Sunday 22 May 2016

Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up

THE INTERVIEW IS NOT OVER UNTIL YOU OR SOMEONE else has been offered and accepted the job. The fact that you conducted an interview or a series of interviews with an employer should not give you pause to relax.
If you really want this job, you should focus on doing several things during the post-interview period. While you closed the interview once, when you left the interview site, you need to further close it through post-interview activities that will maintain the attention and interest of the employer.

It's Not Over Until It's Over 

Once the interview is over, you still have work to do. This is not the time to sit back and wait to be called. For starters, as soon as possible after each interview and while it is fresh in your mind, record information about the encounter that you can review later. Try to be as specific as possible: list everything from the name of the person(s) you spoke with to the data you gathered regarding the position and organization; your skulls that particularly fit the job requirements; and when the employer 156 Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up 157 indicated the next decision would be made. This is also a good time to mark on your calendar the date when you will place your follow-up call.

Next, within 24 hours, write a nice thank you letter. Express your appreciation to the employer for a good interview. Indicate your continued interest in the position, assuming this is the case, and briefly summarize your slulls as they relate to the position. Close by indicating you are waiting to hear from her by X date - use the date she indicated she would have made her decision. Keep this letter focused and brief. The employer is a busy person and is not likely to appreciate nor read a lengthy letter. Bear in mind that, though it is a thank-you letter, it is a business letter. It should be typed using a letter quality printer and good quality business-size stationery and mailed in a No. 10 business envelope. At the same time, if you’ve been communicating with the employer by e-mail, which indicates you have permission to e-mail, go ahead and e-mail the letter in addition to sending a hard copy in the mail. Use the following e-mail attention line:
Thanks for meeting with me today. 

At the very least, sending a thank-you letter is a courteous thing to do. However, you may get more mileage out of it than just doing the right thing. When your letter arrives, it will remind the interviewer of your candidacy. The brief summation of your slulls as they relate to the job focuses her attention on the fit between you and the position. You have also reminded her that you expect to hear from her by a particular date. And if by chance you are one of the few to send a thankyou letter, you will have set yourself apart from the crowd.