An interview is an opportunity to get your foot in the door and with a smart follow-up you open up the passage to establishing a positive rapport with your interviewer(s).

Simply put – It just pays to follow-up the right way after an interview; it’s not optional – it is a required etiquette that might make or break your chances of getting the job offer.

The question always is “What are the appropriate follow-up steps post-interview?”

Here are the three steps to an effective follow-up:

Email

After the interview – send a thank you email as soon as you can. Within 24 hours of your interview – earlier the better. Below is such a sample post interview thank-you email. Remember that you must cite some personal experiences from the interview. The point is to be unique and let your personality stand out during the interviewing and follow-up process.

LinkedIn

I hope you left the interview room with your interviewers and HR business cards. Why? It would be great to send them an invite to connect over LinkedIn. It is a great move now to let them view your LI profile, in case they had not done so before and also perhaps the best way to stay in touch even if you do not land the job now.

Phone Call

If you had been diligent enough to ask your interviewer on the preferred ways to follow-up, a follow-up phone call a couple of days later could be on their list. It’s their preference that counts here. Give them a courteous phone call or leave a brief but info packed message asking them about the outcome of the interview.
Note: If the employer/HR follow a no-call-back policy, you must adhere to their rules. This step is therefore conditional.

 

Sample Email Thanks Letter after an Interview

Now what’s most essential is of-course to Email your thank you letter, here are is a sample which might help you get it done fast and effectively.

Tip:

If you interviewed with multiple people in a group, you must send individual letter of thanks. And that’s where lies the importance of asking for business cards of all those who interviewed you. In case, you did not do so this time, add it to your to-do list during any future interviews.

—————————————————————————

Dear <Interviewer>,

Thank you for your time in discussing the <position….> <today/yesterday/…>.

I am excited about this position and confident that I would be able to meet the current challenges of the tasks that we discussed during the interview.

<Recap a couple of points that were presented during the interview that strengthens your suitability for this position.>

During the interview we discussed how I can address the challenge of <situation – for example working across different time zones or diverse groups, or technical challenges, etc.>. I am confident that I can:

1.

2.

3.

I am sincerely looking forward to working with you and your team. I look forward to speaking with you again in <a couple of days…> to know about the next steps.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me in case you need any additional information.

Sincerely,

<Full Name>
<Phone number>
<Email address>

—————————————————————————

 

You may also use the follow-up email address any queries or information that were asked for/ requested during the interview and you were not able to answer to your best.

As for the subject line of this email:

Thanks for the interview –  <job title you interviewed for – for example:  Human Retargets Specialist>

 

3 Essential Post-Interview Follow-up Tips

  • The sooner the better – send in the follow-up email within 24 hours of your interview/meeting. Send to all individuals you interviewed with.
  • Add precise information about the interview – time, position you interviewed for and any memorable or important points that must be recapped.
  • Know the difference between appearing too eager and showing interest – don’t be pesky during the follow-up process. Adhere to the interviewer/HR’s preferred follow-up procedure.

 

What are your tips to an effective follow-up after an interview?