March 22, 2019

Your interview follow-up is a slippery slope. If you fail to follow up soon enough, you look aloof, disinterested or unorganized. But if you follow up too much, you look desperate and can ride the last nerve of an employer or hiring manager. So what is the right answer for how much you should keep in touch after an interview? It really depends on how the interview went, and the feedback you’re getting as you attempt to follow up.

First step

Your first step after any interview (good, bad or iffy) is to follow up right away. If you have a morning interview, plan to send an email that afternoon. And if your interview is later in the day, just send an email the next morning. Thank the interviewer for their time, reiterate your interest in the position, and ask any additional questions you may have.

Standard follow-up after a good interview

Best case scenario: your interview went really well! After your initial email, it’s always acceptable to get back in touch a little after your interviewer said you’d hear back (and hopefully you asked this question—if not, homework for next time!). So, for example, if they said they’d reach a decision by Monday, plan to follow up by Wednesday or Thursday if you haven’t heard anything. If your interview went just OK, or you’re not sure how it went, and the interviewer didn’t tell you to get back in touch, give it about two weeks from your interview date to follow up.

Additional contact

This can get a little tricky. You want to show interest without being a pest, so you’ll need to read the room. If you don’t hear back after your second contact (the call or email after your initial thank you note), you’ll have to judge how to handle the situation. If your interview went well, you may want to wait another two weeks to get back in touch. This timeline may change if they asked you to follow up by a certain date, for example, “If you haven’t heard back by XYZ date, check back in with us.” If your interview was lukewarm, you may wish to just drop it at this point.

Beyond this step, additional contact should only be if they’ve given the indication you should follow up more and seem to be showing genuine interest in hiring you.

Your final attempt

If you just aren’t hearing back about this job, it’s safe to say they’ve chosen another candidate. Though some companies will get in touch to let you know you haven’t been chosen, some get very busy and don’t communicate this. It’s best to let it go and move on to your next opportunity. However, if you’ve heard back that they’ve filled the position, it’s fine to write one last email thanking them again for the opportunity, and asking for honest feedback about why you weren’t selected.

Still looking?

If this search didn’t quite work out as you planned, that’s OK—the right job for you is out there! Don’t give up. Keep your head high and keep at it.

A recruiter can help

If you’re in search of a light industrial or office/administrative job, contact Inter-Connect. We’ll work with you to find a job that fits. To learn more, contact Inter-Connect today!

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