Reasons to follow up after an interview
Types of follow-ups
Sample thank you
letter
Reasons to send a thank you letter:
In actual fact employers do appreciate those who take
the time to follow up for several reasons.
Timely follow-up demonstrates to the employer that you have a genuine
interest in their company
Follow-up allows you to thank the employer for their time and to build
familiarity
You can set yourself apart from the 75% of other applicants that
don’t bother to follow-up
Follow-up will allow you the opportunity to address any negatives or
concerns that took place during your interview
Types of follow-ups
Your after interview follow-up may be a telephone
call, letter or even a brief handwritten thank you card. This is about the only time it is
appropriate to hand-write anything for an employer unless they specifically request it.
Follow-up may not take much time on your part, but it
will leave a lasting and positive impression with a potential employer.
Time is of the essence when following up. If you are
hoping that the follow-up will impact their hiring decision in your favour, you don’t
want to leave it too late.
If sending a follow-up letter or card by mail,
prepare and mail it the same or next day as your interview. If possible drop it off in
person the next day. If you are going to follow-up by phone, keep in mind the hiring time
frame they have given you and act accordingly. For example, if your interview was on
Tuesday and the employer stated that they would be making a decision before the end of the
week, follow up within a reasonable period of time, perhaps early Thursday morning.
When following up by phone, don’t rehash the
whole interview over again, mention a few brief points to help them remember who you are,
thank them for their time and state that you hope to hear from them when a decision has
been made. The follow-up call should not take longer than five minutes.
Sample thank you letter:
| George Stansfield |
| 1236 April Avenue |
| Ajax, Ontario |
| L1F 5H7 |
May 31st, 1999
| Joseph Boxer |
| The Trade Company |
| 57 Adelaide Way |
| Toronto, Ontario |
| M7G 5F7 |
Dear Mr. Boxer
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule
to interview me yesterday morning. Our interview taught me several things about your
company that I was not aware of, and the more I think about it the more I would love to be
part of The Trade Company team.
As you may recall I do possess the skills and
qualifications you are looking for. There is one thing I would like to clarify from our
interview however, when you asked me if overnight travel would be difficult for me, I felt
that my hesitation perhaps indicated that I was not favourable to travel in my work. On
the contrary, I have travelled in almost any job that I have had, and realize that in
sales, one of the best secrets of success is to take the product to the customer.
Once again I would like to thank you for your time
and considering me for this position. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely
George Stansfield
|
