How to Follow Up After a Job Interview

“How to Follow Up After a Job Interview” was provided by POPSUGAR Smart Living. 

You’ve made it through the last round, and now all you have to do is play the waiting game.

It’s a nerve-wracking time, and you may jump every time the phone rings, but keep your cool and make sure you’re not breaking any of these interview follow-up rules:

Thank them within two days.

Thank whoever interviewed you on the day of or, at the very least, the day after your interview.

Also thank every other person who interviewed you. It’s best to send them individual thank-you emails or notes.

[Read: 5 Things to Bring to a Job Interview]

Only send a thank-you note if you can drop it off in person, because if you snail mail it, it might arrive late.

Follow up within two weeks.

Follow up after your thank-you note anywhere from a week after the interview to no later than two weeks.

Don’t bombard them with emails and if you haven’t heard from them after the thank-you note and the first follow-up, wait another week to two weeks before doing one final follow-up.

If you don’t hear back from them, it’s probably time to move on.

Choose the right person.

Don’t follow up with everyone you met up with. Pick a person who’s in charge of following up with you.

At the end of the interview, you can ask what the next steps are to clarify who should be reaching out to you.

[Read: The Best Time of Day to Schedule a Job Interview]

Most likely, you should follow up with either the hiring manager or the HR contact.

Use the same medium.

If your interviewer seems to prefer a certain medium, like the phone or email, try to stick to that when reaching out to them.

If she reaches out to you via email, respond with an email. If she calls you and leaves a voicemail, get back to her by phone.

Be careful with language.

Choose your words wisely and be wary of sounding impatient or even putting pressure on the person you’re speaking to.

Hiring managers need time to make a decision, and they may still be interviewing other people, so be patient.

[Read: 16 Major Dos and Don’ts at a Job Interview]

Meanwhile, keep looking for other job opportunities while you’re waiting, so you’re not pinning all your hopes on one position.