What to Say Follow Up Email After Interview

Sending an email after a job interview has several benefits for job seekers. It's more than just a polite way to say thank you. Sending an email demonstrates interest in the position, lets you recap your conversation and allows you to add information you missed during your talk with the interviewer.

Post-interview emails are so important that 68 percent of hiring managers interviewed said no post-interview contact from applicants damaged job seekers' chances of getting a callback, according to TopResume.

Understanding the benefits of a post-interview email will help you craft effective follow-ups whenever you meet with a potential employer so you can increase your chances of getting that job.

It's a Routine Courtesy

At the very least, a post-interview email is a courtesy. It's standard practice for job candidates to thank interviewers for taking the time to talk on the phone or meet in person to learn more about you. Even if you are the leading candidate, don't worry about looking too eager. Not sending a follow-up thank-you note might send enough negative signals to a potential employer that you decrease your chances for getting the job.

You Can Call out Highlights

Post-interview emails are more than just thank-you notes. They allow you to recap what you and the interviewer discussed during your meeting. This will help you point out the most important factors in your favor and keep them top-of-mind with your interviewer. Sending a generic "Thank you, I'm interested," email is a big, missed opportunity for job applicants, according to Inside Higher Ed.

Your email should include a few specific qualifications you have for the job, not just your general background and experience. You want to let the interviewer know that you can do exactly what they need done, that you've already done it (for previous employers) and that you won't need lots of training. You can personalize your email and show more interest in the job by adding your reasons why the position interests you, points out career website Indeed.

You Can Add Information

No matter how carefully you plan, it's not uncommon for job candidates to forget to bring up a key skill they have during an interview. One piece of important information might be the difference between your making it to the next round of interviews or not. If you had forgotten to mention something you want the interviewer to know, include it in your follow-up email.

Don't lead with your information – you don't want to make your mistake the main focus of the email. Thank the interviewer, recap the conversation's highlights, then add your, "By the way . . ." fact. If the piece of information seems like it might be too small to address in the body of your email, but you want to include it and make it stand out, consider adding it as a P.S. This will make have more impact.

For example, you might add, "P.S. I also want to mention that I recently attended the XYZ annual conference and completed a half-day seminar on more effectively enrolling employees in voluntary benefit programs."

It Shows Interest

Just because you applied for a job and showed up for the interview doesn't mean you're still interested in the position. Many job applicants interview with a company, and after hearing what the job entails, decide they're no longer interested. If you don't send a follow-up email to an employer who interviews you, you've sent a message that you're not too eager to make an impression on them.

How long should you wait after an interview to follow up? Don't send a follow-up email as soon as you get back home or to the office. Your interview is still fresh in the mind of the person you just talked to and you won't be making a big impact. Take some time to think about what you want to achieve with your email and send it the next day. This will jog the interviewer's memory and make him think about your interview again.

Should You Send a Second Email?

It's important that you don't seem like a pest by calling or sending a second post-interview email before the recruiter has a chance to go through other candidates. This is why it's important to try and find out what the timeline for hiring is during your interview.

You might end the interview by asking, "When will you be making a decision?" or "When do you plan on contacting candidates for second interviews?" This will give you an idea if the company is looking to fill the position quickly, or if the process will take weeks.

When you feel that no news is bad news, it might be time to contact the interviewer again. If you haven't heard back, it might be that your original email went into the interviewer's spam folder.

In any case, if you feel you've got nothing to lose, send an email to let the interviewer know you're checking back in to see if there are any updates regarding filling the position and your status. You might start your email with, "Hello, Ms. Smith, I'm just following up on my last email to you. I didn't hear back and wanted to make sure it didn't end up in your spam folder."

Don't feel bad or nervous if you don't hear back from an interviewer after you meet. This common courtesy has started to fall by the wayside, with many applicants not even receiving rejection notices. Part of the issue might be the high number of applications businesses now receive because remote work is creating a flood of resumes for hiring managers.

If you still have the original job posting, look for any information such as, "Successful candidates will be notified by March 30," or "The position is expected to be filled by March 30." You can also keep an eye on the company website to see if it has updated its staff roster or posted a press release welcoming the person who got the job.

What to Say Follow Up Email After Interview

Source: https://work.chron.com/interview-followup-emails-important-26049.html

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