Post- Interview follow-up strategy

Many of the job candidates over-analyze the strategy of their post-interview follow-up, for some reasons. After an interview a thank you letter is necessary. Never skip this important step even at your own risk. Try to send your thank you note within 24 hours after the interview. This letter or note will improve its potential impact. But what kind of letter do you select to send, really does matter. Try to assess that whether the person you interviewed would like a hand note or a typed one.  If you concluded that the person has a fondness for hand-written notes, simply do it.  But in case you are confuse and have no knowledge about the choice of the person then you may adopt other options like

1) Use snail mail to send a handwritten letter or note,
2) Use snail mail to send a typed letter,
3) Use an email to type the letter and send it as an attachment with the text pasted.

Option 3 is considered the best option in above 3 options as it allows staying top-of-mind with the interviewer. In most of cases you just write a thank you note and send it. But before sending it, be sure that its spellings are correct and it is grammatically error-free. Try to have someone or peer proof-read the letter for you.

You would require interviewer’s contact information to take this important step.  So it is better to ask the interviewing person for his/her business card prior to the interview. Usually interviewer will offer his/her business card as business etiquette but it does not always happen. You cannot make your follow ups without person’s contact information. So ask for the business card up front, you can forget to ask for it later. Ask for the person’s contact information for phone interviews that will help you to make follow ups.

The thank you note is an important and significant way to set you apart from others to the competition. Also attach a selected piece from your work-folio, if you discussed part of your work-folio in the interview. Your basic goal is to make your impression good and enhancing for the next round. This critical step will help you to achieve and enhance in your goal.

Inquire about the next step in the interview process with the expected timeframe. Regarding next step the interviewer will surely communicate to you within the expected time frame and if you do not hear back from the company with in that time then you have the right to follow up with the person and acquire about the further steps. But be careful that you should never contact the interviewer before time frame, under any circumstances. Demonstrates your inability to follow simple instructions, don’t show impatience on your part. Never create a reason for the interviewer to throw you out of the running.