Interview Follow Up

I have been getting a lot of questions about post-interview etiquette relating to contacting the employer. After the interview you have one simple question: Did I get the job? As days go by you begin second guessing yourself and wondering if the hiring manager will ever call you back. Here are a few things that you can do to help the situation.

1. At the end of the interview ask the person doing the interview what the next step in the hiring process is. This way you know how they hire, if they require a second interview or if the interviewer makes the hiring decision in a week. Find out when you can expect a phone call or what the next step in the interview process is and write that down.
2. Send a thank you card immediately after the interview. I prefer to send a hand written thank you card because it is more personal. Emails work as well but your email could get lost or easily skipped over in the hundreds of emails most business people get a day. Very few people take the time to send a thank you card and it shows that you care about the position enough to go the extra mile. It also makes you more memorable. Chances are the interviewer will interview a couple other candidates with very similar backgrounds so a thank you card can be the edge that you need to make you stand out.
3. Call them! As long as you are polite it will not be rude or annoying. If they haven’t contacted you by the hiring decision day call the manager back the next day. This shows the employer that you continue to care about the position. When you call them you should continue selling yourself in the phone call. Here is an example: “Hi my name is Jon Smith and I can contribute to your company with my leadership and experience. I was wondering if you have made a hiring decision?” This way you start a dynamic conversation where the hiring manager can ask you about your experience. If you just ask “Am I hired” you will get a one word answer, either yes or no. If they say you were not hired you should ask politely if they could keep your resume on file in case any more positions open up in the future. Then follow up every six to eight months to see if any positions have opened up. When you follow up be very polite and sell yourself in a similar fashion as I mentioned above.

If you follow these simple guide lines you will greatly increase your chances of getting the job. I wish you the best of luck with your job searching!