Land Your Next Job Offer
The job hunt can be grueling. From the job application to interview questions to the , the job search is exhausting. Sometimes, the job search can be depressing. Practice self-compassion throughout the process.
But your dream new job could be just around the corner. Following up after a job interview can be intimidating. You might not know how to best check in with the interviewers. You might feel like youre imposing on your interviewers time.
But with this guide, you can feel confident in following up post-interview with your potential employer. You can make a good impression and hopefully help make their hiring decision an easy one.
What To Do If You Are Invited For A Second Interview
Depending on the company you are interviewing with, you may be asked to come in for a second interview. This often happens with larger companies with more elaborate recruiting systems. However, small companies also use multiple interviews to ensure you are the right fit for their team.
If you receive a phone call or email asking you to come in for a second interview, you want to collect as much information as possible about who you will be speaking with and how it may be different from the first interview.
For example, you will want to ask questions like:
- Will I be meeting with the same team members as the other day?
- Is there anything specific that I should be ready to discuss?
- Should I expect to be tested on any particular skills?
Make a note of all of this information and then prepare accordingly.
Dont Freak Out Over Radio Silence
Few things are more dispiriting than going through an interview, or multiple rounds of interviews, for a coveted role only to have your follow-up outreach met with … crickets. But it does occasionally happen. If three follow-ups, reasonably spaced so as to not overwhelm, still fail to net a reply, cut your losses and assume the company has gone another direction, Brown said.
But even though the silence may be irritating, its important to not vent that irritation to the hiring manager or recruiter. Either take it as a blessing in disguise a marker of unprofessionalism that may be symptomatic of larger organizational woes or assume the other party might be overwhelmed.
Recruiters are measured on the number of roles they fill. … They may have every intention of getting back to you, to let you know youre not the one, often they just dont. They assume youll figure it out, or theyre not incentivized to close the loop, Thomas said.
Whatever the case, remain courteous, because the door may someday swing open again. Khine recommends sending one last email in which you thank them for their time, graciously let them know you assume the role was filled and let them know youd still like to be considered for future openings.
You never really know whats going on on the other side, she said. And more often than not, that type of final follow-up will probably get some sort of response, even if its not the one you want, she said.
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Using Fwd To Speed Up The Process
Subject: Fwd: Job Application Follow Up
Hi ,
Its been a while since we talked and I wanted to make sure that I had followed up on my job application appropriately. I had a great conversation with you and am very excited about the possibility of joining your team.
If you could let me know what the next steps are, that would be much appreciated. Ill keep an eye out for your response, and please let me know if theres anything else youd like from me.
Thank you,
If you dont hear back from the potential employer up to two weeks after your interview, its perfectly acceptable to send a follow-up email. In fact, its expected.
When you do follow up, reference something specific from the interview conversation that you had. This could be anything from a shared interest to a project you discussed working on together. If there were multiple interviewers, CC them all on the email.
You can also check the companys website to see if there are updates on the status of the role. If the vacancy announcement disappears from the career page or it is past the time frame provided in the recruitment process, its safe to reach out. Even if it potentially means that you didnt qualify for the position, its better to know so you can quit guessing and continue your job search.
And if you dont hear back at all, just move on. There are plenty of other opportunities out there. And while it is in good practice for companies to reply to all candidates, sometimes they dont.
Follow Up Email To Turn A Maybe Into A Yes
Sometimes, a follow-up email isnt about starting a conversation but securing a deal. In scenarios like this, focusing on how others have benefited from the product or service can get you the yes you want on the spot.
As always, start by reminding the recipient who you are. They may not necessarily have forgotten, but it gives them the proper context to process the point of the email.
This sample by an SEO agency does something incredibly brilliant by conveying value with a picture. Images are worth a thousand words, and it is a foregone conclusion that images are effective in email marketing.
With a picture like that, everything else fades away. Your prospect is left to imagine what a similar effect can do for their company.
Job done.
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The Thanks Again Follow
Dear
I just wanted to say thank you again for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to me about with . I appreciate your time and consideration.
After meeting with you and your colleagues, , I believe that my experience posits me as the perfect candidate for this position. In addition to my enthusiasm for , I would bring the necessary to get the job done.
I am reaching out once more to express that I am very interested in working for you and sincerely look forward to hearing from you soon. Please feel free to contact me at any time if you need any more information.
Thank you again,
When And How To Follow Up After An Interview
One of the questions you should ask during a job interview is What is the next step in your hiring process? This gives you an idea of when you will hear back from the company.
Its important to respect the job hiring process that recruiters go through. If the person that interviewed you told you that a decision will be made by next Wednesday, dont contact them before this apart from your thank you note.
You may be really interested in the position, and you want to try to persuade the company that you are the right person for the job. But dont. It runs the risk of a recruiter perceiving you as a bad listener or disrespectful of other peoples time.
However, lets say that the recruiter said you could expect to hear back by Wednesday, and its now Wednesday afternoon. Well, in that case, its time to act. There is nothing wrong with sending a short interview follow-up note to see if the company has made a decision.
Example of What Should an Interview Follow-up Email Say
Dear ,
I hope all is well with you. I am just following up to see if you have come to a decision regarding the position . If not, could you please let me know when a decision might be made?
Thank you kindly, and please let me know if you require further information regarding my qualifications.
Sincerely,
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How Do You Politely Ask For An Interview Result
After waiting the stipulated time, if you haven’t received any response or feedback from the interviewer then it is polite to contact them and ask about the status of your interview. Mention that you are very keen on knowing the results. However, do not be pushy or aggressive in your tone. Thank them for their time once they inform you about the result. Emailing is always the best and most professional way to follow up. Unless you have been told by the interviewer that it is okay to contact them via phone.
Follow Up After A Phone Or Zoom Interview
Hi ,
It was really great talking to you over the phone/Zoom. I learned a lot, and I appreciate the advice you gave me about . Id love to take this a step further and meet you in person.
All the best,
Image by Edmond Dantes from Pexels
Hi ,
Im reaching out to follow up on our recent interview on about . Its been a few days/weeks, and I havent yet heard back from you, so Im following up to see if youre still interested. Im still ready and available to get started.
Thanks,
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The Journey To Softwareone
Jeff Cannon was born in Tacoma, Washington, but considers both Texas and Georgeia his home. After graduating from college with a bachelor’s degree in English and History, âI wanted to go to graduate school for history,â he explains. But upon arrival, he realized graduate school was not the right path for him, so he packed his backpack and set out for a trip through Europe instead.
This adventurous spirit led him back home to pursue exciting challenges, such as opening a hotel in Austin, working as a flight attendant in New York and Hawaii, and eventually pursuing a sales career at Dell. âI was an account executive for large university systems and large K-12 systems providing information technology to students to be able to further their education. It really fit in with my mantra around how important education is in society,â Jeff explains.âIt’s kind of my thing.â But after nearly 20 years at the company, he decided to look for new opportunities. âI was tired of doing the same thing all the time.â Enter SoftwareONE.
âThis was an opportunity to do something completely different and take the information that I learned and use it to help build a practice that can accomplish some of the same things,â Jeff explains. He joined the company as a Business Development Executive Executive where he works to build the companyâs education practice within the public sector in the United States.
Do Find A Template That Works For You
As with a cover letter and resume, a thank you note is something you should build an effective template for, which you can then tailor for each person you send it to. This structure will, of course, vary depending on the types of roles you’re applying for and your individual style, but should typically include:
- A Thank-You: Thank your interviewer for taking the time to speak with you
- What You Learned: Highlight one or two things that either changed or reinforced your perceptions of the company and/or the position.
- Anything Memorable: If you made a personal connection with your interviewer , bring it up again!
- Reiteration of Interest: Tell them again that you’re very interested in the role and that you’re looking forward to hearing of their decision.
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Highlighting Portions Of The Interview Unique To You
Its always great to create a conversation during an interview, instead of having it be more of a Q& A. Beyond your qualifications, interviewers are gauging if you are a fit for the company culture. If you are able to have an engaging conversation with them outside of interview questions, it shows you are able to get along with people on the team quickly. Whenever you engage in a conversation, it helps you stand out from the pool of candidates. This one sentence is optional but highly recommended. Itll highlight any topic that was discussed in the interview unique to you. Maybe the two of you connected over the same hometown, college, hobby, volunteering service, etc. This is a nice thing to bring up in your follow up email to remind the interviewer of the pleasant time they had speaking with you. Lastly, this sentence could also be blended with the portion on reiterating your interest in the company.
Examples:
I also enjoyed connecting over our time volunteering with the Peace Corps, its been a while since I met someone that also served in Ghana.
It was such a nice surprise to meet a fellow Trojan.
Its great to meet someone that loves plants as much as I do!
Be Mindful Of Their Timeline
In general, when youâre following up with your point of contact, keep their timeline in mind. If they told you they need two weeks before theyâd be ready for next steps, give them the full two weeks plus a day or two to account for delays on their end before you reach out.
There are instances when you may consider following up before their timeline. One example of when this would be appropriate is if you receive a job offer from another company. Whether you are leaning toward accepting the other offer or still want to prioritize this opportunity, reaching out to your point of contact to let them know about the shift in your timeline could help both of you make the most informed decision moving forward.
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How Many Times Should You Follow
It really depends on the job you’re interviewing for and the company you’re interviewing with. In general, most job applicants should follow up once or twice after an interview. But it’s always best to err on the side of being too persistent rather than not enough. If you haven’t received a decision from the company within a week or two after your interview, it’s generally safe to send a reminder email again. You can either send an email or give them a call just be sure to personalize your message so it doesn’t come off as spammy.
Include A Call To Action
How many times have you received a text that left you unsure of how to reply? I bet you ended up sending nothing. It is no different with emails.
To get a response, craft your follow-up email in a way that makes it easy for the recipient to respond. That starts with explaining why you are emailing, concisely and directly, and a call to action.
Make it clear what you want from the recipient. Do you want them to call you back? Fill out a form? Set up a meeting? Be specific.
It is also helpful when you distill your preferred response to a single word or short phrase.
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More Tips For Following Up
The more specific you can get in your follow up email subject lines, the better. So try adding details.
You can mention the exact job title or something specific you discussed in the interview, like a question they asked you, or a topic they shared information about.
You can include other details too, it depends on the situation and the person youre following up with. Dont make your subject line too long, but a bit of information is good and its okay if its around 8 words long.
Follow Up Email After An Interview
The interview itself is the best place to showcase your value and stand out among other applicants. But a follow-up email after gives you a second chance.
Not only because you may not have performed well, but it is an extra opportunity to connect with the interviewer and keep you top of mind.
In your follow-up email, as shown by this sample, recap a part of the conversation. It shows you were listening.
Use a paragraph to reinstate how you would fit into the team. Something akin to the second paragraph here.
Finally, and perhaps the most important, personalize the content. This could be anything from a compliment about something the interviewer wore or a detail they shared with you during the interview.
NOTE:Dont send the same email to everyone if different colleagues interview you. Always personalize your follow-up email for each person.
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Compose The Body Of Your Email
Introduce the reason for your email.
The body of a follow-up email should be kept very concise and to the point. Begin with thanking the interviewer for their time, mentioning when the interview took place to remind them.
Example: “Thank you for taking the time to interview me this morning, it was a pleasure speaking with you and learning more about the position.”
Reiterate your interest in the position.
Address specific discussion points and/or details from the interview and reaffirm your interest in the position. Address what in particular makes you the right fit for the job or how your experience and interests align with the requirements or demands of the position.
Example: “I was very interested to learn about . I am very excited about the prospect of .”
Add a closing paragraph.
End with a short paragraph addressing the next steps and asking whether any additional information is required of you . If during the interview a request for additional information was made, you can mention that this has already been sent or provided or that it is enclosed with this email.
Example: “Please advise on the next steps and whether there is anything you need from me in the meantime. I look forward to hearing from you.”
Being Too Comfortable With The Interviewer
You might hit it off with the hiring manager, but you should try to remain professional through the entire hiring process.
“Be polite, but never become too familiar,” said Jodi Chavez, president of Randstad Professionals and Life Sciences at Randstad USA. “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 your potential hiring manager.
” asking to connect on LinkedIn with a hiring manager or one of the interviewers as soon as the interview is over,” said Richard Orbe-Austin, career coach and partner at Dynamic Transitions Psychological Consulting. “This request may seem too presumptuous and be a turnoff to the hiring manager or interviewer.”
You also should not attempt to friend an interviewer on Facebook or follow them on Instagram or Twitter. General company accounts are fine, but do not hunt down interviewers’ personal accounts.
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