoyed learning more about
Alternatively, if you want to go with something a little more casual, feel free to choose one of these options:
- Thank you, !
- Great meeting you !
And thats it for the subject line! Whats next?
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Short Interview Thank You Email Example
A short follow-up version may be most appropriate as a thank you email after a phone interview. In the short version, youll want to be concise:
Subject line: Thank you for your time
Dear Ms. Owekwe,
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me about the marketing coordinator role. It was great to meet with you and learn more about the position.
Im very excited about the opportunity to join Horizon Marketing and am particularly interested in the details you shared about the upcoming launch of the brand campaign. Im enthusiastic about the prospect of taking on some of the project management and bringing my experience in successfully coordinating cross-functional initiatives to the table.
After our conversation, Im confident that my background in marketing and my interest in brand growth will enable me to fill the job requirements effectively and support the vision of Horizon. Please feel free to contact me if I can provide you with any further information or samples of my work. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks again,
How To Send An Engaging Follow
After a job interview, it’s only natural to want an update on the hiring process, particularly if you feel it went well. However, there are several potential pitfalls to avoid when sending a follow-up email after the interview. If you come across as pushy, sloppy or too informal then you could damage your chances of landing the job.
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More About Interview Thank You Notes
About the author
Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a recent Visiting Scholar at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Susan is a two-time layoff graduate who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. Since 1998, Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt.org. Follow Susan on Twitter at and on , .
More Complex Thank You Email
Replace the text below with whatever terms are appropriate for you and your situation.
Subject: Thank you for the interview on
Dear :
Thank you very much for your time today to interview me for the position of . I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about this job, to meet you and , and to see your facility .
As we discussed, I have of experience with . With my background and experience, I believe that I could become a contributor to your team very quickly.
I am excited about this opportunity to join . Please do not hesitate to email or call me if you have any questions or need any additional information.
I look forward to hearing from you .
Best regards,
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Craft A Strong Follow
Email subject lines are important because they determine whether your email gets opened, and how quickly.
I recommend following up with whoever said theyd been in touch after your interview, or if youre not sure, follow up with whoever you were emailing to scheduling the interview.
The person who scheduled your interview is a good person to follow up with to check the status of interview feedback.
The best way to write a subject line for a follow-up email is to simply reply to the latest email thread and leave the previous subject line.
For example, lets say that this was the previous email subject line:
Interview on Thursday at 10:00 AM
You should hit reply in your email program and then the subject line will look like this:
Re: Interview on Thursday at 10:00 AM
Continuing with the existing email thread and leaving the subject line as-is will boost your emails chances of getting opened faster.
The recipient will open your follow-up email because its clear what the email is about .
If you dont have a previous email to reply to, then choose one of the following subject lines for your interview follow-up email:
- Job interview follow-up
- Following up regarding interview results
