How to Follow Up After a Job Interview

If you've had an interview, the last thing you can do to cement your prospect of getting the job is following up. But what is the best way to contact your interviewer? Should you email him/her a "thank you" letter or wait a week to print and send it in the mail? Here are some tips for effectively following up on an interview.
.Difficulty: EasyInstructions.Things You'll Need:
•Computer with Internet
•Plain Notecard
•Contact Information of Interviewer
Step
1Take the business card. If your interviewer gives you a business card during the interview, make sure you take it and hold onto it. Use it to glean a mailing address or email address so you can contact the person directly. Plus, you never know if you'll need to get in touch with that contact in the future, and chances are all of the interviewer's contact information is on the card.

Step
2Send a printed note. While some people prefer email (and that works too), others swear by a handwritten note for a more personal touch. In the note, write a few lines thanking him or her for taking the time to meet with you. You may also want to bring up something somewhat personal mentioned in the interview. For example, if you found out that the recipient of your note is an avid kayaker like you, you may add: "Hope to see you paddling on the Adams River this spring" or something on that note.

Step
3Drop an email. Email is less personal, but the concept of following up really helps you stand out-regardless of what medium you use. In the email be brief and note the same thing you would in a written letter. Include a professional signature under your name with your phone number, address and email address. In the subject line, make sure you stand out so your message won't get locked in a spam folder. Something such as "Adam: Following Up on Our Interview" or "Adam: Your Interview with Kristen Fischer" or "Adam: Interview Follow-up."

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4Choose the right language. With a follow-up letter, you want to thank the person for their time and reiterate your interest in the position. You could say that you feel you'd bring a lot to the position and list the name of the job. Or you may want to add that after meeting with him or her, you got some ideas to improve sales or productivity in the office-or something else related to the job-and you could offer up an idea. Offer a more personalized salutation such as "Dear" and use a personal closing line such as "Sincerely," "Warmly" or "Best." These are still professional, but offer a more personal touch.

I stay away from the use of colons in greetings and closings and use commas instead. Never command the recipient to contact you back; you're just saying thank you and showing more interest in the job. That's enough. The most important thing is to be polite and brief-and timely.

Step
5Watch the clock. It's never too soon to send out a follow-up note. You can email or mail the note just a few hours after the interview or the next day. I try to send follow-ups within 24 to 48 hours. If you use U.S. Mail, send the letter out that day. If you email, send the letter within the 72-hour span-tops. If you interview later during the week, try to send out the follow-up message before the weekend. Some people say you may grasp the attention of the interviewer more by hitting him/her up on a Monday morning, but it's likely that your note could get shoved over in chaos. I like to make sure my recipients get their notes toward the end of the week regardless, because I find they're more apt to take time out to email you as the week winds down.
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