By being pro-active regarding follow-up, you stand to gain an edge over your competition for the position. A word of caution though - you want to appear enthusiastic, not desperate.
Start your follow-up work at the close of the interview by asking:
1) Will second interviews be a part of the process and if so, when?
2) When the employer expects to make a final decision.
During the interview, obtain the correct names and titles of all the people you speak with. Asking for business cards makes this job a lot easier. Within two business days, send a thank you note or email to each person involved in your interview. If you are writing notes to two or more people at the same company, tweak the wording of the notes slightly so it will appear you had each individual in mind as you composed the message. Also keep in mind, even if the job is not one you really want, you should still send a thank you note.
Be sure to alert your references about the possibility of a call from 'John Doe with Acme Finance' regarding the 'secretarial' position. This way they will not be caught off guard if the call comes through.
Depending on the time frame for the final decision mentioned in the interview, do a follow-up phone call to the employer within a week or ten days to see if a decision has been made. Use this opportunity to build additional rapport with the company and sell your strengths one more time.
Do be patient. Though you may be anxious to get to work and the employer may be anxious to get someone hired and move on with other things, the hiring process sometimes takes longer than either you or the employer might expect.
Even if the job goes to someone else, do not burn the bridge you just created through the interview. Consider asking the interviewer for referrals to other companies they know which may be hiring someone with your skills.
Do not stop looking. Just because you seem to be a perfect fit for one position, this is no reason to terminate your search. You may find another for which you are suited even more so than this one. So, until you hear the words, "You're hired," do not cease to explore all your options.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Follow-Up After the Job Interview
By being pro-active regarding follow-up, you stand to gain an edge over your competition for the position. A word of caution though - you want to appear enthusiastic, not desperate.
Start your follow-up work at the close of the interview by asking:
1) Will second interviews be a part of the process and if so, when?
2) When the employer expects to make a final decision.
During the interview, obtain the correct names and titles of all the people you speak with. Asking for business cards makes this job a lot easier. Within two business days, send a thank you note or email to each person involved in your interview. If you are writing notes to two or more people at the same company, tweak the wording of the notes slightly so it will appear you had each individual in mind as you composed the message. Also keep in mind, even if the job is not one you really want, you should still send a thank you note.
Be sure to alert your references about the possibility of a call from 'John Doe with Acme Finance' regarding the 'secretarial' position. This way they will not be caught off guard if the call comes through.
Depending on the time frame for the final decision mentioned in the interview, do a follow-up phone call to the employer within a week or ten days to see if a decision has been made. Use this opportunity to build additional rapport with the company and sell your strengths one more time.
Do be patient. Though you may be anxious to get to work and the employer may be anxious to get someone hired and move on with other things, the hiring process sometimes takes longer than either you or the employer might expect.
Even if the job goes to someone else, do not burn the bridge you just created through the interview. Consider asking the interviewer for referrals to other companies they know which may be hiring someone with your skills.
Do not stop looking. Just because you seem to be a perfect fit for one position, this is no reason to terminate your search. You may find another for which you are suited even more so than this one. So, until you hear the words, "You're hired," do not cease to explore all your options.
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Start your follow-up work at the close of the interview by asking:
1) Will second interviews be a part of the process and if so, when?
2) When the employer expects to make a final decision.
During the interview, obtain the correct names and titles of all the people you speak with. Asking for business cards makes this job a lot easier. Within two business days, send a thank you note or email to each person involved in your interview. If you are writing notes to two or more people at the same company, tweak the wording of the notes slightly so it will appear you had each individual in mind as you composed the message. Also keep in mind, even if the job is not one you really want, you should still send a thank you note.
Be sure to alert your references about the possibility of a call from 'John Doe with Acme Finance' regarding the 'secretarial' position. This way they will not be caught off guard if the call comes through.
Depending on the time frame for the final decision mentioned in the interview, do a follow-up phone call to the employer within a week or ten days to see if a decision has been made. Use this opportunity to build additional rapport with the company and sell your strengths one more time.
Do be patient. Though you may be anxious to get to work and the employer may be anxious to get someone hired and move on with other things, the hiring process sometimes takes longer than either you or the employer might expect.
Even if the job goes to someone else, do not burn the bridge you just created through the interview. Consider asking the interviewer for referrals to other companies they know which may be hiring someone with your skills.
Do not stop looking. Just because you seem to be a perfect fit for one position, this is no reason to terminate your search. You may find another for which you are suited even more so than this one. So, until you hear the words, "You're hired," do not cease to explore all your options.
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