You feel like you’ve nailed the interview, but are thinking a follow-up message may be a nice extra touch. You know, to show your dedication and willingness to become a working professional in an organization. So how do we follow up post-interview without being bombarding or barely-there?
Don’t Draw Out a Follow-Up
The magic 3-day rule doesn’t work for your professional life or dating life for that matter. In a professional setting, a direct follow up after an interview is best placed no more than three days after the initial interview. This time frame ensures that your appearance is still fresh in their mind and that the persons in charge of the hiring process have had enough time to compare various job seekers in order to make the best decision possible.
Be Direct and Gracious
Positive & direct communication is policy when it comes to a friendly follow up. Our words shape who we are – so when we are attempting to reach out to a possible future employer, doing so with a gracious attitude and honest wording is key. Let your interviewer know that you thoroughly enjoyed your time spent discussing professional possibilities.
Be Professional When Reaching Out
Reaching out professionally includes reflection on your interview, and being honest with yourself as to how it went. If you truly believe it went well, you can be a little more forward in your follow-up message. Professionalism includes reviewing and taking all possibilities into consideration, rather than jumping to conclusions.
As for the form of your follow up, try to follow your paper trail and message back your potential employer using the last method of communication they used when reaching out to you. Whether that was via email, a phone call, or perhaps a text message – their chosen method of contact should be respected.
Following up while job hunting in our modern world has become more accessible than ever – and almost necessary to ensure you’re leaving the best impact possible. But if you don’t hear back within a week or two, the chances are that they’ve filled the position, and you can move onto improved possibilities. Chasing down a job through continuous follow-ups doesn’t feel good for anyone involved and can leave you overanalyzing a situation instead of moving forward.