Many people go to a job interview, say how much they want the position and how they hope they can work with the hiring manager soon (a good thing to say) but do nothing after the interview, believing that there’s little they can do now except wait by their e-mail inbox for news.
But many candidates are hired because of the follow up they perform (or aren’t hired because of the follow up they didn’t do).
Yes, you need to write a thank you, note. But there’s more to great follow up than just sending a little note.
Strategic follow up can – and definitely does – help candidates clinch the position!
Read below for some terrific interview follow up strategies:
- Your thank you note actually is more than a simple thank you. It’s your chance to help sell yourself again. As you write it, think of something (a problem, a challenge the hiring manager has) that you and the hiring manager discussed and mention how your skills and background can help the manager meet the challenge. You’ll need to be specific about your skills and be clear on how they apply to the manager’s problem/challenge/goal.
- If you feel you didn’t show yourself to your best advantage, or you believe a bit of clarification about something you and the hiring manager discussed is in order, the thank you note is the perfect place to set things straight.
- Depending on the position, it’s a great idea to actually perform some task – without being asked – that’s a part of the position’s duties. For example, a marketer could come up with a short marketing plan for a product mentioned by the hiring manager. Or a warehouse supervisor candidate could put together a worker retention plan for a hiring manager when the manager mentions that turnover is a problem. Don’t worry about making the marketing plan/retention plan “perfect.” You don’t have all the information and the hiring manager knows this and won’t hold it against you if you don’t get something right. But the very fact that you did the work on your own shows volumes about your work ethic and how much you want the job. You can mention you’re going to come up with a plan in your thank you letter. You’ll want to make sure you deliver the plan within one or two days of your interview.
- When it comes to follow up, less definitely is more. Depending on how fast the hiring manager either will make a hiring decision or call top candidates back for further interviews, you can mention in your thank you note that you’ll phone the hiring manager in three or four days (when the manager is going to make a decision quickly), or in a week or so (if the hiring manager indicates a long hiring process) to follow up. When you do call, just mention that you’re calling to see where the manager is in the process and if he or she has any questions for you. It’s fine, also, to leave the message in the manager’s voice mail. Then leave the manager be. If you know the hiring process is a long one, it’s acceptable to call again in about two more weeks if you haven’t heard anything. If you hear nothing back, let it go. Calling and calling the hiring manager will do your candidacy no good and could actually hurt your chances.
Are you looking for work in the Inland Empire? Then contact the recruiters at Arrow Staffing. We’ve been putting great candidates and great companies together for more than four decades, and so we’re experts at finding people great jobs. If you are looking for temp jobs in Redlands CA, contact us today.