Follow Up Interview Preparation Guide

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Following-up after a job interview is an important, yet often overlooked, part of the job search process. It allows you to thank the interviewer for his or her time while also reiterating your interest in the job and your potential to positively contribute to the company. However, following-up can be a delicate process and going about it the wrong way can actually hurt your chances. This article will address the most appropriate way to follow-up after a job interview to help you stand out from the other job applicants.

Ask for a timeline.
If the interviewer does not offer a timeline for their decision-making process, you are perfectly entitled to ask for one. Find out when they expect to let candidates know their decision, who in the company will be contacting the candidates (interviewer, HR manager), and through what means - email, phone call or letter.

This is extremely useful, as it will give you some indication of how long you are expected to wait for a decision and of when it will be appropriate to follow up with the correct person.

Yes. This will give you the person's correct contact information, including name, title, mailing address and email address, which will save you time when you are sending your thank you note and letter.

Send a thank you note by email.
You should do this as soon after the interview as possible, from your smart phone on the way out of the building, as soon as you get home, or at least the same evening as the interview. This shows the interviewer that you are both enthusiastic and organized and ensures that they will not forget you as a candidate.

Include your full name, phone number, mailing address and email address on the note. Also, make sure this email doesn't go to a spam folder by writing Job interview follow up for (your name) in the subject line.

If you leave it too long before writing your thank you note, you risk looking uninterested in the job while also giving another candidate the opportunity to get there before you.

If there was a particular person who helped you to set up the job interview, you should remember to send them a note also.

Some people advise writing a thank you note by hand. While some interviewers will appreciate this, it is somewhat outdated and other interviewers may regard it as being unprofessional. As a result, an email or typed note is your safest option in this scenario.

Make notes about the interview while it is still fresh in your mind. These notes will be useful during a second interview to help you recall topics of conversation and any qualifications or personality traits that your interviewer emphasized as being important for this position.