How to Properly Follow Up After a Job Interview

Follow up after the interview

Competition in the employment market is stiff. To separate yourself from the pack, use professional follow-up techniques to make sure employers remember you after a job interview. Follow these steps.

Things You'll Need

• Postage
• Business stationery

Instructions

Purchase the Proper Supplies

1. Send formal thank-you cards. While these needn't be expensive, make sure that your stationery is on bright white or antique white paper of at least 20 to 24 lb weight. Avoid cards with cute messages or graphics printed on them.

2. Pick up some black-ink ballpoint pens with smooth, fine tips for signing your names. These instruments produce a legible, elegant script.

3. Buy plenty of postage to mail your thank-you letters, resumes and other correspondence. Typically, this is a 39-cent stamp for a standard, business-size envelope (number 10), but you may need special postage for oversized envelopes. You want these notes and cards to arrive ASAP after the interview, so you can't risk having them returned for insufficient postage.

Send Correspondence

1. Send a thank-you note on formal stationery after each interview. Even in sequential interview processes, this professional and tactful technique will help employers remember you.

2. Stand out among other candidates by sending a formal letter of appreciation after your final interview in a series of multiple interviews. This lengthier (but no more than one page) letter can be typed, rather than hand-written. You don't need to mention your skills again. You've already covered those in your interview. Instead, let the company know how much you enjoyed the interviews and restate your desire for the job. End by thanking them for considering you for the position.

Find Out More

1. You can call and follow up with a potential employer if you have formally thanked him or her and have not had a response. It is good form to wait until the day after the decision date if the employer hasn't contacted you.

2. Ask for constructive criticism if you don't get the job. This will help you refine your interview and follow-up skills for future meetings.

Tips & Warnings

• Use online job-search sites to see how to properly format a thank-you note, along with examples of concise and clear notes.

• Set aside 1 to 2 hours to follow up, per job interview.

• Hand-written thank-you notes are standard, so make sure your writing is legible. This includes your signature, which often may be the only identifying mark in a stack of thank-you letters that an employer receives.

• If you feel you have been sexually harassed during a job interview, report it to the appropriate authorities. Unwanted advances are illegal under U.S. federal law.