How To Follow Up After An Interview

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One of the most common question that job seekers ask is "Why didn't they call me back after the interview?". Everyone has been there at one point or another and it has to be one of the more frustrating parts of looking for a job. Once the interview is over and the thank you note is sent, it becomes a waiting game. Just waiting for the phone to ring and compulsively checking your email can drive you crazy.

The way to combat this is by following up with a company after the interview. A follow up phone call is one of the most useful but under-used pieces of interview etiquette. When I think back to the times when I haven't made the phone call, the reason was that I was afraid to call, worried that I would be seen as pushy or overly eager. The problem with this type of thinking is that it won't help you get the job. Here's why:

You've already met a representative of the company and discussed how you could be an asset to their company. This means that you have a business relationship with that person. Calling them back isn't even close to being in the same category as cold calling someone. It's perfectly acceptable, and in fact, expected that you will give them a call to follow up. Here are a few tips to help you get through the call:

Think about why you're qualified for the job. If you are still feeling anxious about making the call, remind yourself of why you are a good fit for the job. Review the interview in your mind and think about all the things that went right. This should give you a needed confidence boost and make it less likely that the anxiety will bleed through in your voice.

Follow up at the appropriate time. At the end of the interview, it's important to ask what when the company is planning to make a hiring decision. If they say three days or a week or whatever, use that as a timeline for when you should call them. Don't call before the timeframe they gave is up. If they said that they will make a decision in three days, call on day four. If the employer wasn't able to give a specific time, then you should follow up in a week.

Don't call on Monday. Mondays are always the busiest days at most jobs, so don't call then. Even if they said they would make a decision on Friday, wait until Tuesday to follow up.

Be careful leaving messages. Before you call, it's a good idea to write out a brief script in case your call is forwarded to voice mail. This makes it less likely that you will leave out important information or ramble because of nerves. Also, if the message is being taken by an actual person, be careful about how much information you give. Simply give your name and number and say that you are following up on a meeting you had last week. Don't mention the details of the job because you can't know how much information the person has.

Don't burn bridges. You shouldn't attempt to leave more than two messages. If you don't get a call back, you can assume that you didn't get the job. Even if the employer never calls you back or if they tell you that they have decided to hire someone else, be as professional as possible. The worst thing you can do is to lose your cool and get mad. You never know when you might need them again, so don't burn those bridges.

Following up only takes a few minutes, but it can really make you stand out. So many people don't bother to call back. Those who do show that they are serious about the job.

Do you follow up after every interview? Why or why not? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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  • Arturo C
    Arturo C
    Thank you per the article. good information.
  • Dana J
    Dana J
    I did exactly that and did not get a call back from the employer. I am a little sad because I know with my experience, it should have been mine.. I didn't like the fact that they said they would call me one way or another and didn't.. I will continue to keep going..
  • Alesney R
    Alesney R
    I apreciate this advise. I will use it well as I just had an interview.Thank you AR
  • carolyn m
    carolyn m
    very helpful on calling back after a  interview,
  • David H
    David H
    Great and useful information.I will pass onto the Professionals in education that I facilitate in a weekly Monday morning 2 hour working and education meeting.I wish I had this info in hand the last 2-3 year's of my professional career when I had a number of good interviews
  • Naomi S
    Naomi S
    Good Information.  Thank you!
  • Lyndon W
    Lyndon W
    I found it helpful, and it was something that I didn't think of.
  • bernard W
    bernard W
    this article was very informative and helpful
  • Archie L
    Archie L
    This was very helpful for me,I was just wondering how or when to follow up aftet an interview.Thank you very much for this infomation.
  • Diane V
    Diane V
    You can follow all these rules that you read in articles such as this and nothing you do will get you the job.  Companies nowadays really do not know what they want from a person.  You can show up properly dressed, smile, answer and ask the appropriate questions send thank you notes and follow up phone calls and emails and nothing works.  I have been interviewing since May and still have not found anything.  Also what about common courtesy on the company side – why can’t they get back to you and please I don’t want to hear that they are too busy – if you as the interviewee can do all the correct things why can’t they?  I was called by the President of a company to set up an interview, she sent me a confirmation email and said – looking forward to seeing you.  When I showed up for the interview she was not in – I was interviewed by 2 VP’s and was told they will get back to me.  Two days later I saw the same posting for the same position and contacted the President and was told the job was put on hold so I said that I saw the posting again and her reply was “I don’t know why”.  I then saw the posting again as a temp position.  I also went on two other interviews (one I even went back to so that they can show me how they work) where I was told that they really liked me but the job was put on hold due to budget cuts.  So who is crazy here???  Are they lying or what?  Salaries now are like we were back in the 1970’s.  Even if you are willing to take a cut in salary – companies will not hire you because they feel that you will leave if you find something else paying more money.  Forget about employment agencies – I don’t even bother.  You can call and email and they never get back to you.  What it all really comes down to is luck.  
  • Annabella L
    Annabella L
    I completely agree.  A follow up can only help, why not give it a second chance in stressing your true interest on the job.  
  • Christine H
    Christine H
    I thought I had done everything right.  I had a long telephone interview with the hiring manager and one of her direct reports.  The interview went extremely well.  I spoke to each person for about 30 minutes.  I felt like we really hit it off.  Well before the phone interview was up, the hiring manager told me that she wanted me to come in for an on-site interview the following week.  Early the next week, the secretary asked if Thursday would work.   I told her that would be fine. Wednesday afternoon I had not heard what time I was to arrive for my interview.  It had been 3 days since the secretary asked me if Thursday worked.  I sent the hiring manager a quick email letting her know that I agreed to Thursday, but I had not been given a time for the interview.  I did not find out until 5:30 p.m. Wednesday evening that I was to arrive at the interview by 11:00 the next day.  I arrived on time, met the two people that I had a phone interview with and also talked to 3 other people: the VP of Operations, another one of the hiring manager's direct reports, and a technical platform manager.  I thought everything went very well.   I answered everyone's questions which lead into very natural discussions.  Everyone was excited about my background and very complimentary.  In fact, everyone talked longer than their expected 30 minutes because we had great conversations about technology and the job.  The hiring manager was the second person I spoke with that day.  She told me that she would return after my last interview.  She wanted to talk to me about how the rest of the interviews went and what I thought about the job.  After my last interview, I waited in a room for her to return but later I was greeted by her secretary who told me that the hiring manager got pulled into a meeting and would contact me later.    I came home and wrote my 5 thank you emails and told the hiring manager that I was sorry that I did not get to follow up with her, but that I understood she was in a meeting and to feel free to call me so that we could discuss the interviews.  I checked my email constantly and waited for a call that never came.  A week later, I followed up with another professional email letting  her know that I was excited about the opportunity and hoped to hear from her soon.  A week after that, I called and left a message with her secretary.  I never heard from her again.  After a month and a lot of hiring for other positions in the company, that position is still vacant.  The hiring manager will not respond to me, so I am done.  What I don't understand is what went wrong?????????  I am upset and baffled.  I have gone over every interview in my head countless times.  It just does not make sense and I am struggling to understand why.  I have never experienced anything like this in my 18+ years of experience.  It is completely rude!!!!  
  • Sherry S
    Sherry S
    Good tips.
  • Sharon S
    Sharon S
    I'm having my first interview so this was very helpful.  
  • Dawn B
    Dawn B
    This has been great advice..I just had an interview and the dental office that held this interview called me back a half an hour after the interview and invited me the next morning for a working interview.  I went to the working interview and after assisting the Dentist for 5 hours they ended up paying me for my time and told me they have other working interviews this week.  Depending on how they thought I did they will give me a call next week.  So now I am waiting to hear from them hopefully Monday but now if I don't I will definitely call them Tuesday.  Thank you for the information and advice.
  • Angel A
    Angel A
    I do follow up with the interviewer, I usually send them an email thanking them for taking the time to interview me and end it on a positive note, by saying I am looking forward in hearing back from them and have a blessed week.Regards,My name
  • J. M
    J. M
    This article is very helpful.  I had a very successful interview on Tuesday (9/4). The hiring manager said they will be making a decision by mid-next week. I was just wondering if it's too late to make a follow up. Good advice to wait until the timeline has passed.
  • Kimra L
    Kimra L
    I don't have a comment,but a question.I recently interviewed with a company & at the end of the interview I was informed that they had just started the interviewing process & it will take about 4 months to make a decision.So, my question is...(I received a timeframe of 4 months). So when should I call?I think four months is way to long; they probably will forget about me by then.
  • Ruth L
    Ruth L
    I am a Career Rep for Everest College. I often conduct workshops on this topic. Well done!!
  • Linda M
    Linda M
    I thought the information was great. I will be sure to use it in my next interview experience.
  • LOUISE I
    LOUISE I
    This article was very helpful.  I actually used some of the pointers and followed up on a previous interview...thank  you for the suggestions.
  • Chris V
    Chris V
    Very good.  It is good to remember that they took the time to talk/meet with you.  That makes a difference.
  • debra m
    debra m
    you would think most people would know to do this, but today when there are so many applicants who are qualified to fill the position, we merely move on to the next posting. We should instead be of the mindset "someone is going to get this job... why not me?
  • PK
    PK
    One thing I'd add to this advice is that when you call back or email to follow up say something constructive.Your interview was a means for both you AND them to learn about each other. They have likely discussed what they learnt about you already, tell them what you think about them too. This increases their confidence in you and your ability to handle them. One big issue with new employees is compatibility with the existing people. If you can give them confidence with that you are halfway in already.
  • Robbi M
    Robbi M
    I have been in the habit of emailing a thank you after an interview as well. It is less intrusive than a phone call. If you haven't gotten a call back a week later, you might assume that someone else got the position.

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