You had an excellent job interview a week ago. Both the job and company struck you as an excellent fit. You sent a proper thank-you letter soon after but haven’t heard anything from the recruiter. It’s time to send a follow-up message and see if you’re still in the running. But how?
A tactful follow-up email shows your continued interest in a job opportunity. It can also help sustain and drive your correspondence with a recruiter toward a second interview and possible job offer.
But that’s easier said than done. Sometimes it’s hard to know the right way to word this type of email. You don’t want to pester the employer or come off as pushy. But at the same time, recruiters and hiring managers are often considering many candidates and managing a large amount of daily correspondence. So, your message needs to be direct and engaging. Otherwise, it could easily go unnoticed or ignored.
Make It Easy
Luckily, there’s a simple way you can handle these considerations and strike the right balance on your interview follow-up. Just follow this rule: Always make it as easy as possible for the recruiter to respond to your message right away. To make your message easy to respond to follow these tips:
- Continue whatever email thread you already have going with the recruiter or hiring manager. That way, when they receive your follow-up, they can quickly scroll down and refresh their memory about your correspondence to date.
- Update the email subject line to something simple and precise, such as “Following up on [Company]’s [Job Title] opening.”
- In your email message, reference the specific date of your interview and the name(s) of anyone else you met with at the company that day. In addition to the email thread, these details help jog the recruiter’s memory about your interaction.
- At its core, your follow-up message is a simple yes-or-no question. So, word it as one. Include a line like “Do you have any update on the status of this hiring?” or “Can you please send me a quick update on the status of this job opening?” By posing your question as an actual question, you make it much easier for the recipient to know what you’re writing about and how they should respond.
- Specify any other ways the recruiter can reach you if they prefer. If you offer a phone number, clarify whether it’s your cell or home line and what times you’re generally available.
- Offer to answer any additional questions the recruiter may have about your candidacy.
- Thank the recruiter or hiring manager again for their time. (It’s always easier to spend time corresponding with people who know and state the value of it.)
- Repeat your contact information in your email signature. If you have a LinkedIn profile, include that hyperlink in your signature as well. That way, the recruiter can easily glance back at your career details and, seeing your profile photo, put a face to your name.
- Attach your resume to the email, so the recruiter can easily reference it again if they need to.
Sample Interview Follow-up Emails
Below are two examples of interview follow-ups. They both perform the simple function of asking about the status of an open position. But the first one uses all of the tips above, while the second uses none. See how much more direct and engaging the first message is and how much easier it would be for the recipient to respond.
[Subject: Following up on GWV’s Sales Associate opening]
Hi Amar,
I wanted to follow up with you on the Sales Associate opening we discussed last Wednesday (June 10th).
It was a pleasure meeting you and Allison and learning more about this opportunity, and I’d love to know if you’ve determined next steps for the position yet. Can you please send me a quick update on the status of this job opening? I’d greatly appreciate it.
Please also let me know if you have any other questions about my background. Feel free to email me at this address or text or call me on my cell, (123) 456-7890.
Thank you again for your time and consideration. I look forward to possibly hearing from you again soon.
Hideo Araki
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
LinkedIn
[Attachment: Hideo Araki Resume]
[Subject: Checking In]
Hi Amar,
I wanted to follow up with you on the Sales Associate opening we discussed last week. It was a pleasure meeting you and learning more about this opportunity, and I’d love to know if you’ve determined the next steps for the position yet. I look forward to potentially hearing from you again soon.
Hideo Araki
The Bottom Line
When following up on an interview by email, use these tips to make your message easy to respond to. In doing so, you’ll help prevent your candidacy from falling under the radar of potential employers and build your confidence with this aspect of the job hunt. Through a clear and engaging follow-up style, you can help maximize the chance that your job hunt moves to the next stage.
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