AFTER THE INTERVIEW: Follow Up vs. Too Much Follow Up

Let's set the stage. You have been actively looking for a job, and you got an interview½CONGRATULATIONS!

For the interview, you reviewed the company website, prepared questions about the role and the company's expectations, dressed the part, arrived 15 minutes early, took notes while the interviewer spoke, and wrapped up the interview by inquiring about "next steps". You left feeling like you nailed that interview. Now what?

DO NOT

• Email: Do not stalk your interviewer(s). If he/she did not provide an email address, do not look one up.
• Call: Unless the hiring manager specifically asked you to follow up via phone, do not reach out to him/her directly because this can often come across as overzealous.
• LinkedIn: Do not try to "connect" with your interviewer unless they requested that you do so. Allow him/her to reach out to you.

DO

• If you are working with a placement agency: Ask your recruiter about the best policy for follow up with that particular client (since your recruiter likely has insight on how to best reach out).
• If you interviewed with the company directly: Within 24 hours, if you have been given the hiring manager's email address, send a brief "thank you" email with a specific subject line such as "Thank you from Joe Smith."  Within 24 hours, also send a handwritten thank you letter to your interviewer(s).

WORKING WITH A RECRUITER

If you are working with a placement agency or recruiter, there are some additional things to consider½

• After the interview: Be sure to call and/or email your recruiter after your interview to discuss how it went. This initial post-interview discussion is a good way for us to gauge the interview outcome and your interest level and to set expectations.
• Set expectations: Hopefully your recruiter has established expectations for when he/she will receive feedback from the client. If you are unsure, ask!
• Emergency: Many recruiters include their mobile phone numbers with their contact information. That said, contacting a recruiter on their cell phone should be reserved for "emergencies," such as not being able to make an interview or being lost on the way to a clients' location. Candidates who think that they are being unique and will gain attention by calling after hours or on Saturday mornings are sorely mistaken.
• We WANT you to get the job½REALLY! As recruiters, we often have candidates "beat us up" for feedback by calling 2-3 times per day. Unfortunately, many hiring managers have their pants on fire to schedule interviews and then go radio silent. We know (oh, don't we know!) how frustrating it is to wait for feedback, so please bear in mind that we WANT to provide insight as soon as we have it. If 3-4 days has passed without any word, contact your representative and see if they can help provide expectations.

As a seasoned recruiter, there have been a few instances in the course of my career where candidates have been excessively persistent with hiring managers, and they completely soured their chances of being hired. Many job seekers do not realize that too much follow up can be as detrimental as no follow up, and it is utterly disheartening when a manager asks us to remove a highly-qualified candidate from consideration simply because he/she was perceived as being belligerent.

Being overly aggressive brings to mind a number of unfortunate attributes that most of us do not want to be associated with such as desperation, lack of respect, shortage of professionalism, and lack of training on proper communication etiquette. While it is difficult to persevere and endure the excited anticipation that builds when you are looking to make a career move, remember the proverbial phrase "Patience is a virtue!"

Hold tight½good things are coming!

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