Job Seekers Guide To Writing A Follow-Up Email After Interview

Getting a job interview can take a while, especially if you’ve just started your job search. Once you finally secure an interview, odds are you’ll take the time to prepare as much as possible to make sure you leave a great impression. Interviewing can be stressful, but there’s no feeling quite like knowing that you’ve nailed it.

However, that doesn’t mean you should just wait around to hear back. Instead, you’ll want to take the time to write an email to the hiring manager (or recruiter) following up on your interview. A follow-up email is a good way to reinforce your interest in the position and help you stand out from other candidates.

With that in mind, the following is a guide on how to write an effective follow-up email after a job interview.

What Is A Follow-Up Email And Why Is It Important?

A follow-up email is exactly what it sounds like — it’s an email sent after an interview to thank the interviewer, reiterate your interest in the position, and provide any additional information if necessary. While it’s not required, a follow-up email is an excellent way to show that you’re serious about the job and enthusiastic about the opportunity to work for the company.

It’s also a chance to build on your conversation from the interview and further demonstrate why you’re the best candidate for the role. Additionally, writing a follow-up email can help keep your name at the top of your interviewer’s mind and help you stand out from the other candidates.

When To Write A Follow-Up Email

It’s generally best to send a follow-up email within 24 hours of your interview. Doing so shows that you’re excited about the opportunity and eager to hear back. Just be sure to wait until the day after your interview.

If you follow up too quickly, you may come across as desperate or pushy, which is not the lasting impression you want to leave. That said, if you don’t hear back from the interviewer within a week or so, it’s also appropriate to send a follow-up email at that point.

The Best Time To Send A Follow-Up Email

It’s best to wait until the day after your interview to send a follow-up email – at the earliest. However, knowing what time of the day to send your email is also important. The recruiter may not see it right away if you don’t send it at the right time, and it could get buried in their inbox. As such, you’ll want to send your email when it’s most likely to be seen.

The best time to send a follow-up email is typically early morning or late afternoon during the week. Most recruiters will check their email right after getting to their office, which is why emailing them in the morning is ideal.

However, suppose you’re worried your email will get lost in the morning shuffle. In that case, you can also send it later in the afternoon since most recruiters will also check their email before leaving work.

Avoid sending your email in the early evening, as this is when most people are winding down for the day and are less likely to be checking their work email. Sending an email at night is not a good idea for the same reason.

How To Write Your Follow-Up Email – 4 Quick Steps

Knowing when to send your follow-up email is only half the battle. The other half is knowing how to write it. The following are four easy steps for writing a follow-up email that will help you leave a strong impression on recruiters:

1: Start With A Strong And Clear Subject Line

Your subject line should be brief, direct, and to the point. For example, “Thank you for interviewing me for the Marketing Manager position.” Doing so will let the recruiter know what your email is about, which means they’ll be more likely to open it. Try to avoid using generic subject lines as these are less likely to catch the recruiter’s attention.

2: Open With A Greeting

Start your email with a polite greeting, such as “Dear Mr./Mrs. Smith.” Being respectful and addressing the recruiter by name will help create a good impression right away. Additionally, it helps reassure the recruiter that your email isn’t spam.

3: Compose The Body Of The Email

The body of your email should get your message across, but still be brief and to the point. It’s important not to drone on, as this will only bore the recruiter, and they may not even get to the end of the email before clicking away. If you send a wall of text, they may even get annoyed, which won’t help your cause.

Instead, use a positive tone, keep it concise, and be sure to go over the following:

Express Your Gratitude To The Recruiter For Their Time

Thank the recruiter for taking the time to meet with you. Doing so will show that you’re grateful for the opportunity and that you appreciate their time. Recruiters spend a substantial amount of time going through resumes, holding phone interviews, and meeting with candidates, so a little appreciation goes a long way.

In addition, by thanking them at the start of your email, you’ll help ensure that your email doesn’t come across as impatient.

Explain That You Are Following Up After The Interview

Considering how many candidates a recruiter is likely interviewing – and often not just for the position you applied to – it’s important to remind them who you are. For example, include your name, the position you interviewed for, and when the interview took place. Doing so will help jog their memory and remind them of the details of your interview.

Reaffirm Your Interest In The Job

Make it clear that you’re still interested in the position. Doing so is crucial as it helps show that your email isn’t just a formality. By following up on your interview, you’re going the extra mile to demonstrate your interest in the job, which is something recruiters will take notice of.

4: Finish Up

Once you write the body content of your email, it’s time to finish up. Be sure to do the following before sending your follow-up email off to the recruiter:

Leave A Good Impression In Your Closing Paragraph

Your closing paragraph should leave a positive and lasting impression on the recruiter. You want them to remember you in a good light, so you might want to reiterate your gratitude for their time or express your excitement about the opportunity. Additionally, let them know that if they need any more information, you’ll be happy to provide it.

Proofread Everything

Re-read your email and make sure there are no grammar or spelling mistakes. Doing so might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s essential nonetheless. If you don’t bother double-checking your email for errors and miss them, it will reflect poorly on you. The recruiter might even think you didn’t put much effort into writing the follow-up email, which isn’t the impression you want to give.

An Example Of How To Format A Follow-Up Email

The following is a basic example of what a follow-up email should look like. When writing your own follow-up email, be sure to add all the key details, including the name of the company, the specific job position, and anything of interest you may have discussed with the recruiter.

Subject Line: Following Up After Our Interview

Dear Mr. Smith,

Thank you for meeting with me yesterday. I enjoyed speaking with you and getting to learn more about the company.

I’m following up on our conversation to express my continued interest in the position. I’m confident that I have the skills and qualifications you’re looking for in a candidate, and I would be excited to put my knowledge to use in this role.

Thank you again for your time and consideration. If you have any questions or if you need any more information from me, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Sincerely,

John Doe

Other Ways To Follow Up After An Interview

It’s worth mentioning that not all interviews are done in person these days. Many meetings are held over the phone, via video conference calls, on chat platforms, and more.

As a result, you’re not necessarily limited to email when following up with a recruiter, especially if you had a non-traditional interview. The following are a few alternate ways of how you can follow up on your interview:

• Phone Calls: If you had your job interview over the phone, you could follow up with a recruiter by phone. However, you may not want to contact the recruiter too soon after the interview when following up by phone – you should probably wait around a week.
  Otherwise, it might come across as needy or desperate. Not to mention, you’ll want to give them some time to review your interview before contacting them over the phone. You can follow up sooner if you do so by email. Additionally, if you haven’t heard back via email, you can follow up by phone.
• Short Message Service (SMS): Sometimes, you may have the recruiter’s cell phone number. For example, maybe they gave you their number and encouraged you to contact them if you had any questions.
  If that’s the case, it’s perfectly fine to follow up with a text message the day after your interview. Text messages are less formal than email, but they are also a little less forward than phone calls, which can work to your advantage in certain contexts.
• Chat Platforms: These days, there are several different messaging platforms that you can use to communicate with others. For example, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat are all popular choices.
  Suppose you engaged with the recruiter on one of these platforms already and have their contact information. In that case, it’s perfectly acceptable to follow up with them on the same platform.
• Company Social Media Sites: If you’re unable to find the recruiter’s contact information, then you might be able to find them on their company’s social media page. If you message a recruiter over social media, just explain that you wanted to follow up with them and didn’t have an email address to use.

What To Do While Waiting For A Response

Waiting to hear back after you’ve sent a follow-up message to a recruiter can be nerve-wracking. However, you shouldn’t just sit around waiting for a response. Here are a few things that you can do while you wait:

• Update Your Social Media Profiles: Take this time to update your social media profiles, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. This is a good idea because the recruiter might look you up online after the job interview. In that case, you want to ensure they see an up-to-date, professional profile.
• Prepare For Your Next Interview: If you’ve been applying to jobs with multiple companies, then use this time to prepare for your next interview. This way, you’ll be ready and confident when the next opportunity comes along.
• Continue Your Job Search: Just because you’ve sent a follow-up message, it doesn’t mean you should stop your job search entirely. There’s no guarantee that you got the job, after all. Continue looking for other opportunities and submit your resume to other places as well.

Always Give Your Best Effort And Stay Positive

It’s never easy to find a new job. As such, go the extra mile by preparing well for your interview and follow up with an email afterward. A follow-up email can help keep your name at the top of recruiters’ minds and give you the edge you need.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back right away or if you don’t get the job. Instead, stay positive and keep trying until you find the right opportunity!