How to Follow Up on a Job Interview by Email
If you have interviewed for a job, waiting is one of the hardest parts– we know! However, it is something that comes with the territory, as employers will usually interview more than one candidate and will plan to get back to you, rather than hiring you on the spot.
After a certain amount of time, it is perfectly acceptable for you to send a message to follow up, rather than just waiting in limbo forever, or assuming that you have not been hired. That being said, it is important that you do so the right way, so that your follow-up does not reflect poorly upon you and affect you getting the job.
Take a look at some of the tips below.
Choose Email
It may be tempting to call the company or the hiring manager, rather than sending an email. After all, this may seem like it will get you a faster answer. What it will likely do is put the person on the spot, as well as interrupt their day.
When it comes to emails, these can be read and answered whenever is best for the receiver, so they also feel less obtrusive and like less of an interruption than a phone call. Email is also considered the norm. You will want to be sure that you are following up in the most convenient and respectful way possible for those who are in charge of the decision to hire you! An interview follow up email is the best option for streamlining the hiring process and landing your dream job.
Time It Wisely
One of the most important things to consider is the timing of sending your follow up email. You do not want to send it too soon, after all, this will only annoy the interviewers and will not be helpful to you if there is no new information to share because they are still in the interviewing trenches. In fact, if you send your email too soon, you may not receive an answer at all!
The typical rule of thumb here is that it is okay to reach out two weeks after your interview, especially if you have not heard anything further. Waiting just one week may also be acceptable in certain situations.
Keep it Professional
The tone of your follow-up email is also key. You have probably heard people talk about how it is difficult to understand a person’s tone or emotions while text messaging. The same applies to email– you would not want the interviewer to take your message the wrong way. Instead, you should be clear, concise, and professional in your email to avoid any confusion. This is not the time to try cracking a few jokes. Keep it simple, and be upfront about the purpose of the email.
Include This
There are certain things that you should include in a follow-up email– and some things that you should leave out! For instance, while it is important that you remind them of the particular position you interviewed for, this is not the place to remind them of every point you made during the conversation to show how you would be a good fit. You need to be to the point in order to speed up the decision-making process.
If you are worried that your email structure isn’t correct it’s okay. There are thousands of step by step guides, sample follow up emails and follow up email templates to get you on the right track.
- Thank them for their time during the interview process
- Mention the date of the interview and the job title you interviewed for
- Restate the interest you have in the open position
- Include a point or two about why you would be a good fit
- Closeout by asking if they have any updates to share about the position
Bonus Tips to Follow
The importance of a strong subject line.
- The best subject lines are the ones that tell you exactly what the email is about. If you want to have the best shot of the hiring managers opening the email keep it short and informative.
- Ideally, if you can, simply respond to the most recent email. This allows you to leave the previous email subject line from the existing email thread.
When to send a second follow up email.
- If you are genuinely interested and believe this is the right job for you, you may consider this option. If you have NOT received a response to your first email this may be your last email to provide additional information to land you the job.
- The second email should be even more direct and concise and focus on you being excited about the opportunity and on how you are a good fit.
Sending thank you emails.
- We have discussed the right time for follow up emails being around one to two weeks but what about a thank you email?
- Thank you emails are typically very short, they express your appreciation for the interviewer’s time and consideration and keep you top of mind.
- These should be sent much quicker than follow up emails. They are usually sent the day after the first interview.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I say in a follow-up interview email?
If you are sending a follow-up email after an interview, you should first thank them for their time during the interview.
You will also want to remind them about you and your qualifications in a sentence or two, so that your past conversation is fresh in their minds. Once you have done this, you can then restate your interest in the position and inquire about any updates or next steps.
How do you follow up on an interview by email?
There are a few points that you should hit when you are trying to follow up on a job interview via email. First off, you should thank the interviewer or hiring manager for their time and call out the job title and the date of your interview. After all, they may be interviewing for more than one open position in the company, so you want to avoid any possible confusion! Speak to a couple of your qualifications, reiterate your interest in the position, and inquire as to any further steps or updates since your last communication.
Be sure to keep it short and sweet– this should not be used as an opportunity to regurgitate your cover letter or your resume. They already have all of that information.
How do you politely follow up after an interview?
To be polite, you should wait to follow up so that the interviewers have some time to finish interviewing candidates and to consider you for the position. The general rule of thumb is to wait two weeks, and then if you have not heard further, you can contact them.
It is also preferable that you do so via email, as it is considered less intrusive than calling, which may interrupt their workday.
How do you write a follow up email after an interview without a response?
If you haven’t heard back after your interview, it does not necessarily mean that you are out of the running! The company’s interview process may be slow, or they may still be interviewing other candidates before making a decision.
You can send a polite email asking if there are any updates on the role and also reiterating that you are still very interested. You will want to make sure to specifically call out the job title and the date of your interview as a reminder, too. Generally, it is suggested that you wait two weeks after the interview before reaching out to check in again.
What if the company doesn’t respond after multiple follow up emails?
Before you start firing off emails every day trying to get a response, make sure you have waited the appropriate amount of business days around 2 for an initial response.
Once you can be sure that it’s likely they didn’t see your email you can send a short reminder email. Something along the lines of “I’m not sure if you saw my last email. I wanted to see if there are any updates…”
If you don’t get a response to this final email there is a good chance that they have already chosen a candidate.