How to follow up after a job interview and why it’s a good idea

The interview is over. You’ve answered all the questions and asked a few yourself. You’re interested in landing the job and feel that you’ve done your best to demonstrate that you’re the top candidate for the vacancy. Now all you have to do is wait for the employer’s decision while you carry on with your job search.

While you could just wait, there’s nothing wrong with being proactive and following up with the employer after the job interview.

Benefits of following up after a job interview

If you’re worried that you might be seen as pushy, here’s why following up is a good idea:

• You may be just one face in a sea of candidates who are interviewed for the job. Even if you answered all of the interviewer’s questions well and presented yourself as a capable and relevant worker, there may still be other candidates who are more memorable. Following up after the job interview is one way to remind the employer who you are, in a good way.
• Employers are keen to hire workers who will make a positive contribution to the company. Following up after your interview demonstrates that you are a proactive candidate and enthusiastic to join the organisation.
• Following up after a job interview may speed up the employer’s response. It may also mean that you actually receive a response. Increasingly, when an employer interviews a large number of candidates, only those who are hired will be contacted. Whether the response is a no or a yes, you can move on.

The 3 types of interview follow up

There are three opportunities to contact the employer after your interview. Not all of these may apply to your situation but it’s worth knowing what they are.

  Thank you

You can send a thank you straight away but it’s probably best not to send it any later than one day after the interview. A simple expression of thanks is polite, professional, and keeps you in the employer’s mind. You can also take this opportunity to:

• clarify anything left unsaid or unclear in the interview
• offer to supply any more information that the employer needs
• express your interest in the job

  If you haven’t heard from the employer

It may be that the employer said you would receive a response by a specific date, but you’ve heard nothing. Maybe you weren’t provided with a response date, but a couple of weeks have passed without hearing back from the employer. Whichever of these scenarios apply, it’s perfectly acceptable to get in touch to ask for progress on the employer’s decision and to reiterate your interest in the job.

  If you have heard from the employer and it’s a no

Once you receive confirmation from the employer that you didn’t get the job, you might think that there’s no reason to follow up. However, if you were still interested in the job by the end of the interview and would like to work for the employer, why not take this opportunity to say so?

Thank the employer for their time and consideration and make it clear that you are still interested in finding a new job and specifically in working for them. This serves three purposes:

• it reflects you in a professional light
• it reminds the employer of who you are
• it flags up your availability and interest should future vacancies occur

What to consider when following up after a job interview

Before you follow up after a job interview, whether that’s a thank you or a request for progress, it’s worth considering these three factors:

  Who should you contact?

It should be clear from the emails or letters that you received and possibly the interview itself, whom you should contact when following up. If it isn’t clear, ask the employer’s HR department or the relevant recruitment agency for details.

  What is the employer’s preferred method of communication?

This will generally be obvious from your existing communications with the employer. Did they write to you or did you receive emails from them? Alternatively, they may have indicated how to contact them, such as a telephone number or email address.

Where possible, use the employer’s preferred method of communication.

  What form of communication are you comfortable with?

Where there are a choice of communication methods, use a form that you’re comfortable with. If you’re happy and confident to talk over the phone, do that. If you feel you can express yourself better by email, take that option.

Wrapping it up

Nerves and a lack of confidence can often mean that candidates avoid following up after a job interview. Maybe you don’t want to be seen as pushy or you worry that you’ll annoy the employer into rejecting your application. However, the benefits of doing so far outweigh those doubts. Following up is just one more way to leave a good impression on the employer and improve your chances of standing out above other candidates.