The Proper Follow Up after Your Interview

Premierehire Executive search and leadership strategies

Your opportunity to make a positive impression is not over once the interview is finished. You may wonder if following up with your interviewer is too forward but it isn’t.

Use these tips to be a top contender for any role:


Self-assess

The moment your interview’s over and you have the chance to sit down, write down the name of your interviewer, your recollections from the interview and your thoughts about how it went. Was there anything you feel needed further clarification? Were there any concerns you need to address? These will all be useful when it comes to writing your follow up message.

When to Write

Send your thank you note within one to two days of the interview. Any later than this and the interviewer will probably have forgotten you among the other candidates.

Email or Write

Write each of your interviewer’s a brief one to two paragraph personal email or note to thank them for their time and reiterating your interest in the position. If you have an address for them, make sure your note is hand-written. In our age of technology, this is unusual and will differentiate you from other applicants. Never phone your interviewer. They are busy people and don’t have the time to be bombarded by hundreds of thank you calls from applicants. Doing so will only irritate them.

Summarize Your Strengths

Use the information you noted down from your interview to briefly address and resolve any concerns the interviewer might have had and then emphasize the strengths that make you the perfect candidate for the job.

Jog Their Memory

Always try to make a specific reference to your conversation to remind the interviewer who you are. If you discussed your industry insights or mutual interests, make a point of saying how much you enjoyed talking to the interviewer about them.

The Author

Leanne Abraham helps leaders and teams reach higher levels of performance. She supports leadership teams as an executive team coach, facilitator, trainer, and advisor.

She and her team also help organizations find and retain the right people through her 4 Phase Executive Search and New Leader Integration Solutions.

Leanne is a certified executive coach and team coach (EMCC, ICF); is a certified coach for Birkman Leadership and Career Assessments, has completed training with the Adizes Institute, Tony Robbins coaching, the European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC), and the Global Team Coaching Institute (GTCI).

Leanne serves clients throughout the US and Canada, ranging in size and industry.

On a personal note, Leanne is an avid reader, aspiring author, student of servant leadership, mother of 2, and loves hockey. She is expanding her career coaching program to provide support to executives wanting to move up or transition and she recently completed her team coaching practicum under David Clutterbuck and GTCI.

If you are looking to elevate your team, your leadership, or your career, please contact Leanne at Leanne@premierehire.com or book a no charge consult.

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