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How To Follow Up After An Interview, with Jenny Foss

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On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Jenny Foss, owner of JobJenny.com, shares her tips for how to touch base with potential employers (without being a pest) after you’ve had your initial interview.   She reads “The Best Ways to Follow Up After The Interview”, her contribution to our book, Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond).

Check out Jenny’s book “Do This, Not That: Career: What to Do (and NOT Do) in 75+ Difficult Workplace Situations” on Amazon

Here are Jenny’s top tips to stay top-of-mind with employers:

  • Know the next steps. Ask the employers about the process and timeline so you know the best way to follow-up.
  • Send thank you notes. A simple, but often ignored way to be remembered, especially if you send them to the right people.
  • Connect on LinkedIn. Create a reason to connect on LinkedIn so you can have ongoing dialog with the interviewer. Just don’t make rookie mistakes when you connect.
  • Follow-up by email. Know when and how to reach out for updates.

Transcript

Mac Prichard:

This is Find Your Dream Job, the podcast that helps you get hired, have the career you want, and make a difference in life. I’m Mac Prichard, your host and publisher of Mac’s List. On today’s bonus episode, we’re sharing exclusive content from our new book, Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond). Land your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) compiles all of our best job search tips and career management tools into one simple, easy to read guide. It’s the definitive tool kit for anyone looking for meaningful work. The book will also include special contributions from an array of job search experts, and today you’ll hear from one of them. Here is Jenny Foss, owner of JobJenny.com, reading her contribution, The Best Ways to Follow Up After the Interview.

Jenny Foss:

You just finished the interview, and you nailed that sucker, but now a couple of weeks have gone by and nothing’s happened. Can you follow up without reeking of desperation or looking like a pest? This topic freaks a lot of job seekers out. Many people, even when they know the interview went well, would rather do nothing than risk looking stupid or making the wrong move. Staying top of mind is incredibly important, and not just for the job at hand. Even if you’re not the right candidate now, wowing the decision maker can be incredibly valuable down the line.

How to finesse the staying in touch part of this process? First, ask about next steps before you leave the interview. It stuns me that so few people end with this question. If you as the interview what happens next, you know exactly when to follow up. If she says she’s be contacting candidates within a week, and it’s day nine, it’s completely okay to touch base and remind her of that time table. Now, don’t be pushy, but a quick note is perfect. Next, get that thank you note out with lightning speed. I encourage job seekers to get thank you notes out to every individual that they’ve met immediately, same day, from your laptop in the parking lot if you really want to wow them.

Ask if you can connect via LinkedIn, and then do. It’s perfectly appropriate to connect on LinkedIn after the interview, but you don’t want to ambush anyone or leave the decision maker wondering what your motives are. Instead, create a reason for connecting, and then ask if she’s okay with it while you’re at the interview. Here’s an example. You want to start dragon-boat racing? I’d love to introduce you to my colleague. He leads a dragon-boat team right here in Portland. Once you’re linked, you can build a long term relationship with that person, whether you land that job or not.

Finally, if things drag out, check in periodically. The periodic check-in is the job search technique people tend to stink at the most, but it’s so important that is should be used throughout your career to keep your network fresh and engaged. This isn’t about harassment. Did I get the job? Did you make a decision? It’s about offering something of value to your contact. In doing so, you will also remind your interviewer that you’re still out there. This could mean forwarding an article that you think she’ll find interesting, or congratulating her if she’s earned some sort of recognition, or a degree. Keep it simple and brief, and don’t ask for anything back. If that person hears from you and has an update, she’ll absolutely be in touch.