Five Steps to a Perfect Follow Up

In a competitive job market, your follow-up skills can make a big difference. Part strategy and part common courtesy, good follow-up skills can separate you from the crowd and position you for a job offer.  Here are the steps to take: 

First, follow up after applying.  We know many jobseekers whose resumes probably missed the cut but who got interviews based on their follow-up phone skills. A quick call expressing your interest in the position and pointing out a key skill can have an impact.  It may prompt the screener to seek out your resume in the stack or applicant tracking system and take a second look – doubling your chances of getting an interview. 

Second, ask about the process for the decision while you’re in the interview. Ask about the next steps and a timeline while you have the interviewer’s attention, and listen carefully to signals about how to follow up.  Your instincts will tell you whether you’re getting a “don’t call us; we’ll call you” message or a sign that the company wants to continue the dialogue. 

Third, write a note after the interview.  A handwritten thank-you note expressing your continued interest will make you stand out. But if you don’t have the handwriting chops to do it well, an email is more immediate and will have the same effect for a busy interviewer. Mention something you learned about the company or took away from the discussion so the message seems fresh.  And be sure your email is spelled and punctuated properly – don’t let your attention to detail down at this critical point. 

Fourth, call when you think the time is right.  Based on information from the interview, you should know when the next step is due, whether it’s a second interview or the decision to hire.  If you are the candidate of choice, the company will definitely call you but don’t presume silence means you’ve lost the chance.  Sometimes, the process gets stalled; a key manager may be unavailable for an interview, or changes in the department may delay the decision. The least intrusive follow-up is a brief after-hours message for the interviewer (call early morning or before 8:30 p.m.; a 2:00 a.m. call sounds desperate.) Express your continued interest in the job, and state that although you are exploring other opportunities, you still look forward to hearing from the company. If you’re a hot ticket and in the running, you’ll get an update call.  Continued silence probably means the company has moved on, and you should, too. 

Fifth, when you learn that the company has selected someone else, you can really position yourself as a class act with another note.  Thank the interviewer for their time and let them know that if anything else comes up in the future, you’d like to hear about it.  You never know how close you came to getting the job, and a gracious thank you note may make you the top candidate for the next opening or if the company’s first choice doesn’t work out.