phone-staring

We’ve all been there, waiting by the phone after an interview in hopes that we get “the call” offering us a new job.  Rather than waiting by the phone for that career changing call, demonstrate your interest in the position by using these three steps to follow up after your interview.

 

  1. Your final interview question:  It is common practice for an interviewer to ask you if you have any final questions as the interview comes to a close.  Along with any job related questions that you may have, make sure to ask when they will be contacting candidates regarding the position.  The answer to this question will give you an idea of when they will be finalizing their decision (so that you aren’t waiting by your phone for the next few weeks), and your question will inform them that you expect to hear from them regardless of if you got the job or not.

Example:

I enjoyed talking to you today about the assistant position.  Do you know when you and your team will be finalizing your decision?

 

  1. The thank you note:  Speaking of following up after an interview, CareerBuilder.com conducted a survey that found that a thank you note is a very important post-interview step for job candidates to consider.  They found that 86% of hiring managers believe that not sending a thank you note demonstrates a lack of follow through by the candidate.  Along with expressing your appreciation for their time and consideration, writing a prompt thank you note shows your ability to follow through as well as your interest level in the position.  In fact, the same survey found that 56% of hiring managers felt that not sending a thank you indicated that the candidate wasn’t truly interested in the position.  And if that wasn’t enough to convince you of the importance of writing a thank you, it also ensures that you are in the front of their mind even after the interview has concluded and keeps the lines of communication open for any other questions that they may have.

Example:

 Good afternoon Bob,

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me this morning about the assistant position that you are hiring for.  I enjoyed learning more about your company and am excited about the possibility of joining your team in the future.

As discussed, you are looking for a team member with strong communication and organizational skills and I believe that my education and previous work experience would make me a good fit  for this position.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions that you may have as you make your final decision.  Thank you again for your time and consideration, I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

_________

Although some people still choose to break out their nice stationary and pen for an old school approach, this is an instance where email is perfectly acceptable.

 

  1. The follow up phone call:  Remember when you asked the interviewer when you should expect to hear from them?  Use their answer as an appropriate time frame to follow up with a phone call.  If you haven’t heard from them within their time frame, give them a few extra days as a “grace period” and assume that they are still finalizing their decision.  For example, if they said that they would be contacting candidates within the week and it has now been 10 business days, feel free to contact them.  This follow up call will remind them that you are excited about the possibility of working with them and it will once again keep the lines of communication open.

Example:

Good afternoon Bob, I enjoyed learning more about your company and the assistant position that you are hiring for during my interview a few weeks back.  I was wondering if you and the rest of your team had made any hiring decisions yet.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

 

Instead of waiting by the phone to hear back about an interview, use these steps to impress possible employers by showing them that you are proactive in following up.  Unfortunately, even if you follow all of these steps there is a chance that you will not hear back from the company.  In this case, it’s best to move on and focus on other job opportunities.  You may not have been the right fit for that position, but making a good impression may land you a job with that company later on!