How to Follow Up After an Interview

It has been a few days since you interviewed for a position you really want.  The hiring manager indicated he or she would get back to you shortly. But since then, only crickets.

Obviously, there are sure signs that indicate when you did not get the job.  But what should you do if you felt confident about the interview? Should you reach out and ask for follow-up details?

Absolutely. Writing a follow-up email after an interview is a very common practice.

When to follow up after an interview

Before getting into how you should follow up after an interview, it is worth discussing when you should follow up after an interview.

Ideally, it would be best if you had a frame of reference on timing immediately after your interview ends.  To get this frame of reference, you should ask questions throughout the interview process to get a feel for the timeline.  For example, you could ask (i) what are the next steps after this interview or (ii) when are you hoping to fill the position?

The answers to these questions will give you a feel for how long you should have to wait.

But if you have not heard anything from the potential employer after 7 to 10 days, it is probably safe to send a follow-up email.

How to write a follow-up email after an interview

Once you have decided it is time for a follow-up interview email, there are several different ways to approach it.

The “Thank you” Follow-up Email

This particular email does not require you to wait 7 to 10 days from the interview.  As a normal practice, you should send a thank you email within 48 hours of your interview.

But if you did not already send a thank you email, you can use this as an opportunity to say thank you and ask for more information about the next steps.

The “Standard” Follow-up Email

The standard follow-up email fits its name.  It is simply the typical post-interview email you would send when you have not heard anything for more than a week and are looking for any additional information on whether you got the job, if a decision is still pending, or if there will be subsequent rounds of interviews.

Drafting the standard follow-up email is straightforward and does not have a set formula. That said, here are a few key points to remember.

• Address the email to the person who interviewed you.
• Remind them of the interview date and the position for which you interviewed.
• Explain why you are following up.
• Reaffirm your interest in the position.
• Politely, but directly, ask for an update and say you look forward to hearing about the next steps soon.
• Keep the email short and to the point.
• Do not forget to run spell check and proofread everything a couple of times before you click “send”.

Another reason you may want to follow up after an interview (even in some cases earlier than the 7-to-10-day window), is if there has been a change in your situation.  For example, if you have accepted another offer or you are no longer interested in the position for which you interviewed, you may want to reach out to inform the person who interviewed you and decline or cancel any further interviews.

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