How to Handle Your Post-Interview Follow-Up

Being eager to find employment is often like being in love - it can make you do some crazy things. For instance, after an interview, you may be tempted to contact the interviewer a number of times to "remind" him you’re excited about the potential opportunity.

But it’s easy to overdo it, which is why it’s good to learn how to handle your post-interview follow-up so that you don’t scare the company away and lose your shot at the position. If you’re not sure how to go about managing your post-interview follow-up, here are a few tips you might consider …

Wait a Few Days Before Calling Back

You may be suffering from an itchy dialing finger as you count down the days before calling your interviewer just to say hi. But whatever you do, try not to call prior to the 5th day after the initial interview. Since the interviewer has just seen you, he won’t forget you that quickly. And the last thing you want is to become annoying or appear to be a stalker. You want the company to know you want the job, but you don’t want to appear desperate in the process – that’s a definite turn off.

Think About What to Say When You Do Call

When the day finally arrives to call, it’s a good idea to have already rehearsed what you want to say before picking up the phone. If you’re not sure what you would like to address, you can always briefly reiterate what was said in the interview. If for instance, you addressed your skills and how they relate to the position, you can touch on this idea again, as well as how excited you are at the prospect of making a positive difference in the company.

At the end of the brief call, you can ask the interviewer what the next steps in the process will be. Also, you want to establish the expectation that there will be future communications between the two of you.

What If They Don’t Answer?

If you call the interviewer and you get no answer, it’s good to leave a message explaining very briefly that you’d recently interviewed for the position in question and that you were respectfully following up to learn more about the next steps in the process. Most times, the interviewer will return your call in a timely fashion and provide the very information you’re looking for. However, if the interviewer never calls back, you can use your discretion in trying a follow-up email a few days later to reiterate the message you left and again express your continued interest in the position. If you still receive no response, it’s time to move on.

If you choose email as your primary form of communication throughout the follow-up process, it’s good to follow the same "grace period" with the exception of only waiting about 3 days for initial contact. As long as you express your interest and refrain from overkill, you will have handled your post-interview follow-up in a successful manner.

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