The most important step in the interview process that many candidates forget to do, is following-up! If you want to show that you are truly excited and interested in the opportunity, you want to depict that to the employer. Make sure to never overwhelm them, but to communicate with them to know where they are at and where you stand in their interview process.
Here are 10 tips on following up:
1. Remember to ask what their interview process is, and when you can expect to hear back from them. This way, you won’t be reaching out too early or too late.
2. Always send a follow-up email up to 24 hours after to each person you talk with. Reiterate your excitement and how well you fit the role, and include anything you talked about during your interview.
3. After you have waited for a reasonable period beyond the date they stated, call and inquire as to the status of the position and whether you are still being considered for the position.
4. As a general rule, don’t call on Mondays – a bad day to market anything.
5. If you leave a message inquiring about the status of the job, and no one calls you back after a couple of attempts – move on and forget about it. Don’t call back more than a couple of times. There is a fine line between being persistent and being a pest.
6. If you are told you are no longer under consideration, try asking for feedback (most of the time they won’t give you any, but it is still worth a try). Ask if there is any additional information that you can supply that will convince them that you are the right person for the job.
7. Don’t rely on one job interview. No matter what was said in the interview – continue your search. There have been too many bad examples of those who thought they were a shoo-in – only to get a reject letter.
8. Don’t take it personally! There are about a thousand reasons that could have affected your chances.
9. Accept the fact that not all companies are right for you. Just like blind dates – they are checking you out and you are checking them out. Sometimes it’s chemistry – and sometimes it wasn’t right for you – for whatever reason.
10. Try not to get discouraged by the rejects. It’s a numbers game and your turn will come if you hang in there.