How to Pass an Interview (Without Annoying)
Interviewing a potential job is stressful enough in and of itself, even if you don’t consider the entire process that follows. What if you think everything went well, but you don’t hear from anyone? Sometimes it’s a sign of bad news and sometimes it’s not. You want to keep an eye on what’s going on and find out what’s going on, but you don’t want to be annoying. Here’s how to deal effectively with this situation.
When my friend was in this position, he asked me how I would write the follow-up email. When I tried to come up with something, I realized that I hadn’t written a single one for many years and my skills were a little rusty. So, I turned to the experts for help and got some good advice. Most agreed with a very simple process.
Send a thank you letter right after your interview
Most people suggest sending a thank you note straight away by regular mail, as it takes a few days to arrive and serves as a positive reminder to get back to you. If you don’t know what to say, keep it short and end with something like “Hope to see you soon.”
It’s pretty simple, but very effective. The problem with calling or texting to ask for more information is that you are essentially reminding them that they forgot something. While it is legal to send this reminder, there is a good chance that they will be annoyed that they have to do business with you (if they don’t like you), or at least feel guilty about having you ignore (if they did). A thank you letter is simply a polite and positive reminder that you exist. This will help your interviewer (s) get back to you.
Still need help writing a thank you note? We looked at this a few months ago :
It doesn’t have to be a long message; in fact, it doesn’t have to be. In a thank you note, you just want to send a short note 24-48 hours after the interview, thanking the person for taking the time to talk to you and briefly reminding them why you think you are a good fit for the job.
Send a short, polite email to check in
When you are done with an interview, you will often be told when you can expect a response. If not, then you should ask this question before the conversation ends. If so much time has passed and you have not heard anything, it is wise to call or write to check in. An email is less intrusive and won’t put your interviewer in a quandary, so this is usually the best way to ask a question.
If you’re looking for a template for this type of email, Zety has several available , including this one:
Subject: Glad to know more about [Company Name]
Dear [Name of Hiring Manager] ,
Thank you so much for taking the time to speak to me about the position [position you are applying for] at [Company Name] this morning. It was great to learn more about your [innovation strategy / challenges ahead / core values / industry knowledge] .
The details of the position you provided me convinced me that this is a job that I would enjoy and that I could provide valuable input with my skills and experience [ref. Your specific area of expertise and how it can benefit your employer] .
I also thought about what you said regarding [the specific issue discussed during the interview] . In my most recent role [your current or most recent position], I found that [a data-validated explanation of how you would tackle the problem in question] .
Finally, in the appendix, you will find details of some of my projects that we talked about. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you find that you need more information. I look forward to our call next week, as discussed.
Thanks again, [name of hiring manager] .
Best wishes,
[Your signature]
Of course, this can be a little formal. You want the note to sound like you and be as formal or casual as possible, depending on the situation. Either way, the content is pretty straightforward and only takes a few minutes to build.
It can be a little unsettling when asking for an update, when you should have heard the answer, as it seems like you are asking for bad news, but this is not always the case. If you get bad news, there will be other job opportunities, but sometimes you find that the company needs an extra day because another interview was delayed or they just didn’t have time to talk to everyone. You never know, which is why you should ask.
This story was originally published in 2012 and was updated on 12/4/19 to provide more complete and up-to-date information.