what are good follow up techniques after a job interview Archives

Has this ever happened to you? You get invited to a job interview for your dream job.

You’ve been busy so you don’t give preparation much thought. After all, they want you. The interview takes a disastrous turn about ten minutes into the discussion when it is very clear you have no idea why you are there.

Ooops! Should have prepared!

Check out this cringe worthy moment in Gilmore Girls, A Year in the Life, when Rory was unprepared for the job interview. A total waste of an opportunity and completely avoidable with a little preparation. Heck, the character spends more time selecting an outfit (the wrong outfit too) than she does thinking about what she wants to say.

Naturally Rory blows the opportunity. We will never be sure if this was the right opportunity or not because she messed up so badly.

Whatever your point of reference, just know that it takes a little preparation, a little advanced thinking, to shine at an interview.

Here are some tips:

Know what you want them to know about you. You only have 30 to 60 minutes to demonstrate why you should have this job. Winnow down your information into a concise format that applies directly to the position at hand.

Be strategic about how you can solve their problem. Every company has a problem. Every position has a goal of solving some problem. Part of your preparation should include some consideration of how you can solve some problem they are grappling with.

Have clear answers prepared. Avoid that “deer in the headlights” look by designing solid answers to the frequently asked questions that are sure to come up. We have a list of 30 Frequently Asked Questions on our website for your use.

Prepare your job interview stories. Stories are a powerful way to make a great impression in a job interview but stories seldom come out correctly off the top of your head. It requires some advanced thought.

Get a coach for an outside opinion. You serve yourself well to engage a qualified interview coach to give you unbiased feedback. An interview coach can listen to your responses and suggest ways to improve your presentation to support your overall goals.

Naturally, I think The Interview Doctor offers the best interview preparation out there. After all, the company is named for our interview preparation expertise! Our clients get the job offer!

Take Control of your Future

So you want to find a new job but you are not sure where to start?

It all seems so complicated…but it doesn’t have to be.

A good job search takes organization, networking, and most of all, a plan. This workbook will help you take control of your job search and your future, using expertise we at The Interview Doctor have accumulated over many years in human resources and in our own personal job searches.

You will learn many tips about changing your job and finding the right job for you. We think writing your thoughts down is critical to understanding and expressing what you want. People who cannot express what they want take a long time to get a job that they might not even like.

I received this question wondering how long you should wait to hear back about a job interview and thought I would share a few ideas on a follow-up process.

Dear Interview Doctor,

I had a great job interview a few weeks ago. I seemed to get along with everyone. I had great answers. I saw good overlap between my skills and the company’s needs. But I’ve never heard back. What is going on? Should I move on or hold on?

Dear Hold On Tight,

Don’t assume silence means anything! In this crazy job search world, radio silence does not mean no.

This happens all the time. Think about what might be happening on the other end. The hiring manager could be slammed with some emergency. She could be traveling. She could have a huge project crisis that cam up suddenly. Maybe her boss has a bigger priority that is taking up her time. Or something happened in her personal life like a vacation or a family crisis. We do not know.

These distractions take the hiring manager’s eye off the recruiting ball. It is human nature to fill in information vacuums with what sounds logical to us at the time. Usually we decide it must be something about us. I did something wrong in the interview. Or worse, I am “too” something. Too black or white, too tall or short, too old or young. We take this silence very personally when it might not have anything to do with us at all.

It is very possible that what is going on has absolutely nothing to do with you. We need more information. Make follow-up a normal part of your interview routine. You want to be somewhere between a pest and a ghost.

Your follow-up process should include:

Immediately. Thank you note immediately after the interview, via email or snail mail or both. To everyone you met. Remind them of some important point you want to emphasize.
1 Week to 10 Days. A note to one or all the people you interviewed with, “I’ve been thinking about this opportunity and have this idea…” Don’t give away all your ideas. Just a teaser to remind them you are out there.
1 Week to 10 Days Later. An interesting article. “I found this article on that topic we discussed and thought you would like it.” Keeps them interested and reminds them that you are out there without being pesty.
Anytime you feel like it. Check in. “I was just checking in to see how the deliberations are going.” OR “I am putting together my calendar for next week and wonder if we could get together to talk about [WHATEVER THE BIG ISSUE WAS YOU WERE DISCUSSING AT THE INTERVIEW].” Each of these ideas gives the hiring manager a little poke to remind them you are out there hanging in the wind.

Should you go to HR? I am not sure I would unless I was in HR. If you established a really good relationship with the HR person while in the process, then by all means talk to them but don’t be surprised if it is a dead end. The HR folks are busy and they have little invested in getting you hired other than paying attention to their hiring stats. I don’t mean to be mean here. The hiring manager is your target. They will be making the decision and working with you every day.

At some point you might decide to throw in the towel. I won’t blame you. Just be sure you followed up with at least 3 or 4 steps about a week to 10 days apart before calling it quits. At that point, if they want you, they will come to you. You move on to the next target. There are always more targets!

Radio silence is normal and not always (or usually) related to you. Do not draw any conclusions from radio silence. I’ve seen companies come back months after interviews assuming they can pick up where they left off. Follow-up as much as you want but please have a follow-up process in which you talk professional to professional to the hiring manager on a regular basis. Or at least you try. And NO BEGGING!! You are better than that!

How to prepare for a job interview

Has this ever happened to you? You get invited to a job interview for your dream job.

Take Control of your Future

What to Do When You Don’t get Called Back after a Job Interview

I received this question wondering how long you should wait to hear back about a job interview and thought I would share a few ideas on a follow-up process.

Check out the free training we offer at Interview Doctor – 5 Tips to a Successful Job Search. A proven path to finding your ideal job or career!